Amazon.com is a great place to sell your things, especially books. Books, at a cheap price, or free, are relatively easy to come by. Because I am seller, I will not reveal to my competition where I get my books, but if you do a little looking around your own city you should find some resources. The major problem with purchasing used books is knowing how to list their quality. Amazon gives the following choices for the condition of the books:
- New: Just like it sounds. A brand-new, unused, unread copy in perfect condition.
- Like New: An apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Dust cover is intact; pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. Suitable for presenting as a gift.
- Very Good: A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.
- Good: A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (including dust cover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include “From the library of” labels.
- Acceptable: A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust cover may be missing). Pages can include considerable notes–in pen or highlighter–but the notes cannot obscure the text.
- Unacceptable: Moldy, badly stained, or unclean copies are not acceptable, nor are copies with missing pages or obscured text. Books that are distributed for promotional use only are prohibited. This includes advance reading copies (ARCs) and uncorrected proof copies.
I find it interesting that these are the guidelines. They a pretty straightforward. However, I have seen many people list a book as good when it should be listed as acceptable. I often see people listing books as new that have most certainly been read and so on. The biggest thing is pushing the boundaries between the ranks of condition. Many sellers will list a book in very good condition when it is only good. They do this because they want the higher priced sale for a book that is in better condition. However, when selling books, it is best, when one is not sure where the condition lies on the scale, to list it one lower rank than they think. That way the buyer will be pleasantly surprised when they find a book in better condition than they were expecting. This also applies to the reverse; the buyer will not be angered when the condition of the book is what they expected. This is important because people have varying ideas about what these different rankings include. In this situation it is best to err on the side of caution.
Another important thing is to make sure that the book is described accurately. Make note of every flaw you see. Your condition ranking should match the amount of flaws visible. By being overtly honest with your customers you will receive buyer loyalty and good feedback, which is what your sales are reliant upon. You can also find some good qualities about your book and list those first. In example, if your book is highlighted, but not excessively make it sound good. Write “only minimal highlighting”. If there are notes in the margins, write, “relevant notes in the margins”. These tips could prove very useful in getting that sale over a competitor. Just remember buyers like description and honesty. The better your description the better your chances of gaining the buyers trust and their money.
Still confused? Here is a sample of one of my listings that I just sold today. Make note of how I made sure to talk up the good qualities as well while listing the negative ones. Next post I will discuss ways to improve the quality of your books.
| Condition: | Used – Good |
| Comments: | Nice glossy hardcover w/o DJ. Cover shows some wear on back. Pages and binding are in mint condition. Ex-library with standard effects. |
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