All of us have times in our lives when we need to make some quick cash, but we’re not really sure how to do it. Interestingly enough, the one option that many of us overlook is selling some of the items in our house (or office or dorm room) that we no longer use; items like our old books, for instance.
Although thanks to the progression of technology (which brought us things like e-books, Kindles and Nooks), hardback and paperback books are not as much in high demand as they used to be. However, as long as there are people around who love to read, there will always be individuals who still enjoy reading (dare we say it?) the old-fashioned way. So, if you have some old books and you’d like to earn some money from them, we have five tips on how you can get the most money for them below:
Examine your books thoroughly. Like most used things that are put on the market, people don’t want a book that is extremely worn. When it comes to books specifically, this would mean ones that are marked up, highlighted or with pages that are crumpled, ripped or torn out. So, make sure that whatever books you want to sell that you inspect them to make sure they are as “like new” as possible.
Do some research on how to price them. One mistake that a lot of people make is selling their books for a lot less than they are actually worth. For instance, if you have a first edition or a full collection of some classic titles, they are going to be worth more than a couple of bucks. Most cities have niche bookstores where experts can help you to in determining just how valuable your book is. It’s definitely worth the drive to go and ask. (Or you can put the title of your book into your favorite search engine and see what the price tag is for it at places such as Amazon too.)
Sell them online. Perhaps the easiest way to sell your books is to sell them online. Amazon and eBay are two really popular websites where you can sell used books. If you have old textbooks, there are even more options that are available to you. Valore Books, Chegg, Book Scouter, Moola For Books and Sell Used Books are just a few of the online companies that sell used text books.
Don’t sell to the first “bidder”. Just like you should do your research on how much your book is worth; don’t assume that since you have some cheap textbooks that the first price that is offered to you is the only one you’ll get. If you’re going to sell your books on a website like eBay or even Craigslist, price it a few dollars higher than your estimate and then put “OBO” in the section that allows you to list how much the price is. There’s no point in taking $15 for the book just because someone offered it if you can get $30 because you priced it for that much and then waited to see if a buyer would make that bid.
Consider donating them. There are libraries, schools, prisons, hospitals and even some thrift stores that could use some of your books and so if you’re just as interested in getting a tax deduction as you are in making some extra money, donating your books is one way to get a tax write-off. The key here is to make sure to ask for a receipt for your tax records. Good luck.
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