A Guide to Selling Your Used Books Online

Almost everyone has old books lying around that are not being used any longer. They may be novels, textbooks, how-to books, or even cookbooks. There may even be a box of older books that have been in your attic for years. Your bookshelf might be getting too crowded and you would like to thin it out without simply throwing books away. Some of these books may have some value, and it could be worth your time to look around a little bit before you just give them away or throw them out. Sometimes your old novels have value to someone, or even unused travel guides may draw some interest. Also, there is always the chance that you have a very rare and valuable book in your posession, and it would be worth your time to shop it around.

Selling books online is becoming more popular now that there are several sites out that offer cash for used books. Some people are even making a paying hobby of finding and selling books. Garage sales, flea markets, and estate sales are popular places to sometimes find cheap books that will sell for a decent profit.

We will take a look here at a few of the online sites that you can use to determine if any of your books may have value to someone else. These sites are not listed in any particular order, so please look through them to find what type of book buying site may be useful to you.

1) cashforbooks.net
This is a very simple site to use, and includes free shipping. All you need to do here is type the ISBN number from your book in the window provided. In just a couple of seconds you will get a response, with an offered amount if they are interested in purchasing your book. If an offer is made and you accept, then you can print out a free shipping label. You receive payment after they get your books, by either paypal or a check. This site does not buy collectibles or antiques, so you will have to look elsewhere to price these types of books.

2)SellBackBooks.com This site is one among many whose primary purpose is to buy used textbooks. Their payments are comparable to most other textbook buying sites, and the site is simple to use for comparing prices online. The offer they will make is fast and easy, using a window to type in the book's ISBN number to receive a fast quote. Free shipping is offered, but their only method of payment is by check and this may be an inconvenience for some customers

3) AbeBooks.com This is a good site for pricing and selling your antique or rare books. You can compare your book value here, as well as get an offer from them to purchase your item. This site just requires you to fill out the year published, condition, author and the title to see what your book may be worth. They also buy textbooks, and the shipping is free as well. There are several payment options list on their website: "Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB. In addition, each bookseller may offer additional payment methods such as PayPal, check, or money order."

4) Craigslist book section A place to sell a wide variety of your used books. This site is different because you name your own price, and hope a buyer notices your book. Here you deal with the prospective buyer on a one-on-one basis. Most major cities have a craigslist site available, so dealing locally should not be an issue. You just list your book in the category that best suits you, and wait for a response or an offer. The big difference with this site is that for the most part you will end up dealing with a buyer in person, which may not be suitable for everyone.

5) Ebay books
This is a well known avenue to sell all types of books using their auction process. You can set your own reserve and buy-it-now price prior to listing. While Ebay is a secure site, you still have to deal with their fees and the shipping costs. This selling process may also take a few weeks, and end up with the final offer being lower than you were hoping for. Some sellers list all their books here, and just monitor the bids to see what becomes acceptable. This is also a good site to compare what others are asking for their books that are similar to yours. Paypal is the method used for cash transactions here

6) Amazon books
A popular and much frequented place to sell a wide variety of used books. You can list whatever type of book you may be selling. They have different categories for all types such as antiques, collectibles, rare books, textbooks, and cookbooks. As with Ebay, pay attention to the the fees and shipping cost details. These are the payment methods from the Amazon website:" Amazon.com accepts American Express, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Eurocard, Visa, Visa Check Cards, payment from your bank account, Amazon.com gift cards, Amazon.com Gift Card claim codes, and the Amazon Store Card. We do not currently accept international wire transfers, PayPal, or Smart Cards. For grocery purchases, we are unable to apply manufacturer's coupons, food stamps, or any other payment method not listed above."

There you have it, six simple ways to sell your used books online. Just take the time to see what sites will work best for your individual situation. You may also be able to shop around a few of these sites for comparison to get the best deal. Use patience and good luck with your book selling endeavors.