Turn Your Old Books into New Cash

According to data gathered in a Books In Print, over 4 Million books are available for commercial sale. Chances are, you are housing many of these titles on your desk, overloaded bookcases, dusty attics, and forgotten storage boxes in the back of the closet.

Did you know many of these books could be turned into cold hard cash just in time for the vacation you've been planning, or to gather extra funds for the new DVD Recorder you've have your eye on?

How would you like to turn your old library of used books into cash with just a few clicks of your mouse? The following five tips will help you de-clutter your home and put money back in your pocket.

1. Auction Your Books. Groups of paperbacks, popular books, audio books, and autographed copies will sell well on auction websites such as ebay.com and auctions.yahoo.com. Begin by looking at similar titles to see what they are selling for, then calculate the auction fees before deciding if it's profitable enough for you to list your books for bidders. Also note that selling your books in groups, rather than individual titles will often attract interest in auction and bring a higher return.

2. Sell Books by Consignment. Consignment programs are great for books in like-new or brand-new condition and for popular "best-seller" titles. Companies like half.ebay.com and amazon.com allow you to list your books risk free, charging a consignment fee only upon sale of the book. It's a great way to re-sell those best sellers.

3. Consider Book Buy-Back Programs. If you have college textbooks, reference books, or classic novels to sell, you'll want to consider selling them via a buy-back program. Check out websites like textbooks.com, campusbooks.com, and ecampus.com for program details. As a bonus, many of these companies pay the shipping cost for you to deliver the books to them. Also note, the books do have to be in fair condition in order to qualify for these programs, books that are marked up or considerably damaged may not qualify. Be sure to read the companies guidelines prior to submitting your books for payment.

4. Seek Out Book Collectors. Rare titles and collectibles are often worth more and you should try to seek out the collector audience prior to considering other options. Scan wish lists like weberbooks.com/buyerwait.htm to see if a buyer already exists. Research the value of your books and read through selling tips at fadedgiant.com. Then, consider selling on consignment at websites specializing in rare books such as abebooks.com and cdickens.com.

5. Swap and Trade Your Books. If you are interested buying new books, consider trading your titles for new ones instead at websites like frugalreader.com or paperbackswap.com. It's a great way to keep your reading pile current and clean out your old books without incurring a lot of expense. On average, you'll save $4.50 or more per book you swap, instead of purchasing the title new.

If you still have titles left after exhausting your sales opportunities, consider donating them to a literacy program (check literacydirectory.org to find one near you,) your local library, or a non-profit resale shop such as Goodwill locator.goodwill.org.