In 2006, I started selling used books on Amazon to curb my online poker addiction. From 2003-2005, I pretty much just played poker. The idea of making money online fascinated me. However, poker was starting to get addictive. Plus, I wasn’t making any money. I was just another wannabe watching the World Poker Tour on TV. Luckily, I discovered how to sell books on Amazon, and it motivated me to quit playing poker for good.
Selling books was so much better than poker. In poker, it is a zero-sum game. There is one winner and one loser. However, with books, I was providing value. Someone across the county was getting a used book that they needed, and in return I got paid. It was a win-win.
In 2007, I switched to FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and it was a game changer. I was making so much more money with FBA. Plus, it freed up my time. I no longer had to store, pick, and pack my books. Amazon did that for me. It was almost too good to be true.
Between 2007 and 2010, sales were starting to roll in from selling books on FBA.
However, in 2011, I started to lose direction. I was so use to the money rolling in from Amazon, that I had stopped doing what made me successful in the first place. I stopped going to book sales and thrift stores. I somehow magically assumed that the money would come no matter what I was doing. I was wrong.
In late 2013, I decided to go to thrift store and book sales and document the financial results on a blog. I also, started listening to business podcasts like
I'm currently still selling books on Amazon FBA. Although, now have a book-scouter and a book-lister that does most of the work. I spend much of my time creating content on the blog and maintaining ScanLister.
Over two years ago, I hired a book-sourcer to buy books for my Amazon business. He basically goes to thrift stores and library sales and buys books on my behalf. The books are purchased based on the buy/reject triggers that are set on the scouting software he uses. Over the past two years, he has purchased a
Your idea of purchasing bags of books at a minimum of cost to the seller should open the eyes of a lot of newbies.
As an 88 year WWII and Korea Vet I have sold books for over 50 years … store, mail order, e-mail, eBay and Amazon with an inventory reaching 25,000 books generally purchased as you have done with a small number of collectible vintage books averaging $1 to $4 each. The one exception was in writing and publishing 2 WW II Marine Corps hardcover books originally selling for $32.95 and $85.00, now selling for $ 49.95 and $ 195.00.
My question is about any research you may have done about the trouble an Amazon seller might face should he want to sell his business or be forced to close up shop unless he had anticipated that possibility and set up a reserve for the fees Amazon charges for picking and shipping the books back to you or destroying them. If you can come up with an answer you are not only much smarter that I but you would have a an income stream from a how to book and a full blown program that thousands of sellers would thank you for.
KEY FACTS ABOUT BOOK TO THE FUTURE, INC.
-
US Businesses
-
Companies in Florida
-
Brevard County Companies
- Company name
- BOOK TO THE FUTURE, INC.
- Status
- Active
- Filed Number
- P16000024596
- FEI Number
- 81-2026747
- Date of Incorporation
-
March 17, 2016
Age - 9 years
- Home State
- FL
- Company Type
- Domestic for Profit
CONTACTS
- Website
- http://booktothefuture.com
BOOK TO THE FUTURE, INC. NEAR ME
- Principal Address
- 2389 Snapdragon Dr NW,
Palm Bay,
FL,
32907,
US
See Also