HELP Buy, Sell, Trade, Books - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

dd3953 · 01-10-2009, 12:29 PM

Okay, so this isn't my literature, but it's ABOUT literature. . .

I am looking for a website that allows you to buy, sell, and trade books, fiction mostly. However, all my google searches are fruitless, it's keep bringing up websites for textbooks. I don't want textbooks. I'm not sure if I am searching for the right keywords, or what.

Have you heard of site a website or store? Can you think of better search words than mine (buy, sell, trade, books, -textbooks, -education)?

[I'm not sure if this is in the right place, I couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.]

Baraka_Guru · 01-10-2009, 12:42 PM

Buy: Alibris: Used Books, Used Textbooks, Rare & Out-of-Print Books

Sell: Sell Books, Textbooks, Movies, and Music at Alibris

Trade: These are social-networking sites, but have trade options. (At least I think Shelfari does.)
http://www.shelfari.com/
http://www.librarything.com/

Alibris is big, and it powers Amazon's used-book selling service.

You might find eBay does a lot as well.

But be careful, Alibris will suck you in.... (must...stay...away....)

Strange Famous · 01-10-2009, 01:34 PM

Well for buying and selling I'd say Amazon.

I used to sell books on there and made £200/$300 a month for a couple of years till I dropped outof it cos all the prices went too low.

Abebooks also, although when I did it they tended to be more into the higher value (ie - not 0.01) value books.

dd3953 · 01-10-2009, 08:21 PM

Baraka_Guru - all of those websites seem like a book sharing site. They don't have options for trading, selling, however you can buy using Amazon.

There is a website (secondspin.com) that does what I am looking for with CDs (movies, music and game CDs). I was wondering if there was something like that for books. Everything they sell is used, and the customers sends in the product and they ship it out. That is the reason I use them instead of Amazon - I like the idea of the "third party."

Maybe there isn't one. . . .

Baraka_Guru · 01-10-2009, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd3953

Baraka_Guru - all of those websites seem like a book sharing site. They don't have options for trading, selling, however you can buy using Amazon.

Last I saw, LibraryThing allows users to set up trades between their libraries. Shelfari may have been a shot in the dark; I may have confused it with a similar site. The best way to find out is to try them out.

mixedmedia · 01-11-2009, 04:31 AM

You can swap books here. I've belonged for about four years now and I love it.

http://www.paperbackswap.com/members/index.php

Not necessarily for the books that are posted there. I've got a wish list and occasionally something I've been wanting will pop up. But I have a lot of books posted there which get requested pretty regularly...then I can transfer the credits to their sister sites:

Swap a CD: Music Club offers Free CDs when you Trade, Swap or Exchange Used CDs

Swap a DVD: Movie Club offers Free DVDs when you Swap, Trade, or Exchange Used DVDs

Between the three sites I have been able to build up quite a nice collection of books, movies and music.

If you are wanting to buy and sell books, I don't know anymore. I started selling books on eBay in 1999 and it was quite a time. But around 2005-2006 eBay started making it difficult for small sellers, especially sellers of used media items such as books, music and movies to turn a profit. Since then they have changed their fee structure to try and draw these sellers back, but the buyers never seemed to return. It's a shame because ebay was truly remarkable at first. Just another example of how people in business think they are so clever (and greedy) and then fuck everything up.

I've never sold on Alibris or Amazon. I though about it but they are so impersonal for sellers, it just didn't motivate me. One of the other great things about selling books on ebay was the opportunity to interact directly with the 'book people' who were buying your books.

Anyway, sorry to go on and on. PaperbackSwap is a pretty cool way to swap books. And you can swap hardcovers and audio books there, too. Not just paperbacks.

dd3953 · 01-11-2009, 06:10 PM

Paperback Swap is closer to what I am looking for and it looks like a great idea come to life.

And, although, Shelfari isn't what I was looking for, thanks. It's great. I'm a member for life.

ItWasMe · 02-03-2009, 08:18 AM

Thanks for the info on Paperback Swap, mixedmedia. I was about to weed out used books and dvd's to get rid of anyway

Magpie_1 · 02-03-2009, 08:21 AM

http://www.swapadvd.com is something I wold love to be involved in. Since I'm Canadian they won't let me join. Dose anyone know if there is such a sight for Canadians?

mixedmedia · 02-03-2009, 09:21 AM

You're welcome, iwm

I wish I could help you, Magpie. Perhaps someone else will have some suggestions...

craigk · 02-05-2009, 05:13 AM

I started selling on half.com in January, to clean out our storage... You can sell books, DVD, and video games there.
The selling prices are decent, on non-over sold books.

I buy all of my text books there too.

braisler · 02-05-2009, 07:42 AM

I belong to PaperBackSwap as well. I hate it. Well, maybe that is too strong of a position. I resent the costs associated with freely trading books with other people. Sure it is 'free' to request just one book from another member. But the costs of actually mailing a book that has been requested are quite high! $2.30 to send a paperback through the USPS mail is really a lot of money when you think about heading to a used book store and buying the same book for $.50-$1, or checking it out from the library for free. PaperBackSwap also gets on my bad side because they are constantly trying to up-sell you on other features of the site; pay $10 to swap more than one book at a time with other members, pay extra for printing pre-paid postage, pay extra for special labels, etc. Sure, that is their right as to how they want to run the business, just as it is my right to not participate.

Of course, if you are looking for a book that a local bookstore or your library doesn't have, you might have some luck finding it on PaperBackSwap. Just be aware of the costs before jumping into it.

mixedmedia · 02-05-2009, 03:10 PM

Personally, I don't mind the mailing costs because there's no way I'm going to find the books I want for $.50 - $1.00 at a used bookstore. Booksellers have a hard enough time keeping their doors open these days. Most of the books that I buy from used book stores end up being between $6-12.

And never once has PBS ever tried to sell me anything and I've been there almost from the beginning so I'm not sure what you mean by 'constantly trying to up-sell you.' Besides, they are offering a service to me at no charge - why should I resent that they offer up extra features? I don't have to buy them.

settie · 02-10-2009, 09:01 AM

I've been trying a couple of these sites the last few years. No matter what kind of book it is, on what site, no one is interested. I still have the same large pile of books I had before. Luckily i found a little shop in my city that took some of the classic paperbacks off my hands and traded in for other stuff, but, I still have way too many, and loads of textbooks.
-_- not fair.

01-10-2009, 12:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	Buy, Sell, Trade, Books Okay, so this isn't my literature, but it's ABOUT literature. . . I am looking for a website that allows you to buy, sell, and trade books, fiction mostly. However, all my google searches are fruitless, it's keep bringing up websites for textbooks. I don't want textbooks. I'm not sure if I am searching for the right keywords, or what. Have you heard of site a website or store? Can you think of better search words than mine (buy, sell, trade, books, -textbooks, -education)? [I'm not sure if this is in the right place, I couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.] __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

01-10-2009, 12:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Buy: Alibris: Used Books, Used Textbooks, Rare & Out-of-Print Books Sell: Sell Books, Textbooks, Movies, and Music at Alibris Trade: These are social-networking sites, but have trade options. (At least I think Shelfari does.) http://www.shelfari.com/ http://www.librarything.com/ Alibris is big, and it powers Amazon's used-book selling service. You might find eBay does a lot as well. But be careful, Alibris will suck you in.... (must...stay...away....) __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 01-10-2009 at 12:51 PM..

01-10-2009, 01:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
Strange Famous follower of the child's crusade?	Well for buying and selling I'd say Amazon. I used to sell books on there and made £200/$300 a month for a couple of years till I dropped outof it cos all the prices went too low. Abebooks also, although when I did it they tended to be more into the higher value (ie - not 0.01) value books. __________________ "Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered." The Gospel of Thomas

01-10-2009, 08:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	Baraka_Guru - all of those websites seem like a book sharing site. They don't have options for trading, selling, however you can buy using Amazon. There is a website (secondspin.com) that does what I am looking for with CDs (movies, music and game CDs). I was wondering if there was something like that for books. Everything they sell is used, and the customers sends in the product and they ship it out. That is the reason I use them instead of Amazon - I like the idea of the "third party." Maybe there isn't one. . . . __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

01-11-2009, 04:31 AM	#6 (permalink)
mixedmedia has all her shots. Location: Florida	You can swap books here. I've belonged for about four years now and I love it. http://www.paperbackswap.com/members/index.php Not necessarily for the books that are posted there. I've got a wish list and occasionally something I've been wanting will pop up. But I have a lot of books posted there which get requested pretty regularly...then I can transfer the credits to their sister sites: Swap a CD: Music Club offers Free CDs when you Trade, Swap or Exchange Used CDs Swap a DVD: Movie Club offers Free DVDs when you Swap, Trade, or Exchange Used DVDs Between the three sites I have been able to build up quite a nice collection of books, movies and music. If you are wanting to buy and sell books, I don't know anymore. I started selling books on eBay in 1999 and it was quite a time. But around 2005-2006 eBay started making it difficult for small sellers, especially sellers of used media items such as books, music and movies to turn a profit. Since then they have changed their fee structure to try and draw these sellers back, but the buyers never seemed to return. It's a shame because ebay was truly remarkable at first. Just another example of how people in business think they are so clever (and greedy) and then fuck everything up. I've never sold on Alibris or Amazon. I though about it but they are so impersonal for sellers, it just didn't motivate me. One of the other great things about selling books on ebay was the opportunity to interact directly with the 'book people' who were buying your books. Anyway, sorry to go on and on. PaperbackSwap is a pretty cool way to swap books. And you can swap hardcovers and audio books there, too. Not just paperbacks. __________________ Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

01-11-2009, 06:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	Paperback Swap is closer to what I am looking for and it looks like a great idea come to life. And, although, Shelfari isn't what I was looking for, thanks. It's great. I'm a member for life. __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

02-03-2009, 08:18 AM	#8 (permalink)
ItWasMe But You'll Never Prove It. Location: under your bed	Thanks for the info on Paperback Swap, mixedmedia. I was about to weed out used books and dvd's to get rid of anyway __________________ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Ok, no more truth-or-dare until somebody returns my underwear" ~ George Lopez I bake cookies just so I can lick the bowl. ~ ItWasMe

02-03-2009, 08:21 AM	#9 (permalink)
Magpie_1 Insane Location: Ontario, Canada	http://www.swapadvd.com is something I wold love to be involved in. Since I'm Canadian they won't let me join. Dose anyone know if there is such a sight for Canadians? __________________ "Art is what you can get away with." - Andy Warhol

02-03-2009, 09:21 AM	#10 (permalink)
mixedmedia has all her shots. Location: Florida	You're welcome, iwm I wish I could help you, Magpie. Perhaps someone else will have some suggestions... __________________ Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

02-05-2009, 05:13 AM	#11 (permalink)
craigk Tilted	I started selling on half.com in January, to clean out our storage... You can sell books, DVD, and video games there. The selling prices are decent, on non-over sold books. I buy all of my text books there too.

02-05-2009, 07:42 AM	#12 (permalink)
braisler Addict Location: Midway, KY	I belong to PaperBackSwap as well. I hate it. Well, maybe that is too strong of a position. I resent the costs associated with freely trading books with other people. Sure it is 'free' to request just one book from another member. But the costs of actually mailing a book that has been requested are quite high! $2.30 to send a paperback through the USPS mail is really a lot of money when you think about heading to a used book store and buying the same book for $.50-$1, or checking it out from the library for free. PaperBackSwap also gets on my bad side because they are constantly trying to up-sell you on other features of the site; pay $10 to swap more than one book at a time with other members, pay extra for printing pre-paid postage, pay extra for special labels, etc. Sure, that is their right as to how they want to run the business, just as it is my right to not participate. Of course, if you are looking for a book that a local bookstore or your library doesn't have, you might have some luck finding it on PaperBackSwap. Just be aware of the costs before jumping into it. __________________ --- You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. - Albert Einstein ---

02-05-2009, 03:10 PM	#13 (permalink)
mixedmedia has all her shots. Location: Florida	Personally, I don't mind the mailing costs because there's no way I'm going to find the books I want for $.50 - $1.00 at a used bookstore. Booksellers have a hard enough time keeping their doors open these days. Most of the books that I buy from used book stores end up being between $6-12. And never once has PBS ever tried to sell me anything and I've been there almost from the beginning so I'm not sure what you mean by 'constantly trying to up-sell you.' Besides, they are offering a service to me at no charge - why should I resent that they offer up extra features? I don't have to buy them. __________________ Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

02-10-2009, 09:01 AM	#14 (permalink)
settie Junkie	I've been trying a couple of these sites the last few years. No matter what kind of book it is, on what site, no one is interested. I still have the same large pile of books I had before. Luckily i found a little shop in my city that took some of the classic paperbacks off my hands and traded in for other stuff, but, I still have way too many, and loads of textbooks. -_- not fair.