Thrift stores:

Thrift stores are the best and most regular source of books for the online bookseller. Every community has a thrift store, and in metropolitan areas you will have thousands of stores to choose from. Some stores will regularly produce ten to twenty books per visit while others will produce only a few. We set a goal for ourselves never leave a store without finding at least one book that pays for our time. Remember that a book that resells on Amazon for $50 will typically only cost $1.50 at a thrift store.

Garage sales:

Garage sales are great source of book stock, but is a time consuming process. If you already love to garage sale then we strongly recommend that you pack up your scouting tool and hit the streets on Saturday mornings. If your not a regular already, try driving by sales and stopping if there is an obvious table of books. We have on many occasions bought thousands of dollars of book stock in a morning for less than twenty dollars. It doesn’t take many mornings like that to get your bookstore cranking out profits. Often, people will want you to take them off your hands so much that you can get them for free, or almost.

Auctions:

Auctions are a great way to buy large quantities of books, and a fun place to meet other buyers. There are lots of different types of auction that all have their own rules and procedures. The only way to learn how to participate is to go to an auction house and watch the action. Here are a couple websites that we use to search for auctions in our area:

Auction Zip

The Internet Auction List

Library sales:

Library sales are the craziest thing you will ever be involved with. General rules to follow:

• always bring a scouting tool,

• always bring several large Tupperware boxes,

• always show up two or more hours early and get into the front of the line,

• always bring water,

• always attend the preview sale even if it costs more,

• if possible, bring a friend with a scouting tool (or at least someone to guard your books!)

It is important to have a plan before you enter the sale. Think about which sections you will hit first. Remember that everyone else may have the same idea. Our experience with library sales has taught us that sometimes the best plan is to go for a niche genre that wont be overrun until later in the sale. Hint, think crafts, social sciences, and art. Try to take a look at books that others may have passed up. On one occasion, we went back to a library sale on the second day and sitting on the bottom shelf of the psychology section was an 11-volume set on childhood cognition that had a total value close to a thousand dollars. We paid 75¢ per volume and all eleven books sold in less than a year. It is not unusual for a dedicated buyer to find many thousands of dollars worth of book stock at a single sale.

Next lesson, Antique malls, Estate sales, Used-New bookstores, Craigslist, Amazon.com.