do you have a pile of textbooks in your room that you will never open again? well look no further because these are a few of the best ways to get rid of book clutter.
method 1: amazon seller
amazon seller is definitely the best way to get the most money back. the con is that you will have to wait for all the books to sell. however, i think getting maximum return is worth it. i’m guessing we all paid a lot of money to buy those darn textbooks.
setting up an account with amazon seller is free and easy. you will just need some basic info and a bank account for amazon to transfer the money you earned. amazon does take a small percentage of your profit but don’t worry, they let you keep most of the money.
i think the most confusing part was figuring out how to ship your sold textbooks. here is the best/cheapest method i found.
- go buy packaging for the textbooks at an office supply store. this way you will save money. buying the packaging at the post office is over-priced. btw, the best packaging is the envelop that is textbook size and has bubble wrap lining.
- print out the packing slip. the user interface of amazon seller is pretty straightforward. if you click “unshipped,” you can check your pending orders and you will be able to “print packing slip.” from the packing slip you can get the address of the textbook’s destination. i would then put the actual slip in the packaging with the book. it will serve as the receipt for your customer.
- go to your nearest us postal service center. the usps has a service called “media mail.” this provides discounted shipping for school materials like textbooks! be sure not to seal the packaging until you get to the usps. the postal worker may want to verify that you are indeed shipping an educational item.
- once you have shipped the textbook from the post office be sure that you have a “tracking number” for your package. the postal worker will let you know what it is. with the tracking number, go home and open your amazon seller account. go back to the “unshipped” link and “confirm shipment.” amazon will ask you for the method of delivery you have chosen which is “media mail” and for the tracking number of your package.
there you have it! a 101 guide to using amazon seller. i have personally sold off all of my high school textbooks using this method.
method 2: textbook buy backs
this method is quick but you won’t get that much money back. this is for if you just want those textbooks out of your sight as soon as possible. buy back websites allow you to enter the isbn number of your textbook to tell you how much they will pay you. there are also nice buy back sites that will pay for shipping. here are some examples to browse:
this is a link to a website that will compare multiple buy back websites for you:
i hope this post was helpful. happy selling and make some money!
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