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My First Book Scouting ExperiencesThis is a true account of how my first book scouting experiences led me to believe that I could sell used books online. After being “laid-off” from a high-paying professional job as an Executive Assistant, I suddenly found myself collecting unemployment benefits, which was paltry in comparison. It was a rude awaking accompanied by not knowing if I could find a job with a similar salary and benefits. My Search BeganI didn’t live a fancy life but like many others, I had bills to pay. During my search for employment I heard from various sources that people were making money selling used books online. I found myself wondering, "How much money can one make?" That's when I came across "Internet Bookselling Made Easy" by Joe Waynick. I bought a copy and stayed up all night reading it. The instructions were so clear I kept thinking, "I can do this!" I finished the book early in the morning on December 3, 2011, and I began book scouting at library book sales and Salvation Army thrift stores that same day. My First Book SaleArmed with my meager budget of $100, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn't have a scanner so I followed the advice in the book to make my selections. I tried to pick books I thought were worth no less than $8.00. When I got home, I verified the prices on Amazon. I chose a few duds, but I also chose a number of very valuable books too.
Within two days, I recouped my entire investment making profits online. From then on, it was pure cha-ching in my pocket book!! My first book scouting experiences were very good ones indeed. I was thrilled to see the results and anxious to get back out to purchase more inventory. The next thing I did was purchase a book scanner as Joe recommended. I went out scouting several more times after that, expanding my sources to Goodwill thrift stores, and not only did I find more books, I found other book scouters as well. Some were nice, and some were pushy. But I was determined to start making money to pay my bills. In one instance, I remember when a thrift store held a half price sale and there was a long line of shoppers waiting to enter the store. When the doors finally opened, there was a mad rush of excited customers pouring through the entrance, carrying me along with them. CompetitionDislodging myself from the crowd, I headed straight for the books with my scanner in my hand and shopping cart ready to scan. As I approached the book section within the store, I saw other used book dealers literally scooping books off the racks and placing them in their shopping carts. Consequently, my first book scouting experiences taught me very quickly that the early bird gets the worm, or rather in this case, the books. I vowed to do better next time. Nevertheless, I still found a respectable number of books to take home. My first book scouting experiences taught me to put myself on a schedule and establishing a scouting route increased the number of books I found. In my first month working from home selling books on the Internet, I made an $825 profit. My second month, my profit increased to $1,200. My average book price went from $8.00 to $17.00. I've been in the business four months now and my profits have increased again to $1,600 per month. This is so cool! I haven't replaced my full-time income yet, but I'm well on my way. Return To Top: First Book Scouting Experiences Return to Home Page: Making Money Online Selling Used Books Would you like to comment on this article?Has this article been helpful to you and/or your business? Would you like to add a point or two I may have missed? |