Textbook Drop Shippers

[Sell4more2]

Never sold textbooks before, but it looks like a great idea for Amazon. Does anyone know any decent book drop shippers or a place to purchase them?

I doubt anyone is going to tell you, especially if their in this field, all i can say is just use a search engine like google,etc. I'd just sell some good ebooks, people say they don't sell, but if you know what you're doing you can make some good coin.

[jeffweico]

I sell a lot of books, but never got into textbooks. I do get one as part of a larger deal every now and then, but I specifically avoid them. For me, I see two problems. The market for these is absolutely cutthroat. And the pricing can fluctuate WILDLY between semesters.

I once knew of a math textbook that sold on Amazon for nearly $90 in "good" condition. I came across one on eBay, also in good condition, for $20. So, I bought it and listed it. I expected to sell it within a few months, but 6 months later I checked it, and the price had fallen to $10. So, you CAN make money at this, but you REALLY have to know what you are doing or you could lose money too.

[logicalogic]

Selling textbooks has been my business model for the last 6 months and it brings in good sales and actual profit margins. I would start doing this very slowly. It is usually students who buy textbooks, they procrastinate and when a week passes and thier class starts they freak out when they find standard mail can take up to 2 weeks. They are the most customer service intensive kind of orders, constantly asking the status of the book or complaining that its been 7 days.

They are the one item where people go ballistic if they don't get it or don't get it on time, drop shipping works but is risky as hell, you can do it but I wouldn't push a volume more than what you can keep track of, days later a drop shipper might cancel an order and if you are not ontop of it to catch it and re-order you are guaranteed bad feedback or an A to Z claim. I managed only 8 problems out of 646 orders....and drop shipped 80% of my sales. In my opinion a rediculously good record for the volume, but its not good enough for amazon...over 1%, I am currently suspended and have to appeal even though my longterm is under 1%

Another problem is you if your listings are drop shipped, you will get hit with an INSANE volume of orders if you aren't ready for it. I would get 5 textbook orders a week, this turned into 120 durring september and january when people go to school. You will find that durring this time everything gets bought out and your drop ship prices will vary by the day, if you can't comb through your inventory and update all the prices in a single day you are in trouble and you will lose money through drop shipping when its peak season.

I recommend acquiring the books personally, I have grabbed a lot of textbook from ebay for $3-$10 and turn them around for $30 or $100 (lowest price too) durring textbook season. It is best to ship these things yourself and to acquire and sell them slowly so you can feel out for yourself what problems can arise. they also NEED delivery confirmation or your customers freak when school starts and the book isn't there yet.

[logicalogic]

My pro tip if you want to get into textbooks. The latest editions are usually always the publisher price and there is no margin. Even if you got 50 copies from the publisher and sold them you profit $15 per each. Get last year's edition for dirt cheap, look for used copies that "were never used" on ebay. Sell as brand new after you confirm that is their condition. The brand new still sell for $30-$60, and if you get the book for $10 its all profit. You will have to research yourself which books sell well and you will still get lots of sales doing this. People get last year's edition for $60 because they don't want to pay $180 for the newest edition, as well everyone knows the previous editions are 99% the same book and many professors tell you is fine to get an older copy.

[zjnkzjen]

ha ... in my coutnry, price is RISING :P but i aint gona open up a business in my coutnry selling textbooks heh

Goodluck mate

[kira345]

there are some places selling international edition versions of textbooks...but I'm not sure if those are legal =/

[logicalogic]

It is legal to purchase international editions, the publishers just say not for sale in the U.S. to get people to buy the more expensive ones. Sometimes the info is different though (even if they say its the same) or its printed on cheap paper.

[123]

I had bought an accounting book for last semester for $200 brand new, and we ended up not even using the book didn't even read a page now I can't even sell it for $10 incredible eh...

[newtools]

thats what happens, thsi is why allot university books store are renting books for about $60 for a $160 book for the semester or selling an e book format taht you can just print on ur home printer and put into a binder for $40

[logicalogic]

You have to research what books sell well if you want to do it right. Find a best sellers list for textbooks. A previous edition of a best seller text will also sell really well. But a previous previous edition doesn't.

New editions come out every 3 years or so, there is plenty of time to make bank.

[williamlee]

international edition textbooks are no longer sell-able in amazon, no?

[rsot]

Nope Am az on does not like that.

[jeffweico]

Amazon has publisher contracts. These contracts will not allow them to sell international versions of their textbooks.

As far as I am concerned, these textbook publishers are scumbags! Same with the pharmaceutical companies. They make THEIR OWN PEOPLE pay the HIGHEST PRICES in the world, and give it away at half price to the rest of the world.

I'm sorry, but that is not right.