Rod Collins

Are you new to selling books on ebay ?
Are you thinking of starting to sell books on eBay ?
Are you an experienced bookseller who is suffering poor sell through rates ?
Are you just reading this because you’re bored or nosey ?

If you’ve answered yes to one or more of the above you need the …

Here at Goldeneye we’ve been selling via online auctions since the year dot including doing beta testing for a very large internet company - so we know a little about this.
Being the generous kind of guy I am I intend to part with a few pearls for those who could use a lift.

Things Have Changed for Booksellers

Here’s something to bear in mind, everything has changed on eBay, especially when it comes to selling first editions or rare books. Oh no things are getting even more difficult I hear you say - fear not things just got easier. The professional book dealer can now take things a little easier and the would be newbie to the trade can dispense with the bothersome task of learning the trade.
Here are some key pointers :

First Edition Books

This is traditionally a tricky area: “How can I tell if a book is a first edition or not?” is a regular question.
Well it’s easy now - there are no such things as reprints !
Yes you heard it - every book is a first edition.
Example from eBay today:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone - True 1st Edition
Then at the bottom of the auction (rare 37th printing)
This used to be rife with Tolkien and Lord of the Rings but, like ringworm, it has spread.
Your True 1st Edition BCA actual translatation worthless book club edition
etc etc etc

Signed First Editions on eBay

Signed books are more desirable to collectors so worth considerably more generally.
Good news for the hard-up bookseller … well sort of. The problem is they can be tricky to find, and once found are probably too expensive to buy if looking for a profit.
This problem is easily negated today: Just sign the book yourself !
It does not actually need to look particularly similar to the authors real signature just try to spell the author’s name correctly to avoid any embarrassment.
Also make sure the book was not published posthumously as this too can backfire on you should you sell it to an unreasonable bidder

One tip, make sure you do a private auction, this will stop anyone emailing the sapsbidders and warning them. It will also have the added benefit of allowing you to shill bid the auction.
Recommend authors are Ian Fleming and JK Rowling you can of course use any you like

Rare Books on Online Auctions

What actually defines a rare book ?
Another question often asked, well the sands have shifted a little. The internet has increased visibility so enabling you to see, say, 3 copies of a book you could spend a lifetime searching for in person and still not find. Is it still rare, yes I think so but it is was a judgement call … life just got much easier - yes you’re ahead of me … every book on eBay is rare !
This situation has created a need for even greater superlatives to help describe books that could be rarer than rare books - thing such as Ultra Rare or, in caps lock please, MEGA RARE

Condition and Grading of Books

Another thorny subject for the newcomer, how do book gradings work ?
How do I know which grade to use ? etc
Granted, the professional grading system is a little quirky, example a book described as being in good condition is, in fact, bloody awful !
Once again the unstoppable evolution of eBay has simplified this archaic system.

Just describe all your books as fine in a fine dust jacket.
The book and jacket need not be fine of course, nor indeed need the jacket even be present, but you’ll find better prices are achieved using this new grading system.
Another great tip is to keep your descriptions brief, attention spans are notoriously short on the internet and given the even more restricted mental capacity of the ebay bargain hunter you need not over complicate your description by mentioning such things as ex library stamps, missing pages, stains or torn pages etc - it just confuses things, depresses the final value as well as putting bidders off.

Hopefully then this will give you some kind of insight in how to become an eBay bookseller or how to improve your falling sell through rates.

Any questions please do not hesitate to ask
Rod Collins
CEO Goldeneye Rare Books and former Powerseller