{"id":6290,"date":"2020-09-09T23:31:42","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T23:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tacticalarbitrage.spacecolts.com\/sell-books-on-amazon-or-ebay\/"},"modified":"2024-03-26T20:09:03","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T20:09:03","slug":"sell-books-on-amazon-or-ebay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tacticalarbitrage.com\/blog\/sell-books-on-amazon-or-ebay\/","title":{"rendered":"Sell Books On Amazon Or eBay [Flipping Guide]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amazon and eBay are two of the largest ecommerce platforms for selling books. Amazon started as an online book store and eBay is known as the place to find great deals on used items.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of these platforms are a perfect opportunity to make money as a bookseller since you get access to their large customer bases with a few clicks. Selling books on Amazon is<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide is perfect for people who are looking to <\/span>start their online arbitrage game (specifically in book flipping)<\/b> and sellers looking to add additional revenue streams to their ecommerce portfolio.<\/span> This guide provides tips and tricks to getting started and also some additional insight to show additional money making opportunities that are usually overlooked.<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Amazon and eBay have a few little nuances that make each platform unique, but with a little practice and knowledge, you can use both for a good profit margin. Before we dive into the exact details, we need to start with a primer on the differences between the two platforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Amazon: <\/b>Amazon is known for being the leading online retailer and has an extensive network of fulfillment centers and top notch customer service. That being said, selling books on Amazon comes with a price (in the terms of higher fees).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And in order to provide an Amazon like experience for every customer, you are subject to higher standards and policies. On the plus side, Amazon does make it a lot easier to sell and they handle a lot of the marketing for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

eBay:<\/b> eBay lives as the online garage sale of the world (well that\u2019s what I like to at least call it). It is designed to sell new and used items and to have the ability to launch auctions. From my experience, eBay is perfect if you have a product that isn\u2019t listed in \u201cnew\u201d condition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This lends itself well for sales as most books bought and sold are not in \u201cnew\u201d condition. eBay also has a lower fee structure and a few less rules and policies than Amazon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The downside with eBay is that there isn\u2019t an extensive fulfillment network and the seller is left to a lot of the busy work of shipping and prepping books to send to the customer.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is just a brief comparison of the two platforms. Below, we go into a little more detail of each of the platforms. <\/span><\/p>\n

Amazon VS eBay\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Everyone knows Amazon and you know that they are the king in the online ecommerce space. Hundreds of thousands of sellers join Amazon a month and millions of purchases are made. It\u2019s a space that is extremely competitive, but if you win, you win big.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have been an Amazon seller for years and it is hands down my favorite (and most profitable) marketplace vs eBay. That being said, there is a steep learning curve to get started.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And there are a lot of rules and policies you have to follow in order to stay in good graces with Amazon. Even though it is difficult to get started, Amazon opens up the door to more customers than you can imagine.<\/span><\/p>\n

eBay on the hand, is no small platform itself. It has over 170 million active users and it has some features that set it apart from Amazon. In particular, eBay gives you a little bit more flexibility with your listings and the way people can purchase items from you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You control the listing, the price, the photos, and can sell products in any condition you choose. The\u00a0 fees are also reasonable if you don\u2019t mind shipping. You can also negotiate with customers and set your product up in an auction style format.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With all of that customization, you also find that eBay takes more time and effort than listing on Amazon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless of the platform you choose for book sales on, both have a ton of upside and potential.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I view books as a low risk way to get started on either platform. If I have never sold online before, I would push you towards eBay to get your feet wet. If you want to dive in and start making money, eBay is quicker, but Amazon is easier in the long run. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"sell<\/p>\n

Book Sales Price<\/b><\/h3>\n

When looking at the selling price of a book, you have to consider the type of book and the condition in which the book is in. Books in new or like new condition will sell at a higher price than books that are heavily used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Certain types of books (such as reference and textbooks) and newer books will sometimes have a higher value than books that have been on the market for sometime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When we look at the differences in platforms, you are typically able to list and sell books on Amazon for a higher price compared to eBay. I have found over the years that buyers on Amazon are willing to pay a higher price for a book since they have access to Amazon\u2019s customer service and Prime shipping.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a seller, it is to your advantage to consider using Amazon\u2019s FBA service (fulfilment by Amazon) to take advantage of the higher selling prices.<\/span><\/p>\n

FBA gives these privileges for the following reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n