BookScouter has a host of preferred merchants, companies to whom we have shipped books and with whom we have had a good relationship. We have vetted these businesses to find ones that offer booksellers the best experience.
The preferred book buyback merchant for the next few weeks is Amazon.com. The site is known around the world for selling just about everything one’s heart can desire. Consumers may not know that Amazon.com also buys used books–all kinds of books, including college textbooks, cookbooks, art books, and even fiction.
The good news is that Amazon tends to pay more for used books than smaller companies usually do. The somewhat bad news is that Amazon gives sellers not cash but store credit. Then again, when you consider that Amazon.com features everything from outboard motors to tweezers, store credit is a pretty great deal.
Before you even think about selling a used book to Amazon.com, you need to examine it carefully. The company is very picky about the condition of the used books it buys. A crushed corner, a broken spine, even marked up pages can mean the difference between a $50 store credit and nothing.
You need to be honest when you report your book’s condition. Telling the folks at Amazon.com you have a book in primo shape when you don’t is like telling your colleagues you have a cold when you really have pneumonia. Exaggerating could mean you lose your friends and, with Amazon, could mean you forego the chance to make some money.
If you send Amazon.com a damaged book, most likely the company is going to keep your book and send you nothing. But if you examine your used books carefully, report their condition truthfully, and package them carefully before sending them, you may be able to buy the outboard motor of your dreams.
