Selling tips from pros in book biz

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Before you haul in those worn, highlighted textbooks and romance novels to sell, the staff at Twice Sold Tales on Queen Anne and Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park offer some advice that could save you time and backaches.

• Call ahead to ask what types of books a particular store will buy. Some book dealers don't accept textbooks. Others shy away from hardcover mysteries, out-of-date personal-improvement books and Reader's Digest editions. But hot new titles, literary classics, even Bibles are good bets.

• Don't expect to earn big money from a single book. The store will make an offer that's based on how much it can resell the book for in its store — and how much cash it has on hand at any given time. Assume you'll walk away with 50 cents to $5 per book.

• Books with damaged spines, pages falling out and highlights or scribbles are likely to be rejected. Hardcover copies missing their dust jackets usually won't pass muster.

• Consider demographics and time of year when deciding where to sell. Books dealing with sex, drugs and New Age religion sell well at Twice Sold Tales on Capitol Hill. Gardening books spike in popularity in the spring and summer.

• Check your shelves for quality first-editions of rare and classic works, which can be worth more money. If you feel a book is valuable, it may help to comparison shop by checking that title's selling price at online book sites first. Or take the book to a dealer who specializes in the genre.

Tyrone Beason, Seattle Times staff reporter

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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