Do You Know Which Authors to Look For that Make Money on eBay?

Today, on my eBay_Establishings discussion list, a person asked for a general list of collectible children's books author names to look for to resale. Whew, I don't think they realized what a huge task it would be to type it all out. So, I just gave them a general answer that took about twenty minutes. For a better answer, I do offer a file of 300 book titles that took me a few days to collate after three years of research.

Anyhow, here is how I answered:

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Hi Mavis~
Well, always do a completed auction title search on books for , oh say, $30 and over. You can customize your search page to whittle down all the junk book lots that will appear.

As for authors, boy, there are so many, but not all these names'titles are collectible. Names we often pick up and sell would be limited because again, reprints and such devalue books. It is all about knowledge and research.

Illustrators and authors to look for:
Lois Lenski
Tasha Tudor
Paul Brown
Joan Walsh Anglund
Wesley Dennis
Sven Nordqvist
Marguerite Henry
Mariana
Maud Hart Lovelace
Helen Bannerman
Edna Miller
Evelyn Lampman
Jim Kjelgaard
Robb White
Dare Wright
John Denver
Walter Farley (old hardback editions)


Old editions:
Frank Baum (he has a bunch of pen names to look for, also)
WW Denslow
Ruth Plumley Thompson
John Neill
Donahey
Harrison Cady
Winsor McCay
Lucy Fitch Perkins
Elizabeth Upham
Helen Sewell
Walter Crane
Mabel Lucie Atwell
Jessie Willcox Smith

Well, that's off the top of my head. There are so many more, and in particular title names to look for. The lovely thing about children's books as a starting point is hardly any dealers go scopping up books in the children's section of the used library book sales. They do come along but usually I have the tables to myself for a good twenty minutes. Of course, when you are educated you won't get nervous anyhow.

My Dh and I were talking yesterday about the lack of knowledge out there. There are so many booksellers who have been selling for years, but still leave an adequate amount of $50-$70 books behind when I go through the tables after them.

I have a newsletter with a give-away that will help you and I have a monthly subscription list of books that teaches you exactly what to look for. Take a look, and get educated!
http://www.familybusinessideas.com/ebaylinksubscription.html

Julie Anna
http://www.BookJewelsForChildren.com

Have I Hit the Big Time?

Well, they say you have hit the 'big time' when your critics come out publicly. Well, I don't feel like that is what happened necessarily, but my business model on eBay has been challenged previously. I guest editted for Craig Stark at Book Think, his 50/50 subscription issue #11. Boy, did this one stir up some controversy. You can read the public thoughts at his discussion board. The thread title is Question Regarding Newest 50/50 Newsletter.

Let me know your thoughts!

Power Sellers on eBay
Michael & Julie Anna Schultz
Collectors and consultants of fine out of print children's literature
Owners of Book Jewels for Children
http://www.BookJewelsForChildren.com

Email us at: Clan4God@rochester.rr.com

March Top 10 Book Sales at Our Auctions

Something we like to do at the month's end on my discussion list is share our top sellers. Many of you aren't on that list so I thought I'd post mine here. All of these books are not hard to find, especially at library used book sales. Take some time and peruse our closed auctions and you will get ideas of which books sale for how much. Each auction has the item number in parentheses so you can look each auction up at eBay. I suggest doing this for several reasons. Mainly so you can learn not only which book sales for good money but HOW to sell that particular book. Yes, how we list does make a diffeerence in our final value price with collectible books. If you would like more information, then do some completed item searches. I believe we can never stop learning. This will keep you in business; learning. Feel free to peruse our closed auctions. Jot down title names in a small notebook to consult later at a sale or before going in to a thrift store.

Knowledge is the true organ of sight, not the eyes. ~Panchatantra

Top Ten March Sellers

Our exciting auction this month...
This one is still up but closing very soon! This is our fourth time selling this title. This current auction has 15 watchers! Be sure to keep your eyes open for this one.

The Sugar Mouse Cake~Gene Zion~1964~Dust Jacket~Rare (8050102150) currently at $41, expected to close at about $90
http://tinyurl.com/jyvju

The Mysterious Voyage of Captain Kidd~Landmark Bk #122 (8046297482) $99

Lot of 19 The Good Cook Time Life Books~HB~Cook Books (4611881666) $49

17 How To~Time Life Books~HB~Photography~Set (4615737784) $49

The Boys' Third Book of Radio & Electronics~Morgan~HBDJ (8048314714) $38

Little Witch~ Anna Elizabeth Bennett~HBDJ~vintage~1953 (8048589589) $36

Pookie and the Swallows~Ivy Wallace~fairy~1961~bunny (8048589490) $34

Circus Maximus Board Game~Avalon Hill~Complete (6041943403) $25

Double Exposure~Roddy McDowall~HBDJ (4614660870) $25

The Great Brain at the Academy~John D. Fitzgerald~HB (8045790149) $20

Power Sellers on eBay
Michael & Julie Anna Schultz
Collectors and consultants of fine out of print children's literature
Owners of Book Jewels for Children
http://www.BookJewelsForChildren.com

Email us at: Clan4God@rochester.rr.com

Sage Advice from a Bookseller and Entreprenuer

I can't agree more with this sage advice:

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There is one required quality for the person who would consider opening a B&M and/or making a living full time on the internet, and frankly I'm not sure that can be learned while working for someone else. I'm thinking that some of it has to be innate, a part of one's personality. That quality is that an individual business owner HAS to be a self-motivated person. We have no one to rely on to tell us what to do or when to do it.

A second quality (which maybe should be the first) is that we HAVE to be willing to risk--every day. And the key factor of that quality is that we can't let that risk cause us to become trembling masses of ineptitude and indecision. One has to make decisions continually with sometimes inadequate prior knowledge, going often on gut feelings, and just know that things will turn out just fine. (A lot of prayer is helpful. :-)) In other words, we have to shoot and whatever we hit, we call THAT the target and know we did the right thing for that instance given those circumstances.

Do we make mistakes, fail, spend money foolishly at times, take stupid chances, make wrong decisions, etc.? Of course! That's the fun of this thing. :-) How else would we learn and grow? Risk, in this case, simply has to create within the independent business owner a sense of excitement rather than dread and worry.

Dread and worry are negative states of mind and they block the creative flow of positive possibility thinking--which leads to new ways of doing the same ole things to make a living. Do we also experience dread and worry? Of course, we are only human. But we are able to see through, over, under, or beyond that to the possibility that dollars are possibly there to be made if a chance is taken. Sometimes we are right, sometimes wrong--but wrong doesn't make us Quit, it makes us back up and try again.

These same principles apply regardless of the type of business one would open, not just bookselling. But whether an individual is a self-motivated risk-taker will have a lot to do with whether or not that individual jumps ship at the first upset--only to go on and get out of our way. Booksellers come and go on a regular basis, especially on the internet. My belief is that most will go on to something more suitable for them, so I put little time into fretting about the 'competition'. They just don't have the gumption to keep on keeping on faced with the reality of the bookselling atmosphere.

Then there are those non-quitting independent souls who refuse to admit that bookselling can be an all-consuming, frustrating, and/or misery-making money-losing proposition and they just keep on supporting their family by working full-time at selling books on the internet--learning and growing and Daring others to attempt to follow their footsteps--and that's the individual we should either pay attention to (or recommend counseling to) if we are to succeed at this wonderful/awful business. (How is that for a run-on sentence? )

Cameo and George (and others new to booksellering), you are right to research the possibilities before jumping in, but don't be afraid to admit to yourself if this business just doesn't 'fit' your life. The sooner you would know that the better for you so you can go on to that which is best for you.

Craig is the only bookseller I know that fits the non-quitting description above, fearlessly giving away 'trade' secrets, and making mistakes that we don't have to make as he details his experiences for us to follow or disregard. If one reads all that he has written on the subject of bookselling and still has feelings of being daunted by the whole prospect, then most likely bookselling is just a fascination for you and not something that should be attempted full time.

I would discourage more folks, than encourage them, to be become full time booksellers as the romantic notions and general mystique surrounding the trade do not necessarily match the reality. It's during those especially dull times that one needs the innate qualities to sell one more book, then one more book...until one has the light bill, the mortgage payment, groceries, etc. Much easier to punch a time clock while someone else takes the risk.

Written by Emmy at the forum boards http://www.BookThink.com

Power Sellers on eBay
Michael & Julie Anna Schultz
Collectors and consultants of fine out of print children's literature
Owners of Book Jewels for Children
http://www.BookJewelsForChildren.com

Email us at: Clan4God@rochester.rr.com