Hello!

[Karen Metson Wallace]

Sooo...I guess I am pretty much a party girl....can't STAND silence. Got to mix things up.

I started selling books years ago on Half.com...which was pretty much the happening used book place a million years ago. I guess I was making $300 - $700 a month. Loved, loved, loved packaging. LOVED ordering fun stamps for postage! THEN...I got pregnant with my fourth child, AND the post office stopped letting you drop packages over a pound into mail boxes.... thanks to the Unibomber! I was also home educating my two older daughters...we just bought a five acre place in Roy, WA....time to simplify, so I thought.
Fast forward, 5 years. baby is now in Christian school kindergarten. I am a single mom living in my home town of Napa, CA...where everything is boring and easy and popping into the post office is no problem. So I started thinking of selling books again.

But, things are really different now! Half.com is pretty much dead. Regular people can print online postage...no need to have hundreds of dollars of stamps on hand. Before, about 50% of my books were going for about a buck, 30% gave me a $2-$3 profit, and 20% were worth enough to pay for the whole lot. Tomorrow I am ordering a PDA/Wireless Scanner from Media Scouter...gulp. No more wasting money on duds, I hope! Totally DAZZLED by the prospect! I am pretty excited about calling in ISBNs on older books because the Community Thrift in our town has pretty reasonable older books in their store. True, I still dislike everyone that works there and their jeans are WAY overpriced ($7 a pair...outragious)...but who cares?

I just found out that there is a library about 12 miles away in Vallejo (near my favorite thrift store) that has 720 feet of FOL sale books that are continually refreshed. Then on the 24th, I am going to pop down to San Rafael for a book sale there. In April there is a 55,000 FOL book sale in Palo Alto. Santa Rosa is having a really good sale in May.

All these places are VERY familiar to me. I don't even have to look up where the sales are, unlike when I lived in Fayetteville, NC and Tacoma WA. I just get in my car and go! After all, I grew up here and in spite of the fact I was dragged back home, kicking and screaming, it is really nice to be able to go anywhere in the Bay Area and know pretty much where things are. It ALMOST makes up for it being too HOT here!

Karen
Metson Books

[Karen Metson Wallace]

Another day, another dollar....or perhaps I should say another $1,700! Ordered my Media Scouter bundle and a Zebra printer, labels, & 25 lb scale this evening, finally. Very shocking. Was about to sign on to AMan Pro but it occurred to me that I should wait until I am actually READY to start adding books. On the other hand...I actually DO have some books to start adding...perhaps I should do so until the Media Scouter PDA arrives just so I have something to work on?

Actually, I need to finish setting up my Amazon account. I should do that and sign up for AMan Pro tomorrow.

-Karen

[Karen Metson Wallace]

Well...one more post and I will give up. I have certainly tried to play ball, but one woman posting does NOT a community forum make.

I surveyed the town today with my 14-year-old in tow. This is MY- Setting-Up-a-Bookselling-Business Tip...go to all the thrift stores and library branch continuing booksales and note what the book prices are, the hours and days, and how much they charge for books. Also, scout out the mail boxes, noting location as well as last pick up hours, and if they are for the driver or passenger sides. Check out the post office and find out when THEIR final pickup inside is. I learned this following my military husband around the country and having to reset up my business in a new community nearly every year!

This evening, I am going to print out the information for all the FOL sales I intend to go to along with directions and nearby Zagat restuarants...and put them into my dedicated Franklin planner for future reference.

I am going to check out a continual booksale down in Vallejo tomorrow...which boasts of 720 feet of books that are continually refreshed. I don't have high hopes for this because I have never done well with contining FOL sales at libraries in NC, Texas, Kentucky, or Washington...but I am trying to have an open mind. Michael Mould in Online Bookselling: A Practical Guide with Detailed Explanations and Insightful Tips says that he finds some of his best stock at these sales. It can't be a WA state thing because I lived in Pierce County WA for three years and thought the ongoing sales some of the libraries that the Pierce or Timberland library systems were pretty lame. I wonder if he goes to KING COUNTY libraries? Humph! A little insider WA joke there. King County has a pretty wealthy population and the surrounding counties are bitter! I can't believe that their libraries could possibly be better than Timberland's.

So, this is the exciting news I found out today...
1. My cell phone is web enabled so all I have to do is pay Cingular $19.99 a month for unlimited data whatever. But I am not sure I really want a cell phone look up service in addition to the database/PDA service I just ordered.
2. While it is still not acceptable to drop packages over 1lb with stamps on them in the mail boxes, if you use metered mail, or an online service...that rule doesn't apply to YOU! This is truely a happy day for me!
3. A couple of the thrift stores in the area will take resale numbers so you don't have to pay THEM sales tax.

Sigh. I know I need to collect taxes for those in CA....but I totally DREAD it. I have a form & paperwork phobia. Really I do!

-Karen

[Wayne]

Hi Karen,

I've enjoyed your posts. Please don't give up. It takes time for the community to grow.

If you haven't already, be sure that your Cingular phone service will reach the sites that you want. Cingular told me that my cell phone would work, but after I signed up to add data to mine, I found out that the Cingular net only reaches certain types of sites. I don't know if it's my cell phone or Cingular, but mine doesn't reach the book price site that I intended to use. Cingular says the site isn't a WAP site. The site says it is WAP and that it's a Cingular problem.

Happy book selling!!!
Wayne

[Tammie]

Don't give up just yet. I've just joined and enjoyed reading your posts. I'm in the same position as you. Just starting and trying to figure out what I need and what I don't. I just ordered Michael's book and am eagerly awaiting that.

I don't have the online lookup services yet...I write down a lot. LOL I have a cellphone but I use Net10 and it does not have web capabilities. It's been a lot cheaper than having a service, but I guess we will have to change that as I learn and grow.

Keep posting!!

Tammie

[bill noviello]

Hi Karen,

What does a Media Scouter Cost?

Thanks,
Bill

[Cheriz]

Hi Karen

I am glad that you did not give up.
When I set up this network, I was feeling like a nervous hostess planning a party...wondering who would attend or even if anyone would attend. I just thought that this "social networking" thing was a good idea. Especially for booksellers. I enjoy networking and sharing information. It looks like our community is growing. I see that Steve and Michael are here... two bookselling experts and authors whom have provided some very helpful information and tips.

I am in the middle of organizing my book inventory... (LOL) It seems like I am always reorganizing my inventory. I bought some more heavy-duty utility shelves (Home Depot) for my new batch of books. If my memory serves me well... Steve commented on them in his bookselling blog (http://www.weberbooks.com/selling/selling.htm) sometime ago. I purchased the shelves that hold up to 750 pounds.

May you have a great bookselling day!

[Wayne]

Hi Karen, I've enjoyed your posts and hope that you will update us on your bookselling status.

How is it going with the PDA? I've thought about getting one, but I'm still on the sidelines. I have just signed up with Amazon as a pro merchant, but I've still got a lot of books to list before I can get many sales. I've started a part-time job, and it's cutting into my listing time.

Most of my books have come from estate auctions where the auction company usually puts all of the books in various boxes and takes bids for entire boxes. It's a fast way to get a lot of books for a dollar or two per box. Sometimes you get junk, but sometimes it's worthwhile.

Here's a quote that I read somewhere:

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. —Maria Robinson

Best wishes for your success,
Wayne

[Elisabeth]

I'm new to the group (just joined today). I enjoyed reading what you had to share. I am really trying to learn all I can before I make a decision to sell. Do you have any encouragement or suggestions either way?