This is a great way of making extra money! I have been doing it for quite a while...

Here is my Christmas gift to all GLPers...

The first thing you want to do after going out on a book scouting mission is to review your speculative titles on www.vialibri.net.

[link to www.vialibri.net]

This site is typically used by high-end book collectors. It will show you what your book is selling for throughout the net. I typically sort my searches by price in descending order. It's nice to see potentiality first. It keeps the blood boiling for more. Then you find out how much your copy is worth and move on. Sometimes you hit pay dirt and will find out that that obscure title you didn't think was worth much will wind up being sold for $10,000 or more...

In order for you to be comfortable with this work, you should look for titles that you may know are good. If you think it was a great book, and then it's a good chance many others think the same as you.

Basic rules of purchasing books for resale:

1. Condition, condition, condition
a. Condition of Dust Jacket, binding and paper.
b. Writing from previous owners (Not too important, but a clean book sells easier)

2. Make sure the book is a Hard Cover with a Dust Jacket (Cover).
a. A books value can be reduced greatly if the dust jacket is in poor condition. The better the condition of the Dust Jacket, the more money it will sell for.

3. Make sure the book is NOT a BMOC (Book of the month club)
a. They have no value.

4. First editions only!
a. Don't get sentimental, you’re looking to profit.
b. A first edition copy is usually indicated in several ways.
b1. On the copyright page of the book (Usually located just before the title page) look for "First Edition" or a series of number lines i.e., (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1) or (9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0). A complete number line indicates that that particular book was issued first, or a first printing.
c. The more you look at, the easier it gets.

5. Don't spend more than you need to.
a. Go to garage, yard and estate sales. These people have NO idea what books are really worth and will throw them at you if you show interest. They just want them gone. It's a marriage made in heaven.
b. Go to Church Thrift stores or book sales.
a. Books worth thousands can be bought for pocket change. I'm not joking! I have done it over and over again.
c. Go to the Goodwill or Salvation Army stores.
a. Again, they don't know what books are really worth. The best titles will sit on shelves for years until someone like us who knows where to find treasure where others see trash.
b. Books will typically sell for $1 each, so make sure you go on a scouting mission first. Check the titles and buy the ones that matter with a quiet smile.

Just so you know... This is so easy, a child can do it. I trained my children, just like I am you and my son found a First Edition, First Printing "Old Man and the Sea," on HIS OWN! I won't tell you what its worth. Go check it out for yourself.

Have fun!

JJ