How to Buy Books for Opening a Bookstore
Written media has taken a back seat in the technology age and electronic books are becoming the wave of the future. As the Internet has taken away from tangible reading there is something nostalgic to the look, feel, and smell of a book that people still cherish. You can see numerous people reading in a cafe, park or on their lunch hour. Opening a bookstore can be rewarding, but where do you purchase product? There are an abundance of ways to stock your shelves, but which route do you take that you can make profit and supply quality reading to your customers?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Internet service
- List of wholesale dealers
- Names of bookstores in the area
- Library contact numbers
- Yard sale list
- Online auctions list
Instructions
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Determine what subjects you want to carry at the bookstore. Who will be your target audience? You want to buy books that will sell, not take up space on the shelf. A variety of subjects should be available until you find out which subjects interest your customers.
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Perform a search of wholesalers in your area. You can purchase books from wholesale warehouses in bulk and the cost will be lower if you buy a substantial amount
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Check with local bookstores. They usually have a clearance rack or aisle where you can purchase books to supplement your collection.
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Walk into a library and ask if there's anything for sale. Usually you can snap up books for sale at the library for a dime. This also leads to filling your supplemental quantity.
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Get up early on the weekends and frequent yard sales and flea markets. This is where bulk comes in handy as you can buy books really cheap if the vendor is willing to sell them all at once for one price. Make sure the books are in resell condition.
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Online auctions are a valuable asset to have to start your bookstore. They give you steady access to books that range from current all the way to the hard to find books. Auctions also give you the freedom to buy as much or as little as you need, whenever you want to order.
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Tips & Warnings
Always look for rips, dog ears, spills, or defects in each book before selling to the public.
Never purchase books that cannot be seen in a picture or in person. Make sure that the quality of books are exactly as stated in advertisements.
References
- Photo Credit Larry Pishko
