What: Abe Books is a top online marketplace to buy and sell rare and collectible texts, but the site’s seller fees are stiff.
Commissions & Fees: 13.5% plus $25 monthly membership
Husl $core: $$$
Where: National
Review:
Let’s say you inherit your grandmother’s collection of original Beatrix Potter books — or a rare comic book collection — you can make thousands of dollars selling it on Abe Books, which is the top online marketplace for rare and collectible texts. Original tales of Peter Rabbit, for instance, are listed on the site for prices ranging from $20,000 to $100,000.
The catch is that Abe’s fees are a little steep. To sell on the site, you need to spend $25 a month for membership, and then you pay an 8% commission and a 5.5% credit card processing fee. You may be able to do better by selling your rare books to a local rare book dealer. Check your neighborhood for members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association.
If you’re selling a text book, rather than a rare book, consider Bookscouter. For generic fiction and non-fiction, Amazon or a local garage sale may be your best bets.
What their users say:
Chris Volk, who operates Bookfever( http://www.bookfever.com.) did a detailed review of the site. Among the cons is the relatively high cost of selling. Specifically: Depending on the number of sales, the average dollar value of each sale, and the number of listings, AbeBooks is arguably the most expensive site to list on, because the fees are a combination of flat monthly fee, commissions and credit card processing fee (charged on both the price of the book and shipping).
Although the nominal 8% commission and 5.5% credit card processing fee is at 13.5% theoretically less than the 15% charged by Alibris and Amazon, the addition of 5.5 % on shipping, the higher flat monthly fees and the minimum fees on inexpensive books can push the total monthly bill higher. Click here to see the full review.