Lisa wrote:I've found used book purchasers to be wildly erratic and unpredictable in what they will take and how much they'll give you, from one store to another and one month to another, of the same general mix of books in the same general area. I've been unable to find a pattern.
Everyone uses scanners to get market rate these days. My guess on the unpredictability is that when a book gets mentioned on reddit or a forum like this, or referenced in an article, the price will spike especially if it's rare and out of print. On those, as a buyer, you're looking for the naive seller who doesn't scan prices, but sometimes you need to act fast or dig deep.
Lisa wrote:If I recall, Powell's books used to be able to give you a quote online for what they would pay for a book, if you enter the ISBN number.
This is a very convenient option. While they have packaging, labor, & shipping costs, so would I, only theirs have been optimized by consultants--whatever good/bad that might do--so it's cheaper for them even if I don't "pay" myself for my time. Add in gas & driving/waiting time and general annoyance, and really not worth my while at all to ship stufff to new homes on my own.
Except that it would be if I destashed here. I like knowing things are going to good homes.