Where can I sell books in (East) London

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I live in East Ham and have a couple of hundred books I want to get rid of - and soon, since I should be moving house in October, and to a smaller place. The only two secondhand bookshops anywhere near me that I knew of (Stratford and Ilford) have closed in the last year. I have no car to carry them to places anyway, nor can I carry 200+ books on the tube with me. I want one that will come and pick them up.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyone work in a secondhand bookshop?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

um send them to me. all of them. yes thats it.

― anthony easton (anthony), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 18:44 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm looking to make some money rather than spend a fortune posting them to Canada, Anthony. Good try though.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 18:53 (twenty-three years ago)

May be worth your while posting a list here or emailing one to anyone who's interested. Especially if they're music/art/film. You'd prob get a better price than a bookstore.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 5 September 2002 06:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Martin - is it worth putting some of them on ebay? If any of them are worth anything you'll prob get more money than from a shop, but I guess you'd rather get rid of the whole lot at once?

I'd be happy to help you shift them - via my car, but am a bit tied up at weekends for the next month. Would an evening be any use? Or there's a secondhand bookshop in Richmond which might take them, I could come and get them and take them there for you. I've sold stuff to them in the past. Since it's a large number, you'd need to give them a list prolly in advance.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 5 September 2002 07:28 (twenty-three years ago)

That's incredibly kind and generous, Dr C! Ebay would be no great use - they aren't valuable, just secondhand books, nearly all fiction, mostly literary but fairly varied. None are, I think, worth much, but I'm sure a bookshop would price them up in total at a couple of quid each, say, so I'd expect to make easily three figures on selling them. I'll produce a list sometime soon and perhaps you can tell me how to get it to this shop in Richmond. We can talk about transport, but I at the very least greatly appreciate the offer.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 5 September 2002 10:20 (twenty-three years ago)

send me a list martin and the prices you want, ill pay for the ones i want and shipping, if thats ok ?

― anthony easton (anthony), Thursday, 5 September 2002 16:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Gosh! I doubt that you will want many of them - it's stuff I am getting rid of. Some duplicates but mostly books I don't love sufficiently to want to keep. I will make a list and make it available to anyone here and anyone who wants to a) come and get them, b) meet me in central London (FAP or individually)(for small weights of books obviously) or c) pay for me to post them to them can have them. I'll be sure to send you one first of all, Anthony, when I have made the list.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 5 September 2002 17:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Martin. Can I hug you ?

― anthony easton (anthony), Friday, 6 September 2002 05:52 (twenty-three years ago)

if you make this list before next week's fap i'll prob be v interested in some, martin; but after that i'm in boston.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 6 September 2002 05:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Martin - If you're still interested in shifting the residue after the ILX massive have done with your list, let me know. I'll check on the shop in Richmond at the w/kend as I should be passing, or I'll give them a call.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 6 September 2002 10:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Dr. C - this might sound really obvious, but maybe you should check that the bkshop in question will take pretty much everything off yr hands (NOWHERE will take ex-library bks or out-of-date yearbooks/textbooks/encylopedias). From my experience, a great many 2ndhand bksellers will want to cherrypick, and could leave you w/ the difficult-to-shift dregs (not that I'm suggesting for a moment that Martin's bks aren't anything other than 500% dynamite, of course...)

I'm also worried that Martin's expectation of a three figure sum is a bit hopeful, but we shall see...

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Friday, 6 September 2002 11:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Yep, will do.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 6 September 2002 11:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Oooh I'll see the list too (like I don't have too many books to read anyway) yay for the PRINTED PAGE eh?

― Sarah (starry), Friday, 6 September 2002 11:45 (twenty-three years ago)

All I was meaning about the price was that I thought they were worth selling rather than giving to a charity shop, but that none are worth significant amounts. Some are indeed ex-library and in poor condition. I'll get some lists off to interested parties later today.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 7 September 2002 10:28 (twenty-three years ago)

None are, I think, worth much, but I'm sure a bookshop would price them up in total at a couple of quid each, say, so I'd expect to make easily three figures on selling them

Err yes - based on my experience this is optimistic.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 7 September 2002 10:55 (twenty-three years ago)

did you g et my list?

― anthony easton (anthony), Saturday, 7 September 2002 11:45 (twenty-three years ago)

I have sold literally thousands of books to bookshops before: I mention this because everyone seems to be acting as if I probably haven't done this kind of thing before. There is some tatty stuff, but there are also some books (including some hardbacks) in as-new condition.

Anyway, I have replied to Anthony, and am sending my list to Toby and Sarah: anyone else who fancies it, say so here or email me.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 7 September 2002 14:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry Martin - just in my experience I haven't got a £2 average. You must have good stuff. Hardback fiction I have found esp. hard to sell unless it's a v.popular author. Too many review copies floating around.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 7 September 2002 15:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Some of the best condition hardbacks are popular or culty SF authors, for example - I've always done pretty well on them. And a £2 average does not come out of what I said: I am getting rid of over 200 books, and reckoned I'd get into three figures. That's a 50p average! I find most places will buy at something between a third and a half of what they expect to sell it for: in London bookshops, you won't find very much literary fiction at less than £1.50. Anyway, I'm giving some of it away to anyone interested, so I don't know how many I'll have left to sell.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 7 September 2002 17:54 (twenty-three years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.