Downsizing -Ebay or straight up sell?

[Donnie]

The wife and I are on a 3 year plan to move from Iowa to Arkansas - winters here are getting too long and cold. Every time I go downstairs, I am bush-whacked by my extensive horseracing library....I have no plans to pack it and move it. Since we have started to sell the unneeded items in our life (extra TV's, washers, etc.), I committed to selling my collection of books, videos, software, systems, and audio tapes.

To the group--
In this day and age, is it more advantageous to list these things on Ebay piecemeal, or try to sell them directly. I have NOT sold anything on Ebay in years and when I just now tried to preview a posting for Olmsted's Complete Handicapper, the damned site threw me an error message and then wiped out everything I had entered in. At this rate I'll be dead before I get half this stuff listed.

I am open to any ideas anyone may have or are there other ways to move this out while still getting a fair price for it? We travel down to the Hot Springs area about every 3 months, next trip planned at the end of March.....maybe there is an outlet there that would but a bunch of it...?? I have some real collectables in my library....

Thoughts??

Thanks in advance! (back to Ebay, at least for today!)
-Donnie

[Dave Schwartz]

1. Search for the books on Amazon. Decide if there are any with hefty price tags. (Note: Look for the LOWEST price, not the highest, because it will never sell at the high price.)

2. Take the cheapest books and bundle them together. Offer them here or eBay.

3. Take the expensive ones (if there are any) and do the same thing but individually.

Best of luck.

Dave

[Donnie]

Thanks Dave! I will definitely have to bundle. I have 3 copies of some books because I bought bundles to get one of the books in the bundle, causing dupes of other books....

Anyone need a copy of The Odds Must be Crazy??? Looks like Amazon wants $26. I'd unload two of my 3 copies for $18 each.....one has the best parts already highlighted for you (if you're into "speed reading), the other looks brand new! LOL

I have a crap ton of stuff that cannot be found on Amazon because they are not your main-stream authors....

[thaskalos]

Tell us a little more about your collection, Donnie.

What are some of your less well-known items?

[Donnie]

Just a few that come to mind--
*The Length Variant Seminar & Workshop Tape set and all supporting handouts - featuring presentations from Huey Mahl, & Howard Sartin & Pat Rogerson & Dan Dorian & George Green among others.
*Selecting Racehorses using the Airflow Factors by Dr W. R. Cook (video)
*Paul Mellos "How to Learn Trip Handicapping" (video)

I have a total of probably over 250 books, about a dozen videos, and an un-counted number of systems and manuals from the mainstream to the obscure. I have American Turf Monthly's dating back to the early 50's. The guy I bought these off of in Omaha had 3-hole punched them and put them in thick binders. I have just about every HorsePlayer Magazine printed save for the past probably 2 years. I have newsletters up the wahzoo. I have the original prints of Ray Taulbot's Pace Series. Have a favorite horse from say 1990 through 2010? I probably have the Bloodstock magazine with your favorite on the cover......

[davew]

The problem with eBay is the market is thin for this type of thing, so you almost need a retail price start, which costs alot in eBay fees unless you open a store (which may be an option if you have a couple years to liquidate your stuff).

An option would make an inventory list here and have prices or entertain offers for 'groups' made by interested people, as they may already have some so only want some...

[cratman]

Hi,

I collect vintage Sartin-related material. Would be interested in the length variant seminar as well as other similar material. Do you happen to have the book by Bridges on Ultrascan?

Thanks,

Cratman

[Tex9Down]

If you get an Amazon seller account it's very easy to sell them there.

If you look up a book on Amazon, there's often "buy it used" button. All you have to do is look up a book on Amazon, click "sell one like this" and describe the condition and list it. No need for pictures or writing out descriptions of the book because it's already there under the original book listing.

I forget what it takes to get an Amazon seller account, but I know it was not hard, maybe link your buyer account to your selling account?