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Amazon will actually buy them back from you in most cases. I keep getting emails from them regarding books I've ordered in the past, asking me if I'd like to sell my copy! They have a trade in program (if you bought the book on Amazon or if Amazon wants the book) or a 'Sell The Book Yourself' option (which means you're responsible for shipping it when the time comes).
Alternatively, you could try selling them on Craigslist in lots. Obviously though, you'd probably have to meet with the buyer unless they were willing to set up some sort of paypal/ western union transaction with you.
You can try amazon, but many huge sellers list books for a penny, then make money from shipping costs since they have so many sales. For individuals, it's usually not worth it to sell a book for a penny.
I too am replacing a lot of my hardcover novels with their Kindle version, so I have been selling some of those books. I have had some luck selling "packages" of books, e.g. several hardcovers by one author, on either Craigslist or ebay.
If it's a series (I have a lot of those!), I always check the first one on amazon and ebay to make sure I'm not under-selling it -- a first-edition of the first book in a series that later becomes popular can be worth a lot.
There is another highly effective way to raise some quick cash (and probably make roommates/spouses happy), and that is to get rid of some of the clutter around your house by selling it. Old books and CD’s can go to Half Price Books. Clothing that doesn’t fit anymore or just doesn’t appeal to your fashion sense can go to Plato’s Closet. Stereos, iPod’s, computers, and other electronics can be sold at any pawn shop. Books, especially expensive ones like college textbooks, can be sold on Amazon or Craigslist for many times what you would get by returning it to the school’s bookstore.
(A bit of advice: tell the pawn shop you want to pawn, not sell it, even if you do intend to sell – they’re less likely to low ball you.)
On a personal basis, I sold some outdated political books, a few things I didn’t like, and just some plain inappropriate relics in exchange for $12 at Half Price Books. I turned around and used that money to pay for a $9.99 cut at Great Clips and I even had $2 left over for the tip. So I basically got a haircut for free, and I did myself a favor by clearing up a shelf on the bookcase. I’ve also done similar things at yard sales and picked up books that were given away, and boxes of books fetched in the $15-20 range – which went straight in my pocket (or I bought something I was actually interested in reading).
Amazon also has a program where you mail them the books and they give you a label.
I don't know how volume sellers are making money off the shipping. When I tried selling the books myself through Amazon, it usually cost more to mail the books than Amazon would allow you to charge. Maybe I was doing something wrong? It just was easier to mail Amazon a package of all of the books they were willing to take. I donated the rest to my kids' school library.
It depends on the titles but if you have books that are in demand you can usually take them to used bookstores that have a trade-in deal and if you want cash they'll do that too but it won't be worth as much. I had trouble selling mine that way though b/c I like to read weird stuff.
Depending on what you have, you might be able to sell them in bulk to a local used book store.
If the used book store does not want them, probably you might as well donate them to a library or such, they will know what's selling and what's not worth bothering with.
If you hit the right bookstore, you might be able to trade the paper books in on Kindle versions. Might as well ask.
If have a fireplace or a heater that burns wood, consider burning them.. seriously.
Take a look at their going price on Amazon.. calculate their weight and the $ per weight. If that number is comparable to or lower than firewood, then just burn them.
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