We now have over 500 books in my Amazon Book store.
And we have about eight more bags to add.
The boys and I have been playing tag team on cataloging books. We’re storing the books in the garage because we simply don’t have room in the house (hence my laptop out in the garage – WiFi rocks, doesn’t it?) Dude puts in four bags, Jazz puts in four bags, and I take care of the challenging items. (DVD’s and misc. merchandise … which isn’t listed on Amazon, so I may end up selling it on eBay).
If you’re just tuning in, my dad cleaned out his office. He used to write online classes for a series of electronic and computer programming classes. The school he worked for sent him A LOT of material for those classes and when he retired, he wanted to get rid of them. Knowing I had an Amazon book store, he gave the material to us (a whole TRUCK load of stuff) and the boys and I have been busy cataloging the books ever since.
At first, the boys didn’t quite understand the earning potential behind this little venture.
However, they got it today.
We sold six books yesterday – SIX TEXTBOOKS. Textbooks bring in big bucks, especially when they are in “new” condition, which most of these books were. We have a certain “code” we put into the book’s notes so I can tell who cataloged the book. That person is then responsible for packaging the book and then taking it to the post office. (If it’s Jazz, then I have to take him since he can’t drive yet. If it’s Dude, he can drive himself). That boy in turn, gets the proceeds (minus postage).
I taught the boys how to package it and Dude and I drove up to the post office so I could teach him what to say and what to expect so that the next time, he can do it on his own.
Even though the boys are QUITE pleased with the dollar amount they got for the books that sold, I still don’t think they really get it. Amazon deposits any money we’ve made from the book store into our checking account every two weeks and the next cycle won’t be for another two weeks, so the boys haven’t received the money … yet. But as soon as Amazon pays us, we’ll pay the boys. (I’ve got a list started).
Cataloging books is quite tedious and a bit time consuming and the pay off only has POTENTIAL – there’s no guarantee the books will sell, but any money they make? Will be more than they had to begin with.
(By the way, the Fall library book sale begins next week. I shouldn’t go, I really shouldn’t – if we have to store any more books, Kevin is likely to go crazy, but I simply don’t know how I CAN’T go, I mean, BOOKS … FOR CHEAP?? I must go. There’s really no way I can’t go. It’s a sickness, I tell ya. Do me a favor? Go shop in my Amazon book store, take some books off my hands. :D)
Write From Karen 