The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business ... (ISBN 0977240606)

A Good Resource:
I've sold a few books on eBay, but I've never really tried seriously to make money at it. However, I have the advantage of having long experience in the book trade. Still, I was wondering what might be particular about the online world, so I decided to take a look at this book since Steve Weber is someone who started small and built a successful online business. For the most part, this book is a valuable tool for someone who really wants to make it. There are a number of things that I really like about this book. He's very smart about where to find books and about what books are smart to acquire. He's particularly acute with suggesting areas that should be avoided and those that are easy to overlook (certain types of textbooks, particular areas of history-- "learn to find unusual books"). In these areas, his suggestions often gibe with my own experience, though I'm more excited about certain areas than he is. He's also quite good on the mechanics of running an online business, though I focused mainly on his general suggestions about tracking inventory, pricing and customer service. He goes a bit overboard when suggesting websites and software worth looking at to manage some of these tasks. A few simple, straightforward suggestions might serve the beginner better. And, of course, this book suffers from the fate of all books that deal with online services. Published in 2006, some of the specific suggestions, particularly concerning the smaller companies, are already out-of-date. If you stick with the larger companies, however, you probably won't have too much trouble. In the end, this book provides valuable insight into running a bookstore. It doesn't matter whether you are someone who already owns a store and wants to get your inventory online or someone starting from scratch, there is valuable advice here.

Much more than you paid for!:
I read Home-Based Bookstore because I have hundreds of perfect condition used books I just cleared out from my personal library at home and wanted to see if I could sell them on Amazon and didn't know how to get started. Just like Steve Weber's other books, you get much more than you pay for. Weber fills this book with details covering every aspect of setting up your home based used bookstore for NO MONEY upfront. How cool is that? Where as other books on the topic have been reviewed saying they just recycle what you can find on Amazon help pages, Weber includes tons of insider information far beyond what is found on Amazon's help links, such as what and where to find books to sell, how to price them correctly, how to package and ship, get feedback from customer, handling negative feedback, handling taxes, etc. etc. etc. No question you can think up appears to be lacking an answer on these pages...and here's another exciting upside...within 2 days of reading this book and setting up my store, I've already sold and shipped THREE of my books. Thanks Steve...and keep sharing your insider information.

Home-Based Bookstore:
The product was in excellent condition and I received it timely.The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site

Good Hints and Down-to-Earth Information:
I highly recommend this book for anyone with a home-based book business with Amazon or any other on-line store. The ideas are right on and elementary. Yet, if you already have a business, the information and web sites he gives in the book are valuable.

Gardener's Journal:
An excellent book and becoming hard to find in new condition. I have had two of these in the past and wanted a third one for the years 2009-2013. The easiest book for someone who likes to compare data from year to year.