Books and Resources to Start Strong
Before you invest in equipment, understanding the business fundamentals will save you money and help you make smarter decisions about what you actually need. These books cover reselling strategy, inventory management, and customer service—the real drivers of profit in used book reselling.
The Complete Guide to Amazon FBA by Denise McGill
If you plan to sell through Amazon, this book walks you through the Fulfillment by Amazon system, fees, and profit calculations. It covers how to price competitively, manage inventory across channels, and avoid common mistakes that tank seller accounts. You’ll learn which margins are realistic and how to avoid the race to the bottom on pricing.
Shop The Complete Guide to Amazon FBA on Amazon →
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Book reselling works best when you start small and test what actually sells in your local market before scaling inventory. Ries explains how to validate assumptions with minimal spending and iterate based on real data. This approach applies directly to sourcing—you won’t waste money buying hundreds of books you can’t move.
Shop The Lean Startup on Amazon →
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Cash flow kills reselling businesses. Michalowicz teaches you how to separate profit, operating expenses, and inventory spending from day one. For a book reseller, this means knowing exactly how much cash you can spend on sourcing without starving your business. His system prevents the common trap of buying inventory that sits unsold.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Negotiation skills matter when you’re buying inventory from estate sales, libraries, and bulk sellers. Voss breaks down practical tactics for getting better deals without burning bridges. Even small improvements in sourcing costs compound across hundreds of books.
Shop Never Split the Difference on Amazon →
Equipment You Need
A used book reselling business requires surprisingly little equipment to start. You need tools to evaluate books, store them safely, pack them securely, and track your inventory. The essentials are basic and affordable—avoid the temptation to buy expensive equipment before you understand your actual workflow.
Scanning and Pricing Tools
- Barcode scanner: A USB or Bluetooth scanner lets you check current market prices instantly instead of typing ISBNs by hand. This saves hours and prevents you from pricing books incorrectly.
- Mobile device (smartphone or tablet): Used to run repricing apps, check competitor prices, and scan barcodes on the go. You likely already own this.
- Repricing software: Tools like Repriceit or Keepa automatically adjust your prices based on market conditions, preventing your inventory from sitting unsold.
Shop barcode scanners on Amazon →
Storage and Organization
- Metal shelving units: Inexpensive, stackable, and durable. Books are heavy—avoid flimsy plastic shelving. A basic 5-tier unit holds 200-300 books and takes minimal space.
- Labels and printer: Thermal or inkjet labels help you organize inventory by category or price point. Knowing where your stock is prevents double-selling and lost orders.
- Inventory management spreadsheet or software: Track which books you own, their source cost, current price, and condition. This prevents costly mistakes and shows you which categories sell best.
Shop metal shelving units on Amazon →
Inspection and Condition Assessment
- Magnifying glass: Spot foxing, stains, and binding damage that affect pricing. Inexpensive and essential for grading books accurately.
- Headlamp or work light: Inspect book condition clearly, especially for dust jacket damage or writing inside covers. Better lighting prevents grading mistakes that cause returns.
- Measuring tape: Confirm book dimensions for accurate listings, particularly for oversized or special editions.
Packing and Shipping
- Boxes in multiple sizes: Keep boxes from your own deliveries or buy flat boxes. Match box size to book size to minimize wasted space and reduce shipping costs.
- Packing tape and dispenser: Secure boxes reliably. A handheld dispenser is faster than taping by hand and saves money.
- Bubble wrap or kraft paper: Protect books during transit. Kraft paper is cheaper and works fine for most shipments.
- Shipping scale: Accurate weights prevent unexpected shipping charges and disputes with carriers. Digital scales cost little and pay for themselves quickly.
- Shipping labels and printer: Print labels at home instead of paying at the post office. Saves time and money on every order.
Shop shipping scales on Amazon →
Optional but Useful
- Book stand or cradle: Holds books open for photography. Improves your product photos, which boost click-through rates.
- Phone holder or tripod: Take consistent, well-framed photos without hand fatigue. Better photos mean fewer returns.
- Simple background: A white or neutral poster board creates clean product photos. Reduces shadows and distractions.
Shop book photography stands on Amazon →
What to Buy First vs Later
Start lean. Buy only what you need to source, inspect, price, and ship your first 100 books. Everything else can wait until you’ve validated your business model and know your actual workflow.
- Month 1: Barcode scanner, shelving unit, magnifying glass, packing tape, shipping scale, labels and printer. Total: under $200.
- Month 2-3: Additional shelving as inventory grows, work light, repricing software subscription.
- Month 4+: Photography equipment, inventory management software, upgraded storage organization, thermal printer if volume justifies it.
New vs Used Equipment
Buy new equipment only when used options don’t exist or fail too quickly. A used shipping scale works just as well as a new one and costs half the price. Shelving units are worth buying new because used ones often have bent frames or missing bolts that compromise stability with heavy books.
Never cheap out on a barcode scanner. A reliable scanner saves you hours per week in pricing work. A broken or slow scanner frustrates you daily and tempts you to skip scanning—which leads to pricing mistakes. Buy a mid-range USB or Bluetooth scanner new and expect it to last years.
Boxes and packing materials should always be sourced secondhand or free. Save boxes from your own purchases, ask local retailers for boxes they’re throwing away, or buy bulk used boxes online. This is where frugality actually works without sacrificing quality.
Where to Buy
- Local business liquidation sales: Often have shelving, filing cabinets, and storage equipment at 50-70% off retail. Check sites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
- Costco or Sam’s Club: Competitively priced shipping supplies, boxes, and packing materials in bulk. Membership pays for itself quickly if you ship regularly.
- ULINE or Grainger: Professional packing supplies and shelving. Not cheap, but more durable than consumer versions and faster shipping than waiting for Amazon delivery.
- Local office supply stores: Labels, tape, and printing supplies. No shipping delay and easier to return defective items.
- Alibaba or directly from manufacturers: If you reach 50+ orders per month, buying bulk boxes directly overseas becomes cheaper than retail. Only worth it at volume.
- Free sources: Local libraries often discard old shelving. Grocery stores, liquor stores, and bookstores give away boxes. Estate sales have cheap used items.