It’s easy to sell a book online; nowadays there are plenty of places you can go to. But what if your book is particularly special or important? You probably want to sell your book online to someone who will cherish and appreciate it - and also pay generously for the privilege of owning it. Catawiki’s weekly Book auctions are all curated by our team of in-house book experts who are professionals in the field and who are bibliophiles themselves. It’s their role to ensure rare or high-value books find a deserving buyer, for a competitive price. Want to know more? Keep reading to find out where, why, and how to sell books online.
Where Should you Sell a Book Online?
If you want expertise, a high revenue, and an easy-to-use process, Catawiki is the best place to sell books online. Our Book auctions are broken down into a number of categories including Art & Photography, History & Geography and Literature & Illustrated Books, meaning when your book goes to auction, it will be listed with other works of a similar nature, much like in a brick and mortar bookstore. This makes it easy for buyers to find and place bids on your book. Our team of 6 in-house book experts plan these auctions, and are always ready to review the books offered up for auction. One of our book experts, Mark Harrison says that the strength of his team is that they all have their own specialisations. Their various backgrounds and educations means that generally look at a book offered up for auction and tell whether a it's suitable for auction and if further research is required. This makes the process for sellers simple, swift and timely. Plus with the fast and secure payout system offered on Catawiki, you’ll be enjoying the benefits of your book sale in no time.
Looking for the best place to sell books online? Catawiki’s Book auctions are the perfect place to sell rare, collectible or high-value books
Why Sell a Book Online?
The second-hand market for books is booming; a 2016 survey found that 42% of Dutch respondents said they buy at least one pre-owned book every year. With such a thriving demand, selling books online is the perfect way to make a profit whilst ensuring your book will be enjoyed by other enthusiasts. Catawiki’s weekly Book auction attracts a dedicated and niche audience of book lovers who are always excited to see unusual, rare or collectable books come up for auction. Previously at our book auctions, sellers have enjoyed some impressive results. In 2017, a cookery book from 1903 was estimated to sell for €200 - €260 but came under the hammer for an admirable €4,000. Another surprise result was Manly Hall’s ‘The Pheonix: An Illustrated Review on Occultism and Philsophy’ which at €370, sold for almost 5 times the estimate. Sound good? You could soon sell a book online and get similarly fantastic results! But how?
An original French first printing of A. Escoffier’s ‘Le Guide Culinaire’ sold for €4,000 at our Book auction
How to Sell a Book on Catawiki
It’s straightforward and simple to sell books on Catawiki. Just follow these instructions to get started.
1. Identify if your book is valuable
Mark advises that the first step to working out if your book has value is to identify the author, title, publisher, year of publication, edition and the condition of the book. Use this information to do some research and get an idea of the book’s worth. On the whole, our in-house book experts are looking out for any book, manuscript or map which is unique, unusual, interesting or rare.
2. Register for a free account
With just one free Catawiki account you can bid, buy and sell at any of our auctions. You can sign up for your account here.
3. Offer up your book(s) for auction
You can start submit books for auction as soon as you’ve created your account. The lot creation process will guide you step-by-step through submitting high quality photographs and a description of your book. If relevant, you may also be asked to upload certification or accompanying documents.
Multiple rare & unique books to sell online? Once you have your free account, you can offer up as many books for auction as you like for free
4. Your book is planned for auction
Once submitted, your lot submission will be assessed by our in-house book experts who will assess the suitability for auction and if further information is needed. The team is trained to be able to recognise the editions, publishers and authors that collectors are looking for and so they can ensure high-quality and engaging auctions. Once your book is approved, the experts will plan it into an upcoming auction as soon as possible.
5. The auction begins
New auctions start every Friday. Your book(s) will be presented to millions of potential buyers from around the world and the highest bidder at the end of the auction is the winner!
6. After the auction
The buyer will then transfer their payment for the book and you'll be asked to ship the order or make it available for pick up within 3 days. You will be paid for your lot approximately 2 weeks after the order has been shipped, minus the low commission fee of just 12.5%.
Ready to sell a book online? Catawiki is the ideal place to find and sell historic, unusual and collectable books. Browse our weekly Book auctions to discover more about how the auctions work or start offering up your books for auction by registering for a free account.
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