Online secondhand bookseller

Readers, collectors, students and gift buyers across Australia and sometimes overseas.

You buy books cheaply and sell at a higher price, with the margin covering postage, platform fees and your time. Specialist or collectable titles can earn more per sale.

• Spotting books that will sell and judging condition
• Listing, photographing and describing items clearly
• Packing and posting carefully
• Basic record keeping

• Check whether your council requires approval for a home-based business
• Marketplace fees and postage can eat into margins, so price carefully
• Register for an ABN and check when GST registration applies
• Storage space and book condition, as damp or mould can ruin stock
• Check insurance for stock stored at home and for goods in the post

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $500 to $5,000, depending on how much stock you buy and your packing supplies and website. Marketplace fees and postage can eat into margins, so price carefully.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $500 to $4,000, depending on the books you find, how well you list them and where you sell. Fees and postage reduce what you keep.

Things to check: whether your council requires approval for a home-based business, ABN registration and when GST registration applies, storage space and book condition, and insurance for stock at home and goods in the post.