Online rare and antiquarian book dealer

Private collectors, university and public libraries, researchers and gift buyers, in Canada and abroad.

You sell books for more than you paid, so profit comes from good buying and accurate descriptions. Rarer items can be sold individually; a steady flow of mid-priced books builds regular income.

• Knowledge of book collecting, editions and condition grading
• Research and cataloguing
• Photography and clear writing
• Careful packing and shipping

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence
• Check GST/HST registration once your sales pass the small supplier threshold, and how it applies to sales to buyers abroad
• Check export rules for cultural property before selling very old or historically important items abroad
• Overpaying for stock or misdescribing a book can lead to returns and lost trust
• Insure stock and shipments against damage, loss and theft, and keep books away from damp and heat

Estimates typically run around $1,000 to $6,000, depending on how much stock you buy and your photography and packing set-up. Overpaying for stock is a risk worth watching.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $400 to $2,500, depending on stock, pricing and listing time. Revenue is not profit, and slow-selling books can tie up cash for a long time.

Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, GST/HST registration once sales pass the small supplier threshold, and export rules for cultural property before selling very old items abroad. Also consider insuring stock and shipments.