How to price your used books so they actually sell

Start from the printed price

Buyers compare your price with the MRP printed on the back cover and with what a new copy costs online. That makes MRP the natural starting point. As a rough guide, many local sellers use these ranges:

• Like new, current edition: 55–70% of MRP.
• Very good condition: 40–55% of MRP.
• Good condition with some highlighting: 25–40% of MRP.
• Old edition or heavily used: 10–25% of MRP, or include it free in a bundle.

These are starting points, not rules. Adjust them with the factors below.

Things that raise the price

• It is the current edition for this year's syllabus.
• It is exam season and the book is on a common reading list.
• The book is hard to find new or has gone out of print.
• You are including useful extras: solutions, sample papers, neat notes.

Things that lower the price

• The syllabus has changed since your edition was printed.
• Workbook exercises have been filled in.
• Plenty of other copies of the same book are listed near you.
• The book is widely available new at a discount online.

Show the discount, and leave a little room

Always enter the original price as well as your selling price. Buyers respond to seeing exactly how much they save. Many buyers will also make an offer whatever the price, so it is sensible to set your price a little above the lowest amount you would accept.

If your book is not selling

If a listing has had no interest for two weeks, check three things in this order: the photos (are they clear and well lit?), the description (does it say the edition and condition?), and only then the price. Dropping the price by 10–15% and refreshing the photos is usually enough. Timing matters too: textbooks sell best in the weeks before a new school or college session starts.