Sheet 1
Textbook Arbitrage
  Class 1
    What to Look For
      Paperback or Hardcover?
    Categories I look at
      Non-fiction
        Textbooks
          College Textbooks
          Elementary and Highschool Textbooks
          Pseudo Textbooks
            Books Related to Career or Profession or Business
            Woman's Rights / Feminism
            Recent Business Books
            Military Strategy or History
            Race relations, Equal rights
            Computer Languages
              Within 3 year
            Major Historical Events or people
            Books published by a University Press
        Other Potential Sellers
          Niche Collectibles and Niche Price Guides
          Very Niche (one of a kind book)
          Cookbooks and cooking
            Good Sellers
              Specific styles of obscure cooking
              Specific Regions
              Specific Chefs
              Specific Restaurants (more exclusive)
            Duds
              Microwave Cookbooks
                Exception: Microwave Cooking for One
              Compilations (readers digest. 101 ways, New York Times, etc)
              Ordinary everyday foods (pasta, seafood, steak, etc)
          Hobby / Leisure (more obscure the better)
          Local government management books
      Fiction
        Graphic Novels
        Video Game Strategy Guides
        Classics (used in College Literature classes)
      NEVER SELL
        Books with "Do Not Sell" on the cover (front or back)
        Books with "Uncorrected Proof"
        International Edition Textbooks
        Teacher's Edition Textbooks
        Water damaged books
        Copied Book
    Types
      Arbitrage 1
        FBM to FBA Arbitrage
          When lowest FBM price is lower than lowest FBA Price for the book AND there is enough profit (see rule of thumb)
            Buy from FBM Merchant
            Have the book shipped to your address
            List the book on Amazon as FBA -- match the lowest FBA price
            Ship the Book to Amazon
          Example
            1451183909
            0805303081
          Rule of Thumb
            Best Seller Rank < 350,000
            At least $20.00 profit
      Arbitrage 2
        FBM to Seasonal (Textbook) Arbitrage
          When lowest FBM price is lower than PROJECTED FBA Price for the book during (textbook) season AND there is enough profit (see rule of thumb)
            Buy from FBM Merchant
            Have the book shipped to your address
            List the book on Amazon as FBA -- match the lowest FBA price
            Ship the Book to Amazon
          Example
            0030368162
          Rule of Thumb
            Projected Best Seller Rank < 350,000
            At least 4 times cost
      Arbitrage 3
        Offline to FBA Arbitrage
          Source used locally and sell for a profit via FBA
            Buy from Local Sources
              Sourcing
                1)
                  Thrift Stores
                2)
                  Libraries
                3)
                  Used Book Stores
                4)
                  Estate Sales
                5)
                  Library Sales
                6)
                  Craigslist
            List the book on Amazon as FBA -- match the lowest FBA price
            Ship the Book to Amazon
          Example
            1416048952
          Rule of Thumb
            Best Seller Rank < 500,000
            Buy for Less than $2
            Sell price at least $10
      Arbitrage 4
        Retail Arbitrage
          Source new products in retail stores and sell for a profit via FBA
            Buy from Retail Stores
            List the book on Amazon as FBA -- match the lowest FBA price
            Ship the Book to Amazon
          Example
            1608874036
          Rule of Thumb
            Best Seller Rank (Books) < 350,000
            At least $50.00 total profit
      Arbitrage 5
        Cross Platform Arbitrage
          eBay to Amazon
            Buy on eBay sell on Amazon
              Buy from eBay
              List the book on Amazon as FBA -- match the lowest FBA price
              Ship the Book to Amazon
            Rule of Thumb
              Best Seller Rank < 350,000
              Example
                1577667395
              At least $20.00 profit
          Amazon to eBay
            Buy on Amazon sell on eBay
              Buy from Amazon
              List the book on eBay
              Ship the Book to eBay Buyer
      Arbitrage 6
        Event Arbitrage
          Buy on eBay or Amazon
            Buy from eBay or Amazon
            List the book on Amazon as FBA -- match the lowest FBA price
            Ship the Book to Amazon
          Example
            Movie: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
            Book: 1408803011
          Rule of Thumb
            Best Seller Rank (Books) < 350,000
            At least $20.00 profit
        Arbitrage 6
          Event Arbitrage
            Buy on eBay or Amazon
              Buy from eBay or Amazon
              List the book on Amazon as FBA -- match the lowest FBA price
              Ship the Book to Amazon
            Example
              Movie: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
              Book: 1408803011
            Rule of Thumb
              Best Seller Rank (Books) < 350,000
              At least $20.00 profit
      Arbitrage 7
        Trade in Arbitrage
          When lowest FBM price is lower than Amazon Trade in Value for the book AND there is enough profit
          NOT RECOMMENDED -- USE FBM to FBA INSTEAD
          However -- Amazon's Trade in Marketplace is a GREAT place to search for arbitrage books
    Opening your accounts
      US
        Link
      FBA
        Link
      International
        Link
    Homework
      Use Amazon Trade In Search to find Textbooks for Arbitrage 1 and/or 2
        Link
      Search for the word Textbook or Textbooks PLUS a subject.
        Example
          textbook physics
      Find 3 potential arbitrage books
    More examples
      007144906X
      0521609690
      0130542547
      1451183909
      1433104539
  Class 2
    Conditions
      New
        Just like it sounds. A brand-new, unused, unread copy in perfect condition. The dust cover and original protective wrapping, if any, are intact. All supplementary materials are included and all access codes for electronic material, if applicable, are valid and/or in working condition.
      Used -- Like New
        Dust cover is intact, with no nicks or tears. Spine has no signs of creasing. Pages are clean and not marred by notes or folds of any kind. May contain remainder marks on outside edges, which should be noted in listing comments.
      Used -- Very Good
        Pages and dust cover are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine is undamaged.
          James Notes: Minor writing such as owners name is OK
      Used -- Good
        All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels.
      Used -- Acceptable
        All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
      Unacceptable
        Includes missing pages and obscured or unreadable text. We also do not permit the sale of advance reading copies, including uncorrected proofs, of in-print or not-yet-published books.
      Unsaleable Books
    Search Methods
      Amazon Category Search
      Trade In Search
      Textbook Search
      College Course Search
        college class textbook list
        college course list
  Class 3
    Listing Supplies
      Scissors
      Magnifying Glass
      UnDu
        Link
      Lens Cleaning Cloth
      Scotty Peeler
        Link
      Card table
      Shipping Tape with Holder (not packing tape)
      Boxes (12 x 12 x 12 or 12 x 12 x 10)
      Ruler
      Scale
        I use "Smart Weight" (see link) but bathroom scale is fine starting out
          Link
  Class 4
    Biggest Mistakes
      Not searching deep enough or only searching the first category you come to
      Ignoring sales rank
        350,000
      Buying FBA offers to resell FBA
        This is a violation of Amazon’s policies. Its technically againnst their Prime account policy and we need to err on the side of caution. Limit your purchases to FBM offers only.
        You can buy on Amazon FBA and sell on eBay
    Biggest Non-Issues
      Long Term Storage Fees
        Storage fees are changed after a book has been in the warehouse 6 months. Your books should sell quickly (which is why I suggest dealing with books ranked 350,000 or better) but any fee would be small.
Here's what Amazon has to say:
"On February 15 and August 15 of every year, FBA conducts an inventory cleanup. On these dates, inventory that has been in Amazon fulfillment centers between six and 12 months are assessed a long-term storage fee of $11.25 per cubic foot."
So it would actually be Aug before any of your books would be affected.
Now that brings up the question: How much space does a book take up? Amazon has a calculator here that you can use to find out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200627230
So, I'm looking at an accounting book that is 9 x 11 x 1.5 inches. That comes out to be .0826 cubic ft. .0826 times 11.25 = .93 (cents) That's about an average sized textbook.
          Link
      Receiving Books that are unsaleable
        Message the Seller using the Amazon Massaging System
          Step 1
          Step 2
          Step 3
          Step 4
            Tell the seller you would like to return the book for a full refund
        If the Seller Doesn't respond within 2 days submit an A to Z claim with Amazon
          Link
      Pricing Too High
      Labels
        3 Different Labels
          Item Label
            I let Amazon Handle for 20 cents each
            If you label yourself
              Link
          Shipping Label
            Printed when you prepare shipment
          FBA
            Printed when you prepare shipment
    Using Amazon to Fund Your Book Business
      Amazon Prime Store Cardholder
        Link
      Amazon Visa
        Link
    Upcoming Classes
      Extra Profits from After Christmas Sales
      Stealthy Cross Market Arbitrage
      Outsourcing Strategy
      Trade In Books for Cash
      Software Release
      Profiting between Textbook Seasons
      Little-known Online Arbitrage Marketplaces
      Preparing for Summer Textbook Season
  Class 5
    Housekeeping
      Members Area Update
      Software Update
      Prep Service for International
        Please use the Prep form at:
          https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W82N65Z
        (Optional) Set Prep Service up as User
          http://screencast.com/t/5opUaTfw
          Benefits
            Faster Service
            We can create the shipment labels
            We manage your shipments for you
            We can monitor for issues
          Drawbacks
            Must be Amazon Professional Seller
    Leveraging Your Books for Extra Profit
      FBA Export
        Make your eligible products available to international customers in over 70 countries.
Amazon fulfills your orders and handles the export process, allowing you to reach new customers while taking the complexity, cost, and effort out of selling internationally.
        https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200242770&qid=1397492737&sr=1-1&ld=NSGoogleAS&linkCode=sl2&tag=futifbbl-20&linkId=b3bfd82bb2b6f2eac6b703559a4f6b4f
        Benefits to Selling via FBA Export
          Millions of additional potential customers
          Increased sales
          Amazon deals with everything just like regular FBA sales
          You can get started in 2 minutes
          No additional fees for FBA Export
          Sign up one time for all international
        Drawbacks to Selling via FBA Export
          None!
        Set up
          Step 1
          Step 2
          Step 3
          Step 4
      Listing FBA Books on eBay
        Listing Demo
        Fulfill From Amazon
          Step 1
          Step 2
      List Used Books as New
        Fallacy
          A used book cannot be in New Condition
        FACT
          Books that appear to be in New condition ARE New -- even if they were purchased from a thrift store or FBM seller
          New Books USUALLY bring much higher profits
          A book does not have to be in perfect condition to be listed as New
          New Books should not have:
            Tears on the Dustjacket
            Creases in the Dust Jacket
            Missing Dust Jacket
            Torn or missing Pages
            ANY Writing
            ANY Highlighting
            Remainder Mark
              Image
            Missing Suppliments (CD, Charts, etc)
          New books should be the same condition you would expect to see in a book store such as Barnes & Noble
  Class 6
    Multi Warehouse Issue
      Use Inventory Placement Service
        Inventory Placement
      Avoid:
        Mixing Amazon Labeled and Merchant Labeled in Same Shipment
        Mixing "Manufacturer Barcodes" and Amazon Labeling in same shipment
          Manufacturer BC
        Mixing Books without Barcodes and books with Barcodes in same shipment
        If you have Prep required for an Item
      Mixing New and Used Books is fine (provided you don't violate any of the "avoids" above)
      Great Blog Post
        http://www.fbamastery.com/hacking-split-fba-shipments-your-biggest-problem-solved/
    Fees for FBA Multi Channel Selling
      FBA Order Handling Fee: -.50
      FBA Pick & Pack Fee: -$1.06
      FBA transportation fee: (shipping to customer) varies by item but appx $4
      Total = appx: $5.56
      No Amazon Referral or Closing Fees
    After my my inventory is active but under Delivery they've included this "Back ordered: Due in stock Jan 12 - order now to reserve yours". What is this?
OR
My books had arrived to Amazon warehouse. Out of the 12 books, 2 are still "Inactive" and so I don't see them under listing. However 3 other books under "Active" status, I did not see them in my listing too,
    Can I add a new product to Amazon?
      See Bonus Video on List Product
    How to determine sales for a non-book category
      Demo
      Software Tool
        https://www.junglescout.com/
    When buying books at a local store (not textbooks) if they are less than 500,000 but have no FBA sellers would you still purchase them? I found several in the 200,000 range but no FBA sellers. They have some listed FBM for a few dollars plus shipping. Would you purchase them, how would you price them?
    If you have multiple copies (different conditions) of the same book how do you mark them so Amazon knows which is which?
      Add Condition
    Could you please address the rise in Amazon fees that is coming up on Feb. 22nd (I believe?). With the fba calculator, it seems this really cuts into profits and I would not have listed a few of the books I did.
    Great Resource for Questions
      https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/index.jspa?categoryID=1
    Textbook Money Controversy
      Selling via FBA vs Amazon Trade In Program
      http://www.fbamastery.com/
  Class 7
    No Mindmap
  Class 8
    Accounting Class
      Watch the Accounting Class Replay in Members Area for more information
      Accounting
        Where to get the expense info?
          Reports > Payments
          Transactions
        Accounting Spreadsheet
          http://www.secondhalfdreams.com/9282/calculate-cogs/
      Accounting Software
        https://inventorylab.com/?SSAID=745638
      Sales Tax
        Tax Jar
          http://www.taxjar.com/
          http://www.taxjar.com/states/
        Wherestock
          http://www.wherestock.com/
    New Arbitrage Method
      Used Book Store to Find New Books
      Price
        Amazon
          49.01
        Other FBA
          48.99
        YOU
          48.99
      BSR -- 100,000 or less
  Class 9
    No Mindmap
  Class 10
    Outsourcing
      Warning
        Don't outsource until you can do it yourself
      Tasks
        3 Functions
          Sourcing
          Listing
          Shipping
        Book Sourcers
          Specs
            You pay them a set amount per book ($4.00 for example)
            They purchase the books using your criteria (they pay for the books)
            Provide FBA Scan App
              Set Up Triggers
                Step 1
                Step 2
                  Basic Trigger
                Step 3
                My Triggers
              Trigger Example
                Reject
                  Reject Example
                Buy
                  Buy Example
              Hidden Mode
                What is hidden Mode?
                  Problem
                  Solution
                    Subtopic 1
                How to Set Up
                  Step 1
                  Step 2
                  Step 3
                    Subtopic 1
            Craigslist Ad
              Category
                Gigs > Computer
              Posting Title
                Book Finder
              Posting Body
                I'm looking for someone to find used books according to my criteria from local sources.
Compensation is $3.00 per book
Absolutely must be a non-smoker and live in a non-smoking home.
Email if interested
        Lister / Shipper
          Specs
            One on One Training to show the listing and process
            Provide them with user account and condition notes
            User Account
              Settings > User
              Add User
              Set Permissions
            Craigslist Ad
              Category
                Gigs > Computer
              Posting Title
                Amazon Book Lister
              Posting Body
                I'm looking for someone to list books on Amazon.
You will need to pick up books from a location in South Charlotte, take them to your home and list them. You will need to:
Determine the condition of the book
Look up the book on Amazon by ISBN
Research competition to determine price
Copy and paste a pre-written description
Add the book to inventory
Prepare shipment to Amazon and take to UPS.
Once you get the hang of it each book will take about 2 minutes to process.
Compensation is 50 cents per book.
Interested candidates must have reliable computer and internet access. Absolutely must be a non-smoker and live in a non-smoking home.
Email if interested
  FBA (fulfilled by Amazon vs
FBM (fulfilled by Merchant)
    FBA Offers tend to sell at higher prices than FBM. Why?
      FBA
        Shipped by Amazon
        People Trust Amazon
        Qualifies for Prime
        Free Shipping
        Fewer FBA Sellers
      FBM
        Most sellers use FBM
        Discounters
        Have their own warehouses
        Charities
        Don't do a lot of price research
  NOTE: All Classes will be recorded and added to your member's area.
    Link
  Terminology
    PV -- Potential Value
    Filters (or criteria)
      The specific categories of books that I look for that have a high probability of PV
      Categories I look at
        Non-fiction
          Textbooks
            College Textbooks
            Elementary and Highschool Textbooks
            Pseudo Textbooks
              Books Related to Career or Profession or Business
              Woman's Rights / Feminism
              Recent Business Books
              Military Strategy or History
              Race relations, Equal rights
              Computer Languages
                Within 3 year
              Major Historical Events or people
              Books published by a University Press
          Other Potential Sellers
            Niche Collectibles and Niche Price Guides
            Very Niche (one of a kind book)
            Cookbooks and cooking
              Good Sellers
                Specific styles of obscure cooking
                Specific Regions
                Specific Chefs
                Specific Restaurants (more exclusive)
              Duds
                Microwave Cookbooks
                  Exception: Microwave Cooking for One
                Compilations (readers digest. 101 ways, New York Times, etc)
                Ordinary everyday foods (pasta, seafood, steak, etc)
            Hobby / Leisure (more obscure the better)
            Local government management books
        Fiction
          Graphic Novels
          Video Game Strategy Guides
          Classics (used in College Literature classes)
        NEVER SELL
          Books with "Do Not Sell" on the cover (front or back)
          Books with "Uncorrected Proof"
          International Edition Textbooks
          Teacher's Edition Textbooks
          Water damaged books
          Copied Book
    BSR
      Amazon Best Seller Rank
    ISBN
      Unique Number used to ID a book on Amazon
      Used since 1976
    UPC
      Bar code -- can also be used to ID book on Amazon
    ASIN
      Amazon Stock Inventory Number -- can also be used to ID book on Amazon
    FBA Sellers
      Fulfillment by Amazon
        Send your books to Amazon and Amazon ships to customer when a book sells
    FBM
      Fulfillment by Merchant
        Merchant ships to customer when a book sells
    Third Party Sellers
      Both FBA and FBM are considered 3rd Party
    Listing a Book
      Look Up
        ISBN or UPC or ASIN
      Enter
        Condition
        Condition Note
        Price
        Units (Quantity)
    Conditions
      New
      Like New
      Very Good
      Good
      Acceptable
    B.O.B Scanner
      Your Big Ol Brain
      Useful when Offline Sourcing to spot books with PV
  Resources
    camelcamelcamel.com
      Link
    FBA Calculator
      Link
    Profit Bandit (Offline Sourcing Only)
      Link
    Keepa
      Link
  NEVER SELL
    Books with "Do Not Sell" on the cover (front or back)
    Books with "Uncorrected Proof"
    International Edition Textbooks
    Teacher's Edition Textbooks
    Water damaged books
    Copied Book
    eBooks