#43, 16 April 2005

Name: Stacy Moskus

Name of business: Childhood Pages Gone By

Location: In a room in my house which I have converted to my office. It is filled with bookcases and a desk.

Website: My eBay Store - http://www.childhoodpagesgoneby.com

Number of Years in Business: I started selling books and magazines on the side to supplement my income in 1999/2000, when eBay was about a year old or so. It was only in the Spring of 2004 that I started to dive into it as my main job. I had always wanted to do it full time, and when I was put on disability for a work-related injury, I saw that as an opportunity to make it happen.

Part time or full time: It is my main full time job, but I only need to work part-time hours to earn full-time pay.

Bookselling venues used: eBay ... only a handful at Amazon and Half.com.

Size of inventory: I have about 300 listed online, and maybe over 1,000+ not yet listed.

Specialties: I specialize in collectible/vintage children's books. I started focusing on this genre a year ago when I got to know several other children's booksellers in an online group. I found it's what I enjoy learning about and selling the most. 75% of my book inventory is listed in this genre. Also, I read books regularly in the Spirituality/New Age genre, so I often pick up these to sell as well. Sometimes I sell them after I read them. Other genres I am slowly learning a little bit: fantasy, cookbooks, sci-fi, home design, and general fiction. I try to make sure that I mostly focus on children's book to create a brand in my store and build a good repeat customer base.

Why I sell books: I have been a serious bookworm since I was a child. I have a passion for books. When I was a kid, I would spend my allowance on two sweet things: books and candy! When I did not have money to buy books, I went to the library weekly and checked out a handful of books. My nose was always in a book (and still is!), and I was quite a fast and advanced reader. When I was growing up in the 70s/80s, I didn't watch a lot of TV because closed captioning wasn't available yet (I am deaf), so I kept myself entertained by reading books. Also, my main source of learning new vocabulary words was by reading them as I cannot learn new words by hearing them. My father had a bookcase filled with New Age books, and I started reading those types of books in my teens. I just love books to death and cannot live without them, so it was natural that I had a great desire to be involved in bookselling. I get great joy, love and fun selling them. It is more play than work to me. I would do it for free 24/7!

Advice for new booksellers: Always research what people are buying. The more you know what is valuable and in demand, the more confidence you will have when you buy books to resell. Over time, what you know in your head will increase and the more money you can make based on that knowledge. That is the key to becoming successful. Also, absorb all the valuable information and tips that other successful booksellers share.

Best bookselling tip(s): Give thorough and clear descriptions with clear pictures. Don't leave the buyer wondering and making assumptions. A percentage of buyers do not like to take the time to ask questions. Make your presentations/listings attractive to the buyer, showing that you love what you do. This makes buyers excited to do business with you! Too often sellers show "laziness" in their descriptions which will in turn not excite the buyer to do business with you. Communicate with them often throughout the process. Use an auction management program to send out automatic emails, one when payment is received, another when the book has been shipped, and a last one thanking them for their business, etc. This gives buyers a secure feeling when doing business with you. Treating each purchase with 100% attention to details sends a message to your customers that you value their business. In the end, your feedback rating will be close to 100%, and they will be willing to spend a few extra dollars to shop with you because you have created a very easy and positive buying experience.

Also, set monthly, weekly or daily goals to keep yourself focused. Put it in front of you where you will see it daily, such as an area near your computer. This will in turn condition your subconscious mind and affect your actions into accomplishing that goal. 8 months ago I had a goal of making $100 a day (7 days a week). I put it on my wall where I see it all the time throughout the day. I've now already made that goal! Now it's time to up the ante. This keeps me on my toes and my brain working. It's helped me learn how to work less for more money.

Favorite finds: I found five out of the 8 titles in the Tom Corbett series in original dust jackets. That was fun to sell as a lot in the $100 range. One time I came across a valuable children's book at a library sale (Don Stanford's The Red Car in a dust jacket), picked it up and then put it back because I didn't think it was something in demand. A few days later, I came across another copy at a thrift store this time a first edition with a dust jacket in excellent condition. I knew it was a sign, paid attention, and bought it for 50 cents. It turned out to be one of my most profitable books - $127! That's when I started to pay more attention to my hunches and to be okay with spending a few quarters just to take a risk. One other great find was a box full of Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton and Dana Girls in dust jackets. They were cheap, and I made an easy $300 out of them.

Favorite author(s): Shirley MacLaine, Mary Summer Rain, Lynn V. Andrews, Dan Brown, Sanaya Roman/Duane Packer, Linda Goodman, Paramahansa Yogananda, Jack Higgins (there is something about those WWII secret ops stories that get me interested!).

Favorite quotes: "There is no such thing as failure. There are only results." Anthony Robbins.

"Work must be performed with genuine love, or it's a waste of time and energy; that if you cannot work with love, it's better that you do nothing until you do find such work." Linda Goodman (Star Signs)

"It's a dream until you write it down. Then it's a goal." Emmitt Smith (yes that football player!).

Writing goals down helps set forth the motions to help manifest its creation. It is taking the thought from the abstract/ethers and putting it into the physical realm. All creation began with thought. That's why I highly recommend my tip to post your goals visibly.