I have an online book store and buy my books in bulk. Sometimes I buy
thousands at a time and have no use for many hundreds of them. My
question is, besides giving them away, can you give me some ideas of
what I can do with the extras? They are all sizes and shapes. I would
like to
be able to make a product out of them and market them in some form-
but I have no ideas at this point.
 Is it legal to use them for energy, as in burn them for heat in my
home?
As I pay good money for them I don't want to just chalk up the extras
as a loss.

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Request for Question Clarification by journalist-ga on 23 Jul 2003 15:05 PDT

Greeting RolandTheGunslinger:

I see you are also a Stephen King fan.  :)  Though it is not against
the law to burn books, I would hate to see any destroyed for any
reason.  Have you considered Ebay bulk sales or donating them to a
local library or prison(s) and taking a tax write-off?  Also,
depending on the titles, you may be able to donate to schools for a
tax credit, too.

You might also consider starting a "wholesale bulk special" area on
your website.  I'll be thinking of your query and get back to you if I
feel I have an answer for you.

Best regards,
journalist-ga

---

Clarification of Question by rolandthegunslinger-ga on 23 Jul 2003 15:43 PDT

Thank you for the fast response. I'll cut to the quick. I would like
to make something out of the books that can be resold as a product all
on its own. I have very few ideas and the ones I have are not refined
enough to do anything with. Thanks for your time!
Karen

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Request for Question Clarification by journalist-ga on 23 Jul 2003 16:17 PDT

Dear Karen:

How about shredding the pages and offering "books in a bottle" or
"messages in a bottle" or a jar?  "Jar O'Fiction" or a jar with
shredded pages that has a little hammer and a label saying "Break in
case of literary boredom"?

Or cut the pages to a square form and offer "literary Origami paper"? 
Or get a glue-type dip, dip the books to bind the pages, glue them
together in little stacks and offer pairs of them as "authentic
bookends"?

I'll keep thinking.  ;)

Best regards,
journalist-ga

---

Clarification of Question by rolandthegunslinger-ga on 23 Jul 2003 17:24 PDT

Hi Journalist~
as I was only looking for a $10.00 answer I already feel like I've
cheated you.
I like all of your ideas so far, especially the origami paper. I
really want to thank you for all of the time you've put into my
question. When you are through with me on this one I have a couple
more of them to submit and I'll be hoping to get your thoughts.
I want to thank Doctrish for the comments, although I don't know how
to e-mail you to respond to your comment, your promotional idea is
excellent and is something I'm going to try.

Dear Karen:

I'm delighted you liked my ideas and I have interpreted your last
clarification to mean that you are pleased with them and they are
acceptable to you as an answer.  If I have misinterpreted this, please
let me know and I'll be happy to ask the editors to remove this
answer.

First of all, I didn't feel cheated in the least!  :)  When a customer
asks an "idea" question, many Researchers will post their thoughts in
the Clarification or Comments section because the ideas will be varied
and we never really know what a customer will respond to as favorable.
 Sometimes a Researcher will risk with an immediate answer on an idea
question but, because we all strive for customer satisfaction, we like
to make certain we're on the right track before answering.  That said,
here are my previous ideas restated plus a couple of new ones:

SELLING "AS IS" 

1. Ebay bulk sales
2. For tax write-off, donating books to 
  a. Local library (for shelf presentation, giveaway or mobile
library)
  b. Prisons and local jail
  c. Public schools
3. Start a "wholesale bulk special" area on your website or a "grab
bag/box"
   type special sale


SELLING IN NEW FORM

1.  Shredded book pages
  a. Books in a bottle
  b. Messages in a bottle
  c. Books in a jar - "Jar O'Fiction" or a jar with shredded pages
that has
     a little hammer and a label saying "Break in case of literary
boredom"
2. Cut the pages to a square form and offer "literary Origami paper"
3. Get a glue-type dip, dip the books to bind the pages, glue them
together
     in little stacks and offer pairs of them as "authentic bookends"
4. With larger books, laminate the pages with illustrations and create
a
     line of "literary placemats" - advertise "Read while you feed!"
(lol)
5. Cut pages into 1.5" strips, laminate and create a line of
"authentic
     bookmarks" - a tassle-tipped cord or beaded string may be added
with
     the aid of a hole punch

I look forward to assisting you with future questions.  I have
thoroughly enjoyed brainstorming on this question, and I thank you for
the opportunity to answer it!  You may request my (or any other
Researcher's) services by placing the Researcher name in the title or
text of a question.  Most all of the Researchers honor a personal
Researcher request from a customer.

I'll continue thinking on ideas for these books and I saw some other
good suggestions in the comments.  FYI, a Researcher name is always
highlighted in blue (this highlight is a link leading to their Answers
page) - that's the way for the customers to know which commenters are
GA Researchers.

Best regards,
journalist-ga


SEARCH STRATEGY:

[personal ideas]

I got a hundred dollar answer for 10 dollars! I'm really pleased and appreciative.

One thing you might consider is to offer the books one at a time, as a
bonus for people who buy a particularly expensive book in the same
category.  This would especially work well for books you got very
cheaply (like under $2 apiece).

Other webmasters may like to buy your books for the same reason as
promotional items.  (I might be interested in this myself.  Email me
if this sounds good to you.)

Check out this website for some ideas of things to use old books for. 
Scroll down to books:

http://www.worldzone.net/nature/lionscry2/ideas.shtml

A number of companies make book safes, such as this one:
http://www.diversion-safes.com/booksafe.htm

They are usually carved out of hardcover books, but you could probably
do the same with paperbacks.  Of course you will need to find a place
or a way that will carve out the books for you.

Ever seen in furniture stores, how they have the fake cardboard books
adorning the pretty new bookshelves?  Why don't you sell them for
cheap to them.. shoot, people could even buy a bookshelf that came
"complete with books!"  - THERE's a marketing strategy :)

That's it for now, but I'll keep thinking...

-Rebekah

Also.. you can capitalize on these extra books, and use them for
marketing.  I think someone mentioned this already-- but just to
expand on the idea... you said that you're an online book store.  You
probably advertise as best as you can- but are looking for more
customers that don't regularly come to your site (or don't even
regularly shop online).

Why not give away the books en masse at a mall, casino, relay, fair,
college campus, etc. (with the proper authority, of course).. with a
label that says something like "This book is free!  Like good deals on
books like this? Come to my website @ ______"  - The free book will
DEFINITELY catch people's attention- and will make them wonder how can
can afford to have such low prices! :)  Although you won't be directly
selling, or making money off of these books, I'm sure you will get a
lot of popularity, and more sales in the future.

-rebekah

You could make lamps, or even lamp bases out of them. Stack 3-5,
depending upon size, drill a hole through the center of them, wire it
up, and you've got a lamp base. Oh, you might want to glue them
together. And you can make them in different shapes as well. Some
might be stacked neatly, whilst some are askew.

Alright, now I want a stack so I can make some lamps. Ahem. Wonder
what your website is...

lstein0,
thank you for the idea, if you give me your address I will send you a
nice stack of hardcovers,
Rolandthegunslinger

Karen, thank you for your nice comment!  You may want to consider a
polymer dip if you use the bookends idea.

Best regards,
journalist-ga

Sell them as "Books by the Foot" or "Books by the Yard" for those
consumers who crave an instant library without the pesky and
time-consuming inconvenience of collecting and reading books one at a
time.

Beth