Tentative Sale

Njen wrote:

I'm considering selling some extras that I've been holding on to for a while for no good reason. I am thinking of selling privately instead of Ebay, but I have never sold direct before, so I am not sure about the best way to complete a transaction that provides the maximum amount of safety for both parties. Does anyone have any advice? Here are the books I am looking to sell:
Silmarillion 1st/1st (Billings)
Sauron Defeated 1st/1st
Farmer Giles of Ham 1st/1st
Smith of Wooton Major 1st/1st
FotR 3rd/11th
TT 3rd/10th
RofK 3rd/10th

I am just putting up this initial single photo for now, and depending on what information I receive here, I will be happy to submit many more photos of each of the books.

Thanks!

There isn't really any genuinely totally safe way of transacting. Both on-platform (eBay, Abe) and off-platform have their risks (both for buyer and seller). The best way to provide safety to the BUYER is to use Paypal G+S for the payment. There is no real way to provide safety to the seller, other than to take lots of photos of the book as you package it, so you have something to use in any dispute with Paypal, should the buyer make a spurious claim. On eBay, the seller bears pretty much all the risk, but the buyer is well protected.

Buyers should generally not pay with bank transfers unless they have good reason to trust the seller (e.g. They are someone both well-known and well-respected in the community) and have seen lots of pictures of what they are buying.

TL;DR - You have to accept a degree of risk that you will lose the item without getting any money, but lots of photos, evidence and tracked shipping reduces your risks.

Thank you very much for this reply!

Thank you to the people who have reached out personally about some of these books. I have read your messages, and will be hopefully deciding a proper course of action very soon. Thanks!