QUESTION: I purchased a skid of 450 remainder books for $2.50 per book from a wholesaler on the Internet, thinking I'd resell them for a big profit on Amazon. I didn't get to pick the titles, and it turns all of them are selling for pennies on Amazon Marketplace. What should I do?

ANSWER: This is why I don't recommend that new sellers jump into the remainder or overstock business. All sales are final. So if you're buying a pot-luck assortment, be prepared to lose most of your money.

I see three possibilities here:

-- Group the books into small lots, three to 10 books per lot (grouped by author, genre, or theme) and auction them on eBay, listing the title and author of each book. Set just enough of a shipping fee to cover the postage. This seems to work well for lots of people on eBay -- in the "Books, Wholesale, Bulk Lots" category. This is the most labor-intensive option, but would provide the best financial return (and build your feedback score on eBay.)

-- Auction the books in larger lots (25 to 50 books per lot) without naming the titles. You should indicate in you listing that the lot is a great deal for book readers, but not for booksellers. Include a picture of the stack of books to encourage more bids.

-- Donate the books to your local library or charity such as the Salvation Army, and you can probably arrange pickup of the books and a tax deduction.