Hey,

More and more thinking of opening a second hand bookshop one of these days in Shanghai... If compare to other big cities around (Hong-Kong, Bangkok, Singapore...). This city really miss this...

Just a few questions for those interested to answer.

If there was a Second hand bookshop in Shanghai...
Would you likely to go ? How often
Would you buy book ?
Would you sell book ?
What would be the fair price for second hands books ?
Would you prefere
==> Second hand books sold online (with delivery eventually over a certain ammount )
==> Second hand books sold in small shop... Exclusively selling books
==> Second hand books sold in small shop... Selly coffee, cookies...

Does anybody have a collection of second hand books he wants to sell ?
Does anybody have a free place he wants to rent...

Just initial approach... Just initiate thinking... Feel free to comment

Cheere

I think it's a great idea. A second hand shop has just opened in my neighborhood and sells second hand Japanese books and other items that people sell to them before they leave Shanghai. It's in a very small space but seems to be doing well. I would be most likely to go to a place that also had a cafe. I would offer half original value to be used as credit to purchase books or 1/4 original value for cash exchange.

Great idea and the concept CAN fly.

There is one place in China doing that and they mastered the concept.

If you have time check out the Bookworm Cafe in Beijing.

Good luck and if you need any help please do let me know.

hc

Great idea. I do have books to give out and they are packed in the living room... most of them in Chinese...

great idea. I'd love to buy used children's English books if they are in clean conditions. My kids are going through books too fast and I can't afford to buy them new books all the time.

it is a good idea. I also know there is a 2nd hand book store on fuzhou road where they sell a lot of famous magazines and some very good books with a good price
maybe sell online is also a good way to start~

just open an online shop on taobao without fee and tax, I think you should start as soon as possible. and you don't need cost too much for rent a place.
the delivery fee in shanghai is very cheap( 5-6rmg/book) and the buyer would get the book one day after you send it out.

and the key is where is your resource of second hand book?

There have been a lot of second hand book shop around shanghai esp in the old town.

Near Cultural Temple (Nan Shi, Wen Miao), there was a one on Renmin Rd. Me and my classmates used to hang out there and buy loads of Japanese second hand carton books (printed in Japanese, and not the kinda Chinese dodgie ones).

They were all orginally printed / made in Japan, and all second hand... around 13 yrs ago, each book was sold around RRMB7-10.

I like the idea of a 2nd hand book shop.

I'd pay the Amazon.com price for a book in decent condition IF it was a book I really wanted, otherwise I'd be looking for 50-70% amazon price.

I don't really care for a bookshop/cafe - but the fact that there's people there with a coffee and donut isn't going to put me off visiting.

The idea of having a website is interesting - although perhaps it's something worth thinking about after the store is established. A website will become much more useful after you have a decent amount of stock.

Take a look at http://isbndb.com/ - there's a massive amount of data on it which would be really useful if you went with the website approach (or even just for your own administrative reasons.)

It would be quite easy to program a site where you could:
- Enter the ISBN of a 2nd hand book - then automatically add the books details (author, title, synopsis etc) to your site's database for customers to search.
- Calculate a selling price at current market rates, for example 66% of average online retailer price.
- Calculate a buying price for a book, for example 40% of average online retailer price, or 35% of average online retailer price if you already have one other copy of the same title in stock.

You could automate the whole process other than typing in the ISBN.

high cost of rental spaces in Shanghai, maybe not advisable as there seem to have alot of non copyright books in China

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Hi there

Please advise if your second hand bookstore is open.
If so, please the following .
Name of store
Address
Tel
Operating hours / days

Thanks so much

Aiyoyo

Shanghai is full of expats that come and go on short stint.

I don't know about 2nd hand bookshop - when you have a mixture of expat that speak so many languages English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Italian,etc...to cater to.

Do your sum and see if it is worth it to rent a store, buy alot of used book inventory, staffing, etc... Bookworm Cafe in Beijing operate more as an expensive cafe restaurant for expats then a used bookshop. The range are terrible and really it is easier these days to order book online from Amazon then to browse a 2nd hand bookshop in Shanghai or Beijing.

Setting up an online store on Taobao means you are catering to the local Chinese - which is a very difficult proposition as they expect everything to be dirt cheap (meaning pirated..)

But if you must - do let me know... I see what I can do to help...

in my opnion Sh lacks of

1 2-handed popular books in english(I mean new released also cant be find on the 3 weel bike)...classic english one isn't expensive here

2 other language's classic...

I don't think its a easy business....