Amazon.com: How does it work?

[wonderfly]

Here's another "I'm clueless about the internet" question:

I haven't used Amazon.com much before now, but I was searching it just now for older books...and they had some old books priced at just a penny. I also noticed that there were different retailers involved in offering the book.

So is it correct that Amazon.com uses different bookstores throughout the country to fill it's online content? If so, how do these bookstores make a profit, (especially when they're offering books for a penny)?!?

[defunctzombie]

If it is sold under "New & Used for X.XX" then it's a marketplace seller doing the sale. It's very similar to half.com. The different retailers are the individual users selling their stuff. Some of them are other bookstores, and some are private people.

[wonderfly]

If it is sold under "New & Used for X.XX" then it's a marketplace seller doing the sale.

Yes, that's exactly what I saw. I still can't figure out how those sellers expect to make a profit when they're listing books for a penny, (those aren't auctions on Amazon.com, are they)?

[Ian Hatfield]

Yes, that's exactly what I saw. I still can't figure out how those sellers expect to make a profit when they're listing books for a penny, (those aren't auctions on Amazon.com, are they)?
No they aren't. Buying from a marketplace seller is pretty much the same as buying from Amazon themselves. Except the shipping usually takes longer.

As for how people make money from selling something for a penny, I can't answer that. I assume they just liquidate their inventory.

[PC!]

Amazon.com is probably the best place to buy books, especially old books. A lot of books go for around a penny, plus a few dollars shipping. Can't beat deals like that.

[En Sabah Nur]

Yes, that's exactly what I saw. I still can't figure out how those sellers expect to make a profit when they're listing books for a penny, (those aren't auctions on Amazon.com, are they)?Some make profit only on shipping. But yea, they are like buy now ebay auctions, you buy directly from other people. I dont usualy buy from them, just Amazon itself or sometimes from Amazon afiliated stores like Target and J and R.

[Shawn Hopkins]

They get a small profit from shipping and they get rid of inventory they don't want. They wouldn't do it if they were losing money on it.

Ordering from Marketplace sellers hasn't been a problem for me, but I do have to say that sometimes they're way slower about getting things shipped to you than Amazon itself is. I've been waiting on a comic book I ordered for more than a week.