I'm working on adding a classified ads section to my magazine back issues website, magazine-back-issues.biz. I get emails all of the time from people looking for certain magazine issues. I don't usually have them, but can sometimes point them in a direction where they might have better luck finding whatever they are looking for. With the classified ads section, they can list an ad if they have a collection of magazines to sell, or post an ad if they are looking to buy a certain issue.
I don't buy magazines from other people for several reasons. You don't know what condition they will arrive in. When shipped, they may be in great condition, but arrive in terrible condition due to being poorly packaged. In the past, I've purchased magazines from ebay less than a dozen times. The majority of the time, the magazines arrived all wrinkled, due to being mailed in just an oversized envelope with no protection.
When I ship magazines, I wrap them in bubble wrap, place them in a cardboard envelope, and attach pieces of cardboard to that envelope. Everything is then placed in a large mailing envelope. One time, a buyer purchased the wrong item and sent it back to me. When it arrived back to me, it was still in the same condition as when I had shipped it.
I also don't buy magazines because I don't have the room to store them. The more you have, the more space they take up and I hate clutter, so I refuse to get overrun. I have a small, out of the way, storage area set aside for storing them.
Selling magazine back issues is just a hobby and a way to make a little extra money.
If I was to ever expand, I might have to look into third party logistics software, such as 3PL. That is software which helps a large business run smoothly. It keeps track of inventory and automates the billing process. It allows customers to view real-time inventory status, shipment status and tracking information. 3PL is also a web-based system, so information can be accessed from any computer. Sounds like a good idea for those looking to grow their business.
