By Liz Palmer

Owning my own book business was something I had always dreamed of, but never thought possible. I had neither the money to start-up a business, nor the time to run it. Selling books at markets didn't even cross my mind. That was before my book collection outgrew my house and I took 6 months leave without pay.

I had books piled everywhere and I was running out of room. Plus, I didn't have much money and I couldn't even afford to buy books very much any more. I decided that I may as well take my books to a second-hand book store in return for cash or other books.

Off I went, secure in the belief that I would soon return with a fistful of cash or an armload of new reading material. Not so. The lady at the book store told me that she wasn't purchasing any new books at this stage and I may do better at the local markets.

It took a while before I considered her suggestion seriously. But then I thought "Why not?". I set up my stall and made a reasonable profit for my first day there. Plus - I enjoyed it.

I still had an overabundance of books, and I began to accumulate more books. I found bargains in garage sales and op shops. I bought books for 10 cents, that I could sell at around $2. I also began to buy boxes of books, making each book even cheaper. As soon as my friends and family saw I was selling books, they also started to give me books that were lying around.

Now I had the same problem I started with - too many books and not enough
space for them all. The car could only hold so much! I invested in a small box trailer and now manage to take all my books to the markets each Sunday. The addition of a card table and a gazebo meant I was starting to look professional, too.

As well as selling books at the markets, I began to make craft items. I also regularly go through the items in our house, sifting out any unwanted things and adding them to the things to be sold at the markets. My husband builds bikes and occasionally we'll take a bike along with us, too. I also will put any rare or unusual books on an auction site and have had some success with selling books in this way.

The day I am selling books I have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning. My husband will help me set up, while our son (aged 2) runs around thinking he's helping. Surprisingly, he doesn't seem to care too much about being woken up so early. After I've set up, my huband will take our son home and then return later to pick me up. Occasionally, he'll stay for either the whole day or most of the day. He'll take our son for lots of walks and take him into a nearby shopping mall. The gazebo means he's not in direct sunlight all the time. It means that I'm left alone for long periods of time - which can be a bit boring. But I just make sure I've always got a good book on hand (and how I've got lots to chose from).

At this stage, it will never generate enough money to live on - just a little bit of extra spending cash. But, for me, it has been a good way to earn money while trying to make a career as a freelance writer.

Liz Palmer
palmer19@dynamite.com.au