noun
used-book dealing; book jobbing
Refers to the practice of buying used books cheaply and reselling them at a profit, often at flea markets or online. The term is strongly associated with the used-book trade.
彼は週末にせどりで稼いでいる。
He earns money on weekends by dealing in used books.
せどりのコツは、価値のある本を見極めることだ。
The trick to book jobbing is spotting valuable books.
転売 is a general term for reselling any goods, while せどり specifically refers to dealing in used books.
The origin is uncertain. One theory suggests it derives from 背取り (せどり), meaning 'taking the back', possibly referring to buying books from the back of a store or taking the remaining stock. Another theory links it to 競り取り (せりとり), meaning 'winning at auction', but the exact derivation is unclear.