This Niche Amazon Selling Method Makes Him $15k+ a Month

In episode 134 of The Side Hustle Experiment Podcast  John (https://www.instagram.com/sidehustleexperiment/ ) and Drew  (https://www.instagram.com/realdrewd/) talk with Carter (https://www.instagram.com/thecartermaxwell/) 

Carter Maxwell — longtime Amazon seller, founder of VA Fast Lane, and (self-proclaimed) “Amazon quitter” — to break down why so many sellers are walking away from Amazon FBA and how Carter is now crushing it with online arbitrage used books instead of traditional OA.

After nearly 10 years selling on Amazon, Carter explains why the old-school OA model stopped making sense, why returns and brand restrictions were killing his margins, and how he rebuilt his business around Amazon-to-Amazon used book flips with 60%+ ROI and way less competition. He also shares how he uses virtual assistants (VAs) to source books 24/7, how his prep center handles operations, and what the real opportunity looks like heading into textbook season.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

✅ How Carter went from 10 years of traditional OA to becoming a full-time used book seller
✅ Why so many Amazon sellers are leaving the platform right now
✅ Why used books have lower returns, higher margins, and far less competition
✅ How Carter sources 60+ books per day using Bookmine + a VA team
✅ The seasonality of books: college, high school, Christmas, and “two Q4s” per year
✅ Real numbers: sales, ROI, margins, and how long books take to sell
✅ How Carter uses VA Fast Lane to place Amazon-trained virtual assistants
✅ The future of FBA, Walmart, Whatnot, paid ads, and long-term online business models

00:00 – Intro: “Another Amazon Quitter” with Carter
01:07 – 10 Years on Amazon & Sellers Leaving FBA
02:17 – From Traditional OA to VA Fast Lane
02:54 – Are There Better Opportunities Than Amazon Now?
04:01 – Why Carter Switched to Online Arbitrage Used Books
06:07 – Pros of Used Books: Returns, Competition & Margins
07:19 – How Big Is the Used Book Market on Amazon?
08:07 – Miami Conference Story & Discovering Book Arbitrage
11:12 – Amazon-to-Amazon Book Flips & Account Safety
13:22 – Wide vs Deep: Inventory, Seasonality & Cashflow
16:19 – How Carter Sources Books with VAs & Bookmine
18:33 – Real Numbers: Sales, ROI & January Textbook Season
20:31 – Long-Term Vision: VA Fast Lane Beyond Amazon
24:45 – Building a Book-Sourcing VA Team for Scale
28:17 – How Much Capital You Need & Cashflow Reality
30:14 – Storage Fees, Restock Limits & Risk Management
35:10 – Why Books Have “Two Q4s” Each Year
40:48 – What’s Really Happening in the Amazon/Walmart Space
48:35 – Future Direction of the Podcast & Audience Shift
55:36 – 2026 Plans: AIP, Brand Deals & Paid Ads
1:03:20 – Organic Content Overload & YouTube vs Reels
1:04:50 – Where to Follow Carter & Closing Thoughts

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