This Niche Amazon Selling Method Makes Him $15k+ a MonthIn 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 models00:00 – Intro: “Another Amazon Quitter” with Carter01:07 – 10 Years on Amazon & Sellers Leaving FBA02:17 – From Traditional OA to VA Fast Lane02:54 – Are There Better Opportunities Than Amazon Now?04:01 – Why Carter Switched to Online Arbitrage Used Books06:07 – Pros of Used Books: Returns, Competition & Margins07:19 – How Big Is the Used Book Market on Amazon?08:07 – Miami Conference Story & Discovering Book Arbitrage11:12 – Amazon-to-Amazon Book Flips & Account Safety13:22 – Wide vs Deep: Inventory, Seasonality & Cashflow16:19 – How Carter Sources Books with VAs & Bookmine18:33 – Real Numbers: Sales, ROI & January Textbook Season20:31 – Long-Term Vision: VA Fast Lane Beyond Amazon24:45 – Building a Book-Sourcing VA Team for Scale28:17 – How Much Capital You Need & Cashflow Reality30:14 – Storage Fees, Restock Limits & Risk Management35:10 – Why Books Have “Two Q4s” Each Year40:48 – What’s Really Happening in the Amazon/Walmart Space48:35 – Future Direction of the Podcast & Audience Shift55:36 – 2026 Plans: AIP, Brand Deals & Paid Ads1:03:20 – Organic Content Overload & YouTube vs Reels1:04:50 – Where to Follow Carter & Closing Thoughts#makemoneyonline #sidehustleexperimentpodcast #sidehustles Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidehustleexperimentpodcast/ Listen on your favorite podcast platformYoutube: https://bit.ly/3HHklFOSpotify: https://spoti.fi/48RRKcPApple: https://apple.co/4bmaFOk Check out Drew's StuffInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/realdrewdTwitter: https://twitter.com/DrewFBACheck out John's StuffInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidehustleexperiment/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SideHustleExp FREE ResourcesFREE Guide: How to Make Money Reviewing Products https://bit.ly/3HIGFSP
