Operation Book Support is a veteran-owned company helping libraries, thrift stores, educational institutions, and other organizations sell used books, DVDs, CDs, and video games online.

Operation Book Support (OBS) was founded in San Diego, California by US Air Force veteran, Lorenzo Ramos.

“Most people don’t know their local library accepts used book donations from the public. They usually have a bookstore inside that’s run by volunteers where they sell used books for cheap. When I got back from my military service, I saw my local libraries had tons of incoming donations but were struggling to sell. I already had a part-time business selling products on Amazon and knew I had the expertise to help them” said the founder and CEO.

After some hand-shake agreements with a few local libraries to help them make more money, Lorenzo soon found himself overwhelmed with calls from other libraries asking for the same help. 

“The word just spread like wildfire. After a few months helping some nearby libraries, they were so thrilled with the results they started telling everyone. At the time, I was driving around town assessing their books to see which were valuable enough to sell online. 16-hour days were normal. I wanted to succeed, but I knew I had to make a choice; So, I dropped the other business and dedicated myself to helping my community with their book sales. It was just the right thing to do.”

The company then expanded their services to local thrift stores, colleges, churches, and even retirement facilities.

“We’ll work with any organization that can get book or media donations. They don’t necessarily need to have a bookstore; we’ve partnered with plenty of organizations that could start taking in book donations. For the public, they’re happy to get rid of their old books sitting around their house. For the organization, it’s easy money to help fund their mission,” an OBS associate said.

OBS exploded over the next two years quickly acquiring over 60 clients in their local area, all without spending a single penny on advertising.

“It’s a no-brainer for our clients when they hear about what we do. Since we don’t charge for our service, we’re basically asking them if they want free money. Instead, we split the profit with them. We don’t profit unless we make them money, so they know we have their best interest at heart. On top of all that, we’re so confident they’ll love our service we don’t lock them in any contracts. It’s hard to say no to when a company is that confident,” the Director of Operations said for OBS.

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