From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints

[lludwig]

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

 Most new bookdealers burn out within three years...

[Satnrose]

[rockmaple]

When you are tracking a package, copy the tracking number and paste it onto the USPS.com website for a more detailed report of where your package is, has been and will be. I recently shipped a package that couldn't be delivered because there was no secure location where the package could be left. On the USPS website, there was additional information of how the buyer could get their package, and that the package would be returned to me if it hadn't been picked up by the buyer by a certain date.

[lludwig]

rockmaple - I only wish buyers would use the tracking info that we send with every book. Last winter we received dings under the "I didn't receive my book" and the books were sitting at their post office! Ebay should tell buyers to check the tracking before emailing sellers. It is a simple matter to do and ebay could do it as a "before you email the buyer about where is you book, check tracking" and give simple instructions on how to do that.

Like you the one book was on the verge of being sent back to me by the time she emailed me she only had a couple of days left to pick up the book. When I told the buyer that the her post office had the book and that it was noted there was 'not a secure location' to leave the book, she emails back and says how her letter carrier always leaves packages (maybe the thought that a substitute was on that day didn't enter her mind). In the another case, the tracking info showed that 3 notices had been left. That buyer said that her letter carrier always left packages and then added that she had been in the hospital during that time frame. What was strange is that all of these "I didn't get my book" and "not a secure location" all happened in a matter of weeks, as if the PO had a crackdown on packages being left in non-secure locations.

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

Be Prepared.

Have an extra roll of Christmas wrapping paper on hand for those buyers who ask you to send the book to their brother, sister, etc as a gift.

Same is true of keeping tissue paper or other wrapping paper on hand. Even if not asked, I wrap the book in wrapping paper when a buyer tells me to send it to someone else as a gift.

[Lludwig]

[rockmaple]

lludwig It could be that the post office is getting ready for the holiday season with the increase in package deliveries -- and the increase in theft of those packages.

I've been fortunate in that no one has asked me to ship to a different address as a gift-- I'd be hesitant to give up ebay seller protection. 

[lludwig]

Rockmaple - I should have clarified that the 'not secure location' and books being at the buyers' post office happened last winter, Jan or Feb. It was just odd that we had several within a month. Our new letter carrier recently knocked on our door to give us a small package that normally he would have left between the storm door and main door. When I mentioned that he could have just left it, he mentioned that a package had been taken in the neighborhood and he was surprised because he didn't see it as that 'type of neighborhood'. I told him that although it is not, it can happen anywhere.

As far as sending to a different address, it doesn't happen often except around Christmas time and even then not that many times. I've been doing it for over 15 years and never had a problem. If the book were a very expensive one (however one defines expensive), then I would think twice about it and tell the potential buyer that I could not accomdate his request. Usually, buyers email first and ask. I know I do when I have bought books to send to relatives. And those who could not accomdate my request, lost a sale and there were plenty of other fish in the sea. 

As far as Seller Paypal protection, I am not sure but I think that  is relatively new.

[rockmaple]

lludwig Good point about not wanting to lose a sale, especially for less expensive items. 

[rockmaple]

When you have a store and put items on sale, it seems that ebay sends an email to everyone who had previously looked at your listing, alerting them that your item was now on sale, available until such and such a date for the 10% (or whatever) discounted sale price of ________. Putting store items on sale has been more effective for me in generating sales than just lowering prices or relisting at a lower price.

[lludwig]

Rockmaple - I have found the same to be true about running sales. I first started having sales a number of years ago when I met someone in person who had posted here asking about a lot of books that she had received when a local artist died. Since she lived nearby, DH and I went over to take a look and see if we could offer any advice. Her husband wanted to know if we wanted to just buy them all (no). In the course of our conversation, she said that she worked for someone and listed things on ebay for him. She said she would run sales re: "While the boss is away, we are having a sale!" She said sales were very effective. We decided to give it a try and have been hooked ever since. 

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

The last title on the dustjacket of series books such as the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Nancy Drew is often the issue point to determine if it's a first edition or not. But not always. There can be lists of books on the verso of the halftitle page [before the title page], and on the last few pages [publisher's ads].

There are few exceptions, so the dj rule cannot be stated as an absolute. For instance- the first three books in the Hardy Boys series were published at the same time with all three books listed on the dj.

The most common mistake made in identifying Hardy Boys first editions is to go by the list on the page before the title page. Quite often the book will be the last title listed on that page. But if you go to the back of the book, you'll see later titles listed.

[Satnrose]

[lludwig]

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

The later numbers in children's series books can be surprisingly valuable.

Clair Bee, for instance. This is because, with most series, as they printed new titles in the series, they would reprint the older titles as well. So, pyramidically, #1 would be the most common, and the last least.

[Satnrose]

Additional reasons for the scarcity of high number series books:

Publishers milk the salablity of a series for as long as they can. If a book (series) is selling well, they contract for the next title(s). When the buying public starts to lose interest in the series, the publisher starts producing fewer copies of each title. They sometimes find out that the series is dead after the last few books have been contracted. They then have a very small press run.

The above can be complicated (or enhanced) by a publisher going out of business and/or being purchased by another publisher. Books under contract are published, but in smaller press runs. Also, the distribution contracts that get the book out to stores may be in limbo. The books might not be as widely distributed as a result. There are some cases where there is speculation that the stock was mostly not distributed -- leaving the books in a warehouse somewhere, or even dumping them in the trash.

[Psthomas]

[lludwig]

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

If, on the copyright page, it states:
"Originally cataloged by the Library of Congress as follows"
followed by the complete catalogue entry,
then what you have is a reprint.

This is often found on children's books.

Satnrose

[lludwig]

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

If the book is collectible,
then the proofs and/or ARCs are more so.

If the book is not collectible,
no.

[Satnrose]

[lludwig]

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

A book is not worth what it's listed for.
A book is worth what you sell it for.

If a copy of a book is listed for $275 but you sell your's for $31, that's all it was worth for that particular copy at that particular time. It might've sold for more [or less] at a later date, but now is now. Nevertheless, if you think it's worth a certain price, protect it at that price with a minimum or a reserve.

But the value of a book cannot be determined by its bid until the auction is over. Gee, that seems so obvious. If someone says, "That ongoing auction isn't doing so well", the answer is, "It ain't over yet!"

On the other hand, when I first got into eBay I got an email from somebody who suggested that I start my auctions at a low price and let the eBay market determine its "fair market value". Laughable. eBay is a new eeconomy. Pork bellies can settle at a fair market value because the penetration of bacon into the market has saturated at all levels. [Messy!] But there is no such level playing field on the Internet. CYA.

[Satnrose]

[lludwig]

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

When you cannot find out anything about your particular book, work by analogy.

Look at other books by the same author or illustrator, or other books on the same subject from the same time period.

[oldbookshopnj]

[lludwig]

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

We spell it "collectible". The Brits spell it "collectable".

Don't ever depend on Romanized spelling to lead you in the right direction.

Some foreign alphabets have no standardized translation into the familiar European spellings. Chinese, Hebrew, Russian, etc. Is it Mao Tse Tung [Mao TseTung] or Mao Zedong? Is it Chanukah or Hanukah? Is it Beijing or Peking? Don't say "It's all Greek to me!"

So, when you're researching books printed thusly, expect wide variations in the way they're catalogued.

[Satnrose]

[lludwig]

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

Don't be afraid to make a mistake. If you have never paid too much for a book, you have passed up a lot of books you should have bought. You have to look at averages.

[Oldbookshopnj]

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[lludwig]

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

90% of books sell on eBay for less that what they're worth. 99% of books will sell faster on eBay than on the usedbookbuyingsearchengines. 1% of books will sell on eBay for much more than they're worth.

A fast nickel is worth a slow dime.

[Satnrose]

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