Bait & Switch at FOL sales

[thebookhill]

This never happened to me before Covid.

In the last year, I have encountered bait and switch at 3 different Friends of the library sales.

1. Advertised a $10 bag sale. Went there and was told they are selling the brand new (empty) FOL bags for $10 each, and were accepting "donations" for they books I wanted to buy. Tried to get them to say an acceptable donation price per book, but all I got was nudge nudge wink wink. And, I do mean they elbowed me, when they nudged nudged winked winked. I made an offer for what I had and was countered with 4-5 times more. I got the price to half way between. Left there feeling bruised.

2. Called before going. Yes, there is a media bag sale the day after the book bag sale. Arrived early, and there were only 4 of us buyers waiting to get in. Their place had mostly commons, but I felt I could still manage at least 2 bags, depending on the bag size. Went to the check out desk and ask for a bag. The woman said that there is no bag sale, that if you read the ad carefully you would know that there was no bag sale. I said I called and she said she answered every call about the sale and she told no one that there was a bag sale. Then, she said that it didn't mattered that since I was already there, she knew that I would buy stuff anyways. I had to ask her and her 6 helpers to get out of my way to get out the door and leave.

3. Yesterday. I had called on Friday, and yesterday, (Saturday June 11 2022) I drove 2 hours after paying $4.99 a gallon for gas to the latest Bait & Switch. I had arrived early, and was greeted warmly. The library was open and the sale would start in a half hour. Was told to go ahead and look but don't stack while I waited for the start of the sale. They had only commons, and even with very careful pulling I might not be able to fill a bag. Went back to the woman who had greeted me, and ask her what size bag. She is polite and all smiles, and says that they had decided not to have a bag sale and they were charging $1 a dvd and $2 a book. I told her the I had called to confirm that there was a bag sale just yesterday (Friday), and she countered with "Well, in that case, once I see what you have I'll take some off the final price." I told her that I had to go out to my truck for a while. I left.

Is this getting to be the new normal?

(I had posted this in the Selling forum, but thought it might be of more value here. I hope that is okay.)

[soh.maryl]

Interesting message.  My library book sales are nothing like that.

But what does this have to do with eBay , except that maybe you sell books here?  

[thebookhill]

Many sellers go to yard sales, estate sales, FOL sales, etc to buy items to sell on eBay.

eBay sellers used to talk about what happened while buying for resale.

I apologize for my posting if that is no longer the case.

[lludwig]

No need to apologize for something that at one time made this board a bit more lively and interesting. Sorry about the problems at those sales. I remember first learning about the practice at book sales where some  people were covering whole tables with cloths in an attempt to claim them all before others could look! They never took them all of course, just didn't want others to look before they had a chance to separate the chaff from the wheat...Later, a book sale that I attended to had added "no covering tables" to the Book Sale Procedures.  

[thebookhill]

Saw a person pick up their child and place them on the table because of the "no covering tables with cloths" rule.

The workers had to tell the child and his parents that they were not allowed on the tables.

[taylor_memorial]

I used to work with an FOL group locally. We'd sort through a couple hundred thousand books a year, holding two sales that were widely attended: drawing sellers from miles around. 

The library closed us down about a year before COVID. "Old books aren't worth anything" the head librarian said, and despite some jaw dropping on her part with some anecdotes on my part, she wouldn't budge. COVID came and went, and still closed down.

The "excuse" were fire code violations--the reality is something else. 

Certainly we never turned away a buck: we'd offer bags of Harlequin romances at $1.00/20; our bag sales were $3.00 per grocery bag. Our issues were more in terms of getting rid of unsold books.  As USPS media rate rose, the profit margin from shipping at maximum or Amazon forced rates shrunk. And our buyers of the leftovers went from a buck a box to a quarter a box to a few dollars for a gaylord. Just before we closed, we were filling a couple dumpsters for the pulper. 

I suspect your recent results will change VERY quickly in this economic climate. People respond to inflation first with greed (rising prices) and then with desperation as they realize what they got is discretionary and really, I'd rather not at that price. 

Me? I haven't been to an FOL sale in a while, and won't until after the summer. We thought about yard sales this year, but with the price of gas and my wife just broke her arm, that isn't going to happen either. 

I find there are a LOT of local online auctions that have book lots worth buying. Especially with a bit of research before hand.

[thebookhill]

I have been paying $15 -20 a bag at the sales I go to. Most sales are over 50 miles away.

As to buying at any local online sales, they do not exist near me. (Or, do you mean something else?)

I ran a B&M for years before going online, and tried to encourage the local auctioneers and estate sellers to sell books (I offered to buy / help). They said that books are just not worth it. They always threw them straight into a dumpster.

I cannot even imagine what they have thrown out over the years.

[thebookhill]

Waited to long to edit.

The local auctioneers, etc  still throw the books straight into a dumpster, and I do not mean for a pulper. 

They have always thrown them in a regular trash dumpster.

[soh.maryl]

As I mentioned earlier, our FOL sales are nothing like those you've described.  Sorry about that.

You might be interested in this anecdote:  Am 89 years of age and have always been a reader.  Recently, trying to make it easier for my family when I am gone, have been culling out my book collection.  When my daughter and I went to donate a medium sized box of books at a local TS, the man in charge of receiving donations said they were no longer accepting books, but he would make an exception in our case.  The problem, I believe, is that they just do not sell, and it's not due to price because their regular price for most hard backs is 90 cents.  I wish they would still take children's books, though.  Most of my collection for the 4 year old, 3 year old and 2 year old great grands when they visit has been accumulated from thrifts.  They like pop ups and "find it" books.  It's fun to cuddle with great grandma and read the same book until eyelids droop and the listener falls asleep in my arms.  You can't beat that for a great experience.

[imagine.ink]

We have a really great used book room ("store") at our local library here in Gettysburg and, in addition to selling donated books all year round, they hold an annual book sale every July.   This year, it will be July 28-30.

July 28 - 30

• Thu, Fri 9-7, Sat 9-2
• 25,000 books; 100% donated; 50% hardcover; sorted; no buyer restrictions; .50-$2
• Some books are sold online and in the store
• Credit cards accepted

They hold the Big Sale at a local auction house and I've always enjoyed going there.  It's such a thrill, just deciding when you enter the door which way you'll turn first! 

As expected, being the town of Gettysburg where the famous battle took place in 1863, Civil War books sell very well here.  Also, this is a college town with Gettysburg College drawing students from all over the world, which translates to more interest in books than the average town.

A funny story:  The local antique store right in the heart of Gettysburg also sells a lot of books, with the biggest sellers being Civil War books.  One day, a couple arrived from California, with the trunk of their car loaded with books.  They said they had a large Civil War library and were downsizing.  They figured Gettysburg would be the best place to sell their books.  The owner of the antique store bought all their books  right out of their trunk!  

[bugler1998]

Michelle:  I would love to follow you around one of your book sales, being happy to pick up the junk you left around.

I do most of my book buying at  estate sales and auctions.  The online sale listings often have photos of their inventory, some photos better than others.  My favorite estate sale company lists $2 hardbacks and $1 paperbacks.  The second day is half price or less.  Most sellers have to clear out the house for  being sold, so a large inventory means anywhere from ,50 to .25 per book , assuming I buy 20 or more.

After a while the sellers know me and will offer a quantity deal.

Remember to quietly ask for a discount, so others buying small quantities will not ask for the same deal.

I never offer to take all books.  My back is not strong enough.  By now I know what is worth buying.  And the local charities benefit from my mistakes.

Mike.

[dreambooks]

I sympathize with you because I have been attending library FOL sales since the early aughts and I have been traveling hundreds of miles to attend a sale. I used to be the the first or second in line for the preview sales, but not any more because most of the sales now have been cherry picked. So recent years I only go to the last day for the bag sales. Since I travel 4 or 5 hours one way, I only go to the bigger ones. Sometimes I go to the preview sale just to see how big it is, and what is the deal for the last day. So I would be really **bleep** if they advised a bag sale but they ate their own words.

Since I buy so many books i usually can get a better deal than bags. I bring uniform Uhaul boxes and negotiate a price for each box of books. I seldom choose books because I get to box so many books in a couple of hours. Sometimes the volunteers are nice and they will help me boxing, and I just tell them which sections or tables to box. At one sale the volunteers keep nudging me that I get to use bags instead of boxes. Anyway I have had mostly good experiences. I would not go to sales with more than $5 per bag for the last day.

[thebookhill]

I do usually have good experiences at the FOL sales I go to.

I do like going to them.

During good weeks I will go to at least 3 (if not 4) different sales.

I would love to pay only $5 per bag, but I just don't get too many at that price at all.

[thebookhill]

And, I do try to fill my truck at each sale I go to.

Which means, some sales I do only get one bag, some I get 5-7 bags, but some I buy 10-14 bags and even at $10-$15 I am happy.

One of the best sales I went to was $20 a bag for media, and any mass paperbacks free.

I filled the truck 50/50 with paid and free bags.

[thebookhill]

The only nudge nudge I have ever gotten at a sale is the first Bait & Switch sale I mentioned.

At that sale, no one would commit to a price before checkout.

What I didn't mention is that I walked out will only a couple of used dvds that I wanted for myself, and it saved me a whole $2 from what I would have paid for each brand new at Walmart.

It was a bad distasteful experience.