10-30-2014 09:28 AM - edited 10-30-2014 09:31 AM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
Most new bookdealers burn out within three years...
[Satnrose]
03-14-2018 11:05 PM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
Books can be faked.
In the world of collectible art, there are many reproductions, fakes and forgeries [yes, there is a difference], counterfeits, cancels, facsimiles, and plain old mistakes. In contrast, the world of collectible books has a bit fewer, but they are out there.
I [Satnrose] once was offered a burnt-around-the-edges second edition of DON QUIJOTE, but it was printed on wove paper.
Famous bibliographer Thomas Wise was exposed for forging fake first editions, but now his fakes are often worth more than the real thing.
A victimized dealer once showed up at the Silver Spring book fair with a clutch of true first edition hypermoderns in artificially-aged FEL dustjackets.
[Satnrose]
03-15-2018 01:11 PM
I just realized that one of my posts in this thread (and there have been very few) was accepted as a Solution! Strange... and now that they have put a green tint on the threads with a solution, I tend not to want to click on them.
@lludwigwrote:From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
Books can be faked.
In the world of collectible art, there are many reproductions, fakes and forgeries [yes, there is a difference], counterfeits, cancels, facsimiles, and plain old mistakes. In contrast, the world of collectible books has a bit fewer, but they are out there.
I [Satnrose] once was offered a burnt-around-the-edges second edition of DON QUIJOTE, but it was printed on wove paper.
Famous bibliographer Thomas Wise was exposed for forging fake first editions, but now his fakes are often worth more than the real thing.
A victimized dealer once showed up at the Silver Spring book fair with a clutch of true first edition hypermoderns in artificially-aged FEL dustjackets.
[Satnrose]
05-13-2018 11:09 AM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
When you make a mistake...
Lose your money up front.
Sell the item as fast as possible, just to get rid of it. No sense keeping that baby around to remind you how dumb you were when you bought it. Get it outta the house as fast as possible.
[Psthomas]
06-12-2018 10:52 PM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
"A book on the shelf is a bad book." -Eddie Remler
Furthermore, if a book is listed on the services for $5 to $60 and there are 200 copies online, then its value to you is close to zero, because it'll be almost impossible to sell, even if you undercut the $5 price.
[Satnrose]
06-25-2018 01:00 AM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
In response to a question about a book that had been inscribed but not signed by the author:
There are many examples of books "inscribed but not signed" and the authentication can be difficult or not. Perhaps you have purchased the book from the author's mother or a co-author, or even the book's dedicatee? Or you may be so familiar with the author's handwriting that you be fairly sure it is authentic. Some sophisticated collectors of autograph material prefer an inscription because it is easier to fake an autograph than to mimic someone else’s handwriting for an entire sentence or even an autograph.
That being said the autograph field is a minefield. I once had a first edition of VARIEITES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE by William James that was simply inscribed "With the compliments of the author" no signature. I priced it as a "review" copy reasoning that James could have arranged for a secretary or assistant at the publisher to send the book. A more optimistic or maybe savvy dealer bought the book and sold it for many times my price based on that inscription. So I guess the answer, like so many answers in book collecting and book dealing is "Well, that depends."
[Hollowayd]
07-03-2018 10:57 PM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
It's a small world after all....
Usedbookdealers love to gossip and exchange news, especially at the top level. A lot of them know about the BB but choose not to participate.
Spectacular finds and failures are savored and bandied about. Important collections get known before liquidated. It's always amazing to me to go to some fabulous outoftheway auction and see the big boys there. Don't ever assume that a secret is secret.
[Satnrose]
07-11-2018 08:50 AM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
It is politically incorrect to use the term "expert".
In this particular case*, I would argue that it's part of the putting-down of those with an education or specialized knowledge. It's so much fun to say "the experts are wrong" and "what do they know?". But it really serves society's (the masses) purpose to sneer at the big-headed over-educated purported "experts". It enables most to believe they are, in fact, better than the experts. Yet another great leveler.
Satnrose is a expert on books and related materials -- whether he likes it or not -- and whether he would prefer to not be called an expert or not.
However, out of politeness, we can call him other names if we want.
[Psthomas]
*specific case deleted but may be applicable in some other cases . . .
07-13-2018 01:06 AM - edited 07-13-2018 01:07 AM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
When listing a first edition or later printing of a highly collectible book, such as The Little Prince or Gone With the Wind, give the points of the first edition.
Providing this information not only educates the customer, it helps to establish trust and confidence in you.
[Lludwig]
07-21-2018 12:05 PM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
Don't buy a problem.
If a book has too many flaws, don't purchase it.
Look to find a reason to disbelieve.
[Satnrose]
Note: The "Look to find a reason to disbelieve" always comes to mind not just when I am looking for flaws in a book, but also when I think I have found a collectible First Edition. I look for a reason[s] to disbelieve it is a First no matter how much I want it to be a First.
[Lludwig]
07-22-2018 09:29 AM - edited 07-22-2018 09:32 AM
Figtree3 - re: “I just realized that one of my posts in this thread (and there have been very few) was accepted as a Solution! Strange... and now that they have put a green tint on the threads with a solution, I tend not to want to click on them.” ----- I removed the ‘Solution’ so that you don’t skip over the thread when new posts are added!
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
If you somehow acquire a stolen book,
you are required to return it without recompensation
regardless of what you shelled out for it.
.....and it doesn't matter how rich the victim is, nor how negligent or irresponsible they have been.
Which are three of the reasons I will always despise the Folger Library.
The fourth reason is that they sent the Empire a letter suggesting that they give us a course in how to identify stolen books after we had twice contacted the FBI and finally caught their klepto criminal employee and lost our thousands in the retrieval of their treasures.
[Satnrose]
07-23-2018 09:41 AM
"I removed the ‘Solution’ so that you don’t skip over the thread when new posts are added! "
Thank you! I wouldn't want it to be thought that this thread was looking for a solution.
07-23-2018 09:55 AM
@figtree3 wrote:
Thank you! I wouldn't want it to be thought that this thread was looking for a solution.
Figtree3 - LOL! Ya know, I tend to do the same about skipping over threads which are marked with a solution, yet many times more info is added or sometimes the solution isn't correct.
07-26-2018 07:02 AM
A repeat of a hint that always makes me smile.
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
Most eBayers are hunters, not gatherers.
Most bookstores depend on gathering over hunting. In fact, most do no hunting whatsoever: they sit in their webs like fat spiders and let the flies come to them.
Most of us are the new breed of bookscout: but instead of wholesaling to the dealers, we are enabled to sell at the retail level. This is a new economic paradigm, not only for bookdealers, but for radical ragpicker capitalists of all kinds.
But usually, we buy for a few dollars and sell for a few dollars more. At the top level of bookdealing, the princes of our profession spend a lot of money to make more. Very little of what they do is "discovery". This is our most valuable function: we find that which has been overlooked, cast-off, underappreciated and/or undervalued, and rescue it for posterity and bucks.
[Satnrose]
08-09-2018 08:14 PM
From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .
Be careful who you flame.
They might just have the very answer you were seeking.
[Abacaxi]
08-10-2018 11:56 AM