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lludwig · ‎10-30-2014

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

Most new bookdealers burn out within three years...

[Satnrose]

bookthink · ‎03-20-2016

Do you make money on a $2 book? A $5 book? A $20 book?

I think, as Joel implied, the break even point for everybody will differ some, and I once estimated that mine was $10 - and this was figuring in both direct and indirect costs of being in business. Not everybody pays for lawn service, for example, but it's still an indirect cost of doing business. And don't get me started on book cat maintenance.

bookthink · ‎03-20-2016

If the choice is between buying something negligible or admitting you've wasted all your time, don't buy anything.

I don't usually disagree with these things, but I have a different take on this. From early on, assuming Joel's talking about local sales where you interact face-to-face with liquidators, I've always made a point of buying something at sales, if only to snag an opportunity to hand them some money, talk briefly and perhaps give them a business card. In my experience, if they keep seeing your face and taking your money, even if it isn't much, opportunities unrelated to showing up at their scheduled sales with your competition, arise. This can take several forms, including being invited to pre-shop sales, getting referrals to potential clients, etc. I know too many dealers in my corner of the planet who approach buying locally in a too-competitive manner - the kind of competition that divides people - and I don't just mean competing with other dealers; they also bring this heavy, competitive energy to sales and do a sizable amount of b****ing about the people running the sales. All of this has consequences, and none of them contribute to growing a business.

lludwig · ‎03-21-2016

Bookthink/Craig - Good advice in the circumstances you mention; however, I think that Satnrose/Joel was talking about FOL book sales since that is what many of us were attending at the time.

In regard to the hint below, a bit of an update might be necessary for the "Grab the best and sort the rest" or at least some clarification. When I first started attending book sales, dealers that I knew and those that I didn't would grab many books and make piles at the side of the room or place their tubs at the side of the room and continue on to grab more. After they were done with all the tables, they would go back and sort through the pile into keep and discard piles. In recent years at a couple of the bigger sales that I have attended the 'map' hand-out of categories that is given out contains a list of do's and don'ts re: book sale behavior. One of the items at a couple of the larger sales has been words to the effect that if you take the book away from the table, you bought it. I think what happened at these sales is that too many people were doing the grab and stash and after sorting just leaving the discards on the floor.

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

A Book Sale is a battlefield...

...and like in any war, preparation is the key.

The 4 BC's: be calm, be cool, be collected, be concentrated.

Bring a coat to cover your books. Keep your stash in a safe place.

Bring a sandwich or a candy bar to keep your energy up when you flag.

Don't argue with the staff.

Don't gloat.

Grab the best and sort the rest.

Don't be a pig.

Good luck!

[Satnrose]

bookthink · ‎03-21-2016

Bookthink/Craig - Good advice in the circumstances you mention; however, I think that Satnrose/Joel was talking about FOL book sales since that is what many of us were attending at the time.

Back in the Stone Age, Kathleen, when I went to FOL sales myself, this approach still applied for me. Just as there are books everywhere, there are opportunities everwhere, but I know what you mean. There are varying degrees of competitiveness in different venues, and FOL sales do have that battlefield feel which makes it easy to forget that there are real people behind the scenes.

lludwig · ‎03-21-2016

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In regard to those FOL book sales,

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

If the staff has done a good job--well organized--tell them so. These are volunteers, everyone likes appreciation, and it may help keep the same workers coming back next year and running the sale in the same manner.

[Oldbookshopnj]

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rockmaple · ‎03-21-2016

@lludwig wrote:

From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

Bring a coat to cover your books. Keep your stash in a safe place.

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Better than a coat, I bring a couple of my own boxes and a child's cartoon print sheet.

First, you can cover more boxes of books with a sheet than a coat. Secondly, a cartoon print sheet is more noticeable than a coat & people working the sale may notice who brought the sheet and more easily keep watch over said stash. Would-be pilferers might be embarassed to go after books covered by a sheet they obviously didn't bring. At the beginning of the sale you can park the extra box that you have in a safe place and cover it with the sheet and then go shop. When your shopping box is full you can swap it out with the empty box. The sheet also helps you locate and identify your stash when you are ready to leave.

lludwig · ‎03-26-2016

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

All sources are vulnerable....
.....but as that specifically applies to bookhunting:

Every venue has a weak point[s]. Of course, in the days before Internet pricing, it was much easier to scout because seller knowledge was specific and/or limited. Today, everyone with a computer is an expert.

Nevertheless, you should be aware of the basic flaws with this method:

1.) Edition/printing identification is not always known [especially with kids' books]
2.) Condition makes a huge difference
3.) Fine bindings require specialized experience to determine value
4.) Signatures and/or provenance are an important factor
5.) If the item is not on the 'Net, they must guess.
6.) They don't have the time to look up everything.
7.) Collectible paperbacks are often overlooked.
8.) The "hypermodern" market is extremely changable, unpredictable & erratic.

This business is going to get more difficult as more folks get hip to the trip. Stay one step ahead and you'll be ok.

[Satnrose]

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lludwig · ‎04-04-2016

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

Only a few hypermoderns can stand the test of time.
Most hypermoderns rise quickly, but go down in price as the years go by....

[Satnrose]

Hypermodern: "a very recently published book where the market price has increased quickly due to book collectors speculating on the future value." (Source: Biblio)

To learn more about collecting hypermodern books, here are several links:

Trends in Modern Book Collecting by Ken Lopez (1999)

http://lopezbooks.com/articles/trends/

The Allure of Collecting Hypermodern Literature by Anne Trubek

https://www.good.is/articles/anne-trubek-on-the-allure-of-collecting-hypermodern-literature

Excerpt from "Why Collect? Or What The Heck is Hypermodern?" by Diane Plumley, 2011

"How was this new collecting mania born? Some believe John Dunning’s brilliant Booked to Die, which focused on 20th century literature as investments was the impetus. But Dunning never advocated new titles as possible cash cows, he was writing about searching for and finding rare books in dust jacket from earlier times. However, what happened when Booked to Die was published with a small print run was IT became collectible."

http://bookshopblog.com/2011/03/02/why-collect-or-what-the-heck-is-hypermodern/

Brooklyn’s First Editions Club: Greenlight Bookstore reaches out to collectors of hypermodern firsts by A. N. Devers

https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/1102/first-edition-club-1.phtml

Collecting Hypermodern First Edition Books

http://www.book-collecting-tips.com/first-edition-books.html

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lludwig · ‎04-06-2016

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

Don't blindly believe everything you read.

Even experts can be dead wrong.

[Satnrose]

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browserybook · ‎04-06-2016

Great links... thank you!

lludwig · ‎04-11-2016

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

Don't sell it if you don't believe it.

It's easy to sell what is irrefutable. But when you have to decide for yourself what is the truth, you need to end up with a rock solid belief in whatever answers you may come up with. This isn't so hard to do with books, usually. Most significant first editions can be readily identified as such through common consensus and bibliographies and price guides. But when you have to decide on the veracity of an autograph, you have to come to a point where you can feel confident enough to guarantee it at any price.

[Satnrose]

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lludwig · ‎04-13-2016

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

There are issue points for bindings as well as texts.

In the 19th century publishers would use a variety of bindings for the same book. In order of preference: full leather gilt deluxe, 1/2 leather, 1/4 leather, cloth gilt deluxe, plain cloth, 1/4 cloth, plain boards or remainder binding.

In the twentieth century you still have situations where only a portion of the initial print run was bound immediately upon publication. Sometimes the rest wasn't bound until years later.

And sometimes the publishers would use different bindings at the same time, and one is more preferred over another.

And sometimes there are mistakes in the binding which are corrected in the second issue.

[Satnrose]

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lludwig · ‎04-14-2016

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

When listing a later edition 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]

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lludwig · ‎04-16-2016

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From the Collected Works of Bookseller Hints . . .

Your target audience usually doesn't need an explanation of what the book is.

Most potential bidders are "destination shoppers". They're either looking for your book or author or subject or something like it. And they will often know what the book is about and what is special about it. Often they will even know the issue points.

But if you want to attract the deep-pocket browsers, you may want to choose a different approach. Also, if you have something really obscure you may have to explain what it is even to the experts.

[Satnrose]

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