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Book Pricing



 
 
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  #11  
Old August 4th 06, 06:41 PM posted to rec.collecting.books
DfKNG
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Posts: 3
Default Book Pricing

As a result I package things to withstand treatment
equivalent to being thrown off the back of a moving truck and landing in a
puddle filled with broken glass.
"Jack Campin - bogus address"

But nothing can prepare a package for the equivalent of being jumped up and
down on, unless you are shipping your items in a titanium box.


Ads
  #12  
Old August 5th 06, 06:26 PM posted to rec.collecting.books
[email protected]
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Posts: 10
Default Book Pricing


smokey wrote:
Is it cheaper to buy online or buy retail


I think what is important is to develop a STEADY source of books at a
price that will allow you to resell them for your desired profit
margin, whether that source is online or off. For me, that means:
1. Using a reliable group of online sellers who have proven
trustworthy, describe items accurately and offer them at prices
attractive for resale. I wonder,however (and yes, this bothers me,
should it?) if it would be ethically better to inform them that they
are underpricing their books and could get more? Doing so would
eliminate steady sources of good books for resale.

2. Networking with people who are likely to be interested in selling
their books to me and who have books which are desirable - librarians,
school teachers, students, etc. This takes time but can pay off during
the textbook season.

3. Getting to know movers and real estate agents. They often have
panicky buyers or sellers faced with a huge assortment of books to move
who suddenly decide that they don't need EVERY single book - or, with
luck, ANY of them.

Are we allowed to provide links to our stores here? I'm not going to
until I know if I can or not.

  #13  
Old August 5th 06, 06:44 PM posted to rec.collecting.books
[email protected]
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Default Book Pricing

Sorry, I guess my previous answer was written from a bookseller's
perspective. I am also a book collector so I'll offer that viewpoint,
too. I don't think one way is GENERALLY cheaper then the other. Here's
why:
The cheapest way to buy a book will differ from book to book, in my
experience.
If a book is relatively scarce, you might luck out by finding a copy
online and, for some books, finding ANY copy is hard. Condition may not
be as much of a factor then. Example: I wanted An identification guide
to First edition Dr. Seuss books. They can be pricey but buying online
was my best choice there. For very common books, buying online can be
less expensive than retail, IF the seller offers combined shipping and
ships promptly. Time is money and getting in a car, driving to a
bookstore, browsing to find the book may or may not be cost-effective,
depending on the location of the store, cost of gas, work hours, free
time etc. Or it might be. Again, depends on the book, availability,
comparable prices, your schedule etc. A lot of variables there.
If condition IS a factor, you can still get better deals online
much of the time IF you know your seller and know they list accurately.
That is why, as both a book collector and bookseller, I tend to buy
from people I know and people I know (former customers) tend to buy
again from me. There are always new sellers out there underpricing
their books (as my previous post noted) so I do occasionally use them,
give them a "trial run" but usually not with a particularly expensive
book, unless there is no other choice. One person's "Mint" condition
may only be "good" to me.

  #14  
Old August 5th 06, 06:56 PM posted to rec.collecting.books
[email protected]
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Posts: 10
Default Book Pricing

Kris (your post below) I would agree with you MOST of the time about
"clueless sellers".

However, as both a seller and a collector, I can say that I have seen
postal trucks drive over packages on occasion and I've seen postal
workers toss packages to the bottom of a heap of other packages and
then pile HEAVY packages on top. Even a well padded book box will not
survive that type of abuse.

I do agree, however, that there are many clueless sellers. Putting a
book in an unpadded envelope does nothing. For that matter, I don't
like envelopes. I use boxes. and the book is put in the middle of the
box so it doesn't touch ANY of the box sides, with padding all around.

Having said that, I have gotten books from sellers which arrived just
fine when the sellers used envelopes reinforced by heavy cardboard
inserts which they cut themselves and put around the book for extra
protection. I don't like to get books in envelopes but some have
arrived without even a bumped corner! I think using envelopes can be
taking quite a chance, however....Jane
Kris Baker wrote:
wrote in message
ps.com...
I also prefer to buy in a store--though it's getting harder and harder.
I like to browse, and I like to see the condition of my potential
purchase for myself. Even an online book that's described as "mint"
still has to pass through the clutches of the Post Awful before it
reaches me...


It's not the "Post Awful" who damages a book, it's "Clueless
Seller".

Kris


  #15  
Old August 5th 06, 07:30 PM posted to rec.collecting.books
my-wings
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Posts: 75
Default Book Pricing


wrote in message
oups.com...

smokey wrote:
Is it cheaper to buy online or buy retail


I think what is important is to develop a STEADY source of books at a
price that will allow you to resell them for your desired profit
margin, whether that source is online or off. For me, that means:
1. Using a reliable group of online sellers who have proven
trustworthy, describe items accurately and offer them at prices
attractive for resale. I wonder,however (and yes, this bothers me,
should it?) if it would be ethically better to inform them that they
are underpricing their books and could get more? Doing so would
eliminate steady sources of good books for resale.


I would not feel any qualms at all about buying well-priced books from
another seller. It may be that the book is not in the seller's specialty so
he doesn't have ready customers for it and prefers to move it at any price
rather than keep it around waiting for "just the right customer". Or the
seller may not choose to research every book and thus some will get priced
lower than they might otherwise be, to your benefit as one who was willing
to do the homework. Or, the seller might be divesting stock to make room for
items in a different price bracket. Or the seller might have decided that
stock that doesn't turn over within a certain period of time will get
reduced to move it.

For whatever reason, sellers are or should be business people with varying
business models. Not every seller wants or needs to get top dollar for every
book they sell (although I'm sure all of us would like to!). I myself have a
one or two hundred first edition mysteries (all VG or better) that just
aren't in the specialty I want to focus on. I hate to do it, but I'm
probably going to look for someone to take bunches of them at cut rate
prices because I need the shelf space!

Just my two cents.

Alice


  #16  
Old August 5th 06, 11:28 PM posted to rec.collecting.books
Kris Baker
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Posts: 106
Default Book Pricing


"Dfkng" wrote in message
news
Clueless Seller is the one who doesn't protect against that.
"Kris Baker" wrote in message news:mfKAg.928$%

How do you protect against the disgruntled postal worker who jumps up and
down on your package with his full weight? Titanium box?


I've never had that happen.

You must be a seller?

Kris


  #17  
Old August 6th 06, 02:08 AM posted to rec.collecting.books
Dfkng
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Posts: 3
Default Book Pricing

The quote is appearing above the attribution, making it look like
"Jack Campin" wrote the sentence beginning with "But nothing..."
and that you top-posted the rest. (?)

Don't worry, you'll get over it. Menopause doesn't last forever.


  #18  
Old August 6th 06, 02:12 AM posted to rec.collecting.books
Dfkng
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Posts: 3
Default Book Pricing

Clueless Seller is the one who doesn't protect against that.
"Kris Baker" wrote in message news:mfKAg.928$%

How do you protect against the disgruntled postal worker who jumps up and
down on your package with his full weight? Titanium box?


 




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