Book dealer etiquette query...

I'm on the verge of selling a book to a fancy New York dealer. I just
received an e-mail from the shop asking if I would be willing to give
a "dealer discount." I have never sold to a dealer before. I suppose
it makes good business sense fo me to do so. My question:

How much of a discount is usually offered in such a circumstance?

Thanks in advance for helping me learn some manners...

Jonathan

In article ,
(Jonathan Brodie) wrote:

I'm on the verge of selling a book to a fancy New York dealer. I just
received an e-mail from the shop asking if I would be willing to give
a "dealer discount." I have never sold to a dealer before. I suppose
it makes good business sense fo me to do so. My question:

How much of a discount is usually offered in such a circumstance?

Thanks in advance for helping me learn some manners...

Jonathan

Be interesting to see what others say, but the OLD standard was 20%
discount to the trade (in the USA at least). The majority of second-rate
on-line web vendors do not give discounts, are not part of a community of
booksellers, are never going to do repeat business with anyone -- yet they
have no qualms asking for discounts. The web pretty much screwed up the
old standard of a universal discount "to the trade." So I now give a 10%
discount to random web-dealers who ask, so that I don't have to "judge"
whether they're qualified booksellers or not, I just do it cuz what the
hell & it usually makes 'em happy. I still give a 20% "mutual" discount to
sellers who issue print catalogs or who just in general are themselves
honoring that old standard.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com

"Jonathan Brodie" wrote in message
om...
I'm on the verge of selling a book to a fancy New York dealer. I just
received an e-mail from the shop asking if I would be willing to give
a "dealer discount." I have never sold to a dealer before. I suppose
it makes good business sense fo me to do so. My question:

How much of a discount is usually offered in such a circumstance?

Thanks in advance for helping me learn some manners...

Jonathan

Manners, or business? We're talking two different things.

Since he's a dealer, he's buying for resale....and wouldn't be
thinking about your book unless he can make a tidy profit.
Now, he wants a lower price so he can make even more
money. It's within his rights to ask. It's within your rights
to stick to your price.

Many dealers offer "reciprocal discounts", meaning that
they give YOU the same percentage off as you give them.
Most others don't offer a discount unless the purchase
meets a certain amount.

It depends how much business you want to do with them,
and in which direction.

Here's some dealer terms:
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...er+discount%22

Kris

If you don't plan to do business with him again, tell him to stick his
"discount" up his ass.
If you feel that you may develope an ongoing business relationship, 10% is
about right these days.

--
Bob Finnan
The Hardy Boys Unofficial Home Page
http://users.arczip.com/fwdixon
New & Out Of Print Books, Books-On-Tape, Videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs For Sale
http://users.arczip.com/fwdixon/hbsale.htm
.................................................. ....................
"Jonathan Brodie" wrote in message
om...
I'm on the verge of selling a book to a fancy New York dealer. I just
received an e-mail from the shop asking if I would be willing to give
a "dealer discount." I have never sold to a dealer before. I suppose
it makes good business sense fo me to do so. My question:

How much of a discount is usually offered in such a circumstance?

Thanks in advance for helping me learn some manners...

Jonathan

On 19 Aug 2004 15:21:37 -0700, (Jonathan
Brodie) wrote:

I'm on the verge of selling a book to a fancy New York dealer. I just
received an e-mail from the shop asking if I would be willing to give
a "dealer discount." I have never sold to a dealer before. I suppose
it makes good business sense fo me to do so. My question:

How much of a discount is usually offered in such a circumstance?

Thanks in advance for helping me learn some manners...

20% is the traditional standard dealer-to-dealer discount, as I'm sure
other old farts around here will tell you. The question is whether or
not your mark-up has a 20% buffer built in to it; many don't, and that
kind of discount can kill the profit on a sale. If you sell close to
the mark, you're under no real obligation to offer any discount, but
if you're selling at, say, twice what you paid or thereabouts you
should be okay.

And, yes, it can stand you in very good stead to have a dealer with
whom you have a good working relationship.

(Jonathan Brodie) wrote in message . com...
I'm on the verge of selling a book to a fancy New York dealer. I just
received an e-mail from the shop asking if I would be willing to give
a "dealer discount." I have never sold to a dealer before. I suppose
it makes good business sense fo me to do so. My question:

How much of a discount is usually offered in such a circumstance?

Thanks in advance for helping me learn some manners...

Jonathan

I wouldn't do it, "fancy New York dealer" or not, unless you're
reasonably sure you'll be doing business with them again, which chance
in this age of free-for-all web commerce is nil. And I'd at least
confirm that they'll reciprocate this courtesy down the road.

--
Ht

Since he's a dealer, he's buying for resale....and wouldn't be
thinking about your book unless he can make a tidy profit.
Now, he wants a lower price so he can make even more
money. It's within his rights to ask. It's within your rights
to stick to your price.

This particular dealer will, I know, offer the book for resale at three times
the price that I'm asking for it. As a matter of fact, the idea has occured to
me (despite the fact that I am a naive amateur bookseller from provincial
Wisconsin) that they might want to buy my copy just to take if off the market.
Do such things happen in the book business?

Even if they agree to a reciprocal discount, I wouldn't be able to use it. 10
or 20 percent off books that are three times more expensive than they it
should be is no deal.

So I think I'll say...Thanks but no thanks.

But I also will say thanks to all of you who have given me advice.

Jonathan

On 19 Aug 2004 20:11:55 -0700, (Htn963) wrote:

I wouldn't do it, "fancy New York dealer" or not, unless you're
reasonably sure you'll be doing business with them again, which chance
in this age of free-for-all web commerce is nil. And I'd at least
confirm that they'll reciprocate this courtesy down the road.

*sigh* No doubt you're right, but it just goes to show how far the
profession has fallen; there was a time, and not all that long ago,
when the discount was given freely and without obligation. It was
simply assumed to be SOP, even if you didn't think you'd be dealing
with that seller again. The thought was it would be paid up and down
the line until it got back to you, as it is with many traditions.

The InterNet is terrific for research, but Christ, what it's done to
bookselling....

(Jonathan Brodie) wrote in message . com...
I'm on the verge of selling a book to a fancy New York dealer. I just
received an e-mail from the shop asking if I would be willing to give
a "dealer discount." I have never sold to a dealer before. I suppose
it makes good business sense fo me to do so. My question:

How much of a discount is usually offered in such a circumstance?

Thanks in advance for helping me learn some manners...

If you have a normal helping of "manners" (and I
believe you do) you don't need to acquire new ones
to sell books. I have already read some responses
to you, and I respectfully disagree with the
explanations you were given. Really, the situation
is simpler than people make it out to be: You are
being targeted by a "whittler." The whittler's game
goes like this. Initially, he will offer you a fair
price. Psychologically, that usually creates an
atmosphere where the seller is more predisposed to
dealing with the whittler. But before he actually
pays the money, he always manages to find a reason
to whittle down the price (the the one he quoted to
you over the net, on the phone or wherever). I would
just tell the person point blank, I don't do business
with whittlers. If they can't handle the bad news,
too bad. And don't think for a minute that a "fancy
New York dealer" could not possibly be a whittler.
Quite the contrary.

It is very common for someone to go into a whittler's
store under the distinct impression that he or she was
going to get $300 for a very rare book. The next thing
seller knows they are walking out in a daze with $30
and feeling lucky to get that! (Forget the whittler:
If your book is truly valuable, someone else will want
to buy it.)

Mr. Palmer
Room 314


Jonathan

(Jonathan Brodie) wrote in message
.com...
I'm on the verge of selling a book to a fancy New York dealer. I just
received an e-mail from the shop asking if I would be willing to give
a "dealer discount." I have never sold to a dealer before. I suppose
it makes good business sense fo me to do so. My question:

How much of a discount is usually offered in such a circumstance?

Really need more info. Is your asking price a trade price? If you have just
contacted the dealer who specialises and your price is considerably below trade
then no discount should be given as he will already make a good profit.

Normally the trade discount is given where you are a dealer and your price is
the market value and you are selling on to another dealer who has a customer
waiting and he needs the discount to make something for himself.

Stan