9 tips for shopping for rare books online
We’ve have been getting interesting feedback to the first two blogs in the “Dealing with dealers” series on AmeriCollector.com – very positive feedback from people who want to sell their items … and a wall of silence from dealers. One fellow who I much respected back in the 1980s as a fair, reputable seller and who I wanted to quote in an upcoming blog actually REFUSED TO RESPOND to me. I guess he figured he’d be in trouble with his less respectable colleagues if he did. Who knows, maybe I’ve been blacklisted and he didn’t want to be ostracized as a squealer.
That makes me want to clarify something: I am not at war with dealers. Everyone has a right to make a profit on his labor and/or knowledge, and collectibles dealers are no exception. And what their profit margin should be … well, that’s a matter of opinion, as I’ll explain in more detail in part three of “Dealing with dealers.”
I personally know many fair, square, upfront dealers in a variety of collecting fields and especially among rare book and autograph dealers – and, within that group, sports memorabilia dealers, a group that often gets bad press. Well, screw the bad apples: There are some real gentlemen (and ladies!) among the sporting collectibles dealers, and specifically among boxing memorabilia dealers. I can attest to that and plan to recommend some of them in another forthcoming blog.
What I DON’T like is being dealt with by sniveling, deceitful rare book dealers who play games in order to buy cheap and sell dear: I’d much prefer that they say, as they do on the History Channel show “Pawn Stars”: “Look, I would expect to sell it for $XXX and have to make enough profit to pay my overhead. Therefore, I can offer you half that,” or one quarter, or whatever – not ask you to send them on approval knowing full well how much you want (and misleading you that they intend to purchase), then crying about not being able to pay your price.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: The only difference between some collectibles dealers and fishmongers is the smell – and some fishmongers are a breath of fresh air compared to some – SOME – dealers.
But I digress …
Since books and autographs are my main collecting fields, I thought I’d share a few tips with you on getting the best stuff at the best prices …
1. Never bid in an auction, online or otherwise, without comparison-shopping. For the life of me, I can never understand why two dimwits will get in a bidding war on eBay, driving the price of a signed book up to $200, when the same damn book, signed and in better condition, is available for $150 through a book search Web site. Yet, it happens all the time. Don’t get caught up in the frenzy: Do your homework first!
2. For books and autographs, the best site I know of is Bookfinder.com. Why? Bookfinder.com includes Abebooks.com, Alibris.com, Amazon.com and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB.org). Talk about casting a wide net!
3. Search separately on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Yes, Virginia, there are rare books on Amazon.com – and sometimes they don’t show up on Bookfinder.com, for reasons I can’t fathom. So, yeah, you’ll be searching twice, but there may be a payoff. BarnesandNoble.com is a separate search, and while some dealers on B&N are also on, say, Abebooks.com (and therefore on Bookfinder.com), many are not, and I have found some gems offered by independent sellers.
4. Play with the search parameters. I’m no techie, so don’t ask me why, but searching by title only can yield fruit that searching by author only won’t. Sure, you may have to weed through a lot of listings, but think of yourself as a visitor to an online flea market. That’s where the treasures are to be found.
5. Got questions about a book? Don’t hesitate to ask. Not every book search site will let you contact a seller directly; if you can save yourself time and angst by confirming a book’s availability and description. Many sellers are happy to send scans if you request it.
6. Beware: The description may be wrong. For example, if a book has a “gift inscription” or “loose signatures” (i.e., the sewn-in pages are coming out), many book search cataloging programs will label these “signed by the author.” They’re not. If the description says “Warmly inscribed ‘To Moby-Dick with best wishes from your fishing buddy, Herman Melville,’” that’s a safe bet – apart from the fact that Melville would have referred to himself as “your homeboy.”
7. Check the dealer’s Web site too. Dealers often price the exact same book differently on three different book search sites – with all three showing up on Bookfinder.com. Since book search sites always tell you the dealer’s name and often the location, Google it and see he has a Web site of his own: He may have the book even cheaper on his OWN site, not to mention photos of the book. I just found a book I wanted for $340 on Bookfinder.com – then found it listed on the dealer’s own site for $295.
8. If you ask for a price reduction, be reasonable. To me, buying books is
“the start of a beautiful friendship,” to quote Bogie in “Casablanca.” I like to purchase from people I like, and I hope my purchase will result in some goodwill – and future purchases. However, business is business, and politely asking for a discount with good reason (the operative term) is not out of line. For example, if a book has condition issues or is clearly overpriced because you know the market, those are legitimate reasons to ask for a price cut.
That said, here are David Chesanow’s rules of asking for a discount: (a) Explain why, and don’t BS. Point out the book’s good points – i.e., your reason for wanting it – but explain why you feel the price might be lowered: Many dealers will respect that. Don’t ask for a discount if the book is already very reasonably priced, as your credibility will go right out the window. (b) Be nice about it. Ask if the seller will “consider” (the word I use) selling at a lower price. If not, don’t get huffy: Even if the dealer hasn’t a clue to how overpriced he is – or, worse, routinely overprices in order to profit from walk-ins at his shop – ultimately, it’s his right to price the book as he pleases. You’d do much better to say, “Well, thank you anyway. Please keep me in mind if you ever reconsider and decide to come down a little.” You may be pleasantly surprised a year later. (c) Don’t low-ball it. If you decide to throw out a specific price you’d like to pay for the book, be realistic: Again, it’s a credibility issue, and a crazy low price is just not credible. Personally, I wouldn’t go lower than 25 percent off – and even then, I hope and expect to meet in the middle somewhere.
9. If you do get a discount, express your sincere gratitude afterward. Again, I tend to be flip (some say obnoxious) when I write these posts, but THERE ARE IN FACT A LOT OF REALLY NICE PEOPLE WHO HAPPEN TO BE SELLING COLLECTIBLES. When someone cuts you a break, return the goodwill by saying thank you and expressing the hope that you’ll do business again soon. Dealers are people, too, and they want to feel good about selling something – ESPECIALLY at a discount. After you make a purchase, get in the habit of sending the dealer a want list, asking that he keep you in mind if and when another item in your collecting area comes up. Again, you’d be surprised how responsive people can be.
We’re always looking for feedback here at AmeriCollector.com. Let us know what you think!
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If you decide to throw out a specific price you’d like to pay for the book, be realistic: Again, it’s a credibility issue, and a crazy low price is just not credible. Personally, I wouldn’t go lower than 25 percent off – and even then, I hope and expect to meet in the middle somewhere.