Simply..books, books, books,

29/11/2015

..by the million from one penny.

Two very different takes on the business of selling books (both of which I have used and appreciated).

I have bought quite a number of books for one penny (plus £2.95 p&p) in good or very good condition and have often wondered how anyone makes any profit from them. Read the full story here in the New York Times magazine. It doesn't explain though the anomalies of new copies often being cheaper than used copies. Why would anyone buy Norman Ackroyd's lovely Shetland Sketchbook for £90.19 used, when you could buy a new copy for £16.95? (Not signed or 'collectible'.)

Any ideas?

Another efficiently run operation is Barter Books in Alnwick in the north of England. but they do it with tea and cakes and a certain amount of whimsy!. Be charmed by their lovely video here. Must plan another visit....

I have linked to this before but you may like to see again the video of the Keep Calm and Carry On poster, which I have to admit, brings a lump to my throat.

I think the book business is still pretty much alive.

But different.

17 Comments

ChompyChipmunk

29/11/2015 04:32:08 pm

Thanks for the link to the article about books in The NY Times Magazine. I general prefer to read books for leisure in physical form, particularly if the paper used is good and the font is comfortable to read. For some reason, I find it hard to engage with a novel when I read it on Kindle, although I read lots of material on-line.

I'm glad to see the business of books is surviving, tho' there have been a lot of casualties. I used to live on a street in a student-y area where there must have been about 20 independent booksellers -- both very specialized bookstores and good generalists. I think there are about three or four left on that street. Utter carnage. It's sad. I knew some of the owners and they loved what they did. Some moved on-line, but most closed completely because they found the changes in the book market too daunting.

As a result, I have a love/hate relationship with Amazon. I appreciate the ease of exchanging goods that Amazon creates, and, boy, are they ever efficient! I've been astounded at how reliable they can be when it comes to deliveries. At the same time, some of the character of the book industry has been lost (not to mention the controversies around Amazon's labour practises). Books have become commoditized -- even books printed in Paris during the French Revolution are now, essentially, commodities.

As for why books fetch a higher price in the used state? Well, my guess would be that one potential factor is there may be a "lottery" effect happening. Used books are more likely to have been signed, annotated and to have personal messages that are significant -- perhaps even by people who are famous. I'm no expert, but I guess that certain types of books are more likely to have been given as gifts to, say, a politician or someone famous. My guess is that Amazon doesn't screen extensively for this and so there could be a very specialized niche market among book "speculators" who know what to look for and so are willing to pay a premium for the possibility of landing a book that is being sold for far less than its true market value because someone significant or famous has written in it (or received a message in it). Another possible effect I can think of is the "First Edition" collector market. It's crazy what some first editions sell for as a premium over following editions -- even relatively soon after being published.

Freda

30/11/2015 06:00:39 am

I am very interested in your 'lottery' theory. That Amazon don't screen extensively would make this a distinct possibility - that kind of screening would demand humans! Thank you - this is the only answer I have had to this question that has been puzzling and annoying me for so long!!

ChompyChipmunk

30/11/2015 09:55:50 am

Yes - I think it's possible this is a factor. The College I attended at university has a well known annual book sale through its own "Friends" association. They take donations from alumni and the public for much of the year and then have a made frenzy of a bookselling long weekend in October.

As you can imagine, there are thousands and thousands of boxes of books to go through. Among all the dime-a-dozen paperbacks, it's astounding what people donate - rare books, signed books, annotated by famous people (such as former Prime Ministers) books. I had several teaching assistants at University who volunteered for the sale because they wanted to have a chance to browse the books before they went on sale. In a sense, they invested their time to have a chance at the "lottery". One of them once found a book they were able to re-sell for a huge profit (thousands of dollars over 20 years ago), which they split with the Friends association. They won and the College won. The book sale is still going strong 'til this day.

Swissrosee link

29/11/2015 11:49:00 pm

Personally, I'm very grateful to any company who will ship books to Switzerland for a reasonable price, even Amazon...before online shopping, I felt as if I lived in Book Desert.
However, I do look for a used, cheap copy if possible, and quite often, am looking for an older publication anyway. Abebook is my go-to (I think affiliated to Amazon?) before I try Amazon. I also use my local "Brockenhaus", a sort of brocante, though that is a lottery with books barely organised but some good finds. I can't explain why secondhand would be dearer unless a book was rare?
Interested to see you list Barter Books - my friend www.yarnsmithery.com went there recently and enthused about it, she knew I would love it! I did get a teatowel from her as inspiration :) Must go one day, it's well over 30 years since I went to Alnwick!

Freda

30/11/2015 06:04:38 am

It was your friend's post that reminded me of their existence - that's how it all works isn't it! I know that some of the books at high prices are not rare, so I was all the more intrigued by CC's theory above. The Special Books section on Barter Books website is fascinating too. Books - don't we love them! (I shall give Donna Leon another try - thank you!)

elaine link

30/11/2015 12:04:34 am

I have heard of this place but didn't realise it was so vast - you could lose yourself in there and never be found again. I enjoyed the little video and didn't realise the significance of the poster. Hopefully books will never go out of fashion.

Freda

30/11/2015 06:05:38 am

My husband would like to live in there!

julia

30/11/2015 04:30:25 am

freda, i loved the article and videos....loved them!..warning! rambling thoughts follow.....i have haunted second-hand book shops my whole life...for me, it is the thrill of finding something i didnt know existed, but also the bargain hunting...i used to buy bags of old books for my summer (and winter) reading.. what a thrill to buy a whole bag for the price of 2 new books. BUT..i must check with a few friends who are authors...i don't think they get any royalties from second sale...and as i get older, i do worry more about the authors economic survival too!..not just mine...:-) sometimes i have bought a wonderful, new condition book, on amazon marketplace for $5, when i have seen the same book, new for $55!...then i feel guilty about that independent bookseller...and the author...they need to stay alive too...there is no question that the internet has changed the rules of the game for everyone, and only the fittest will survive...but i am gald these online "penny book" selllers keep so many good book out of landfills....wouldn't it be nice if the excess were given away, though? at least they are recycled! cathy has mentioned here, in the past: betterworldbooks...they are excellent also. twice, in my life, i have gone into a ued book store with a specific but very hard to find book in mind, and have had the feeling...it is going to be here...and it was! what a thrill..:-)...that doesn't happen with internet shoppinng...

Freda

30/11/2015 06:09:50 am

You would just love a visit to Barter Books Julia! I like to think I can walk the fine line between being mindful (good) and feeling guilty (not good) but we are tested at every turn are we not? Love your rambling thoughts on your lifetime passion for books!

cath

30/11/2015 07:49:28 am

Books. What a nice topic on this grey, windy and rainy day. And a video about a bookshop I'd love to have nextdoor.

Our books these days, when in English, mostly come from The Book Depository, as they don't add shipping costs, which I think is a wonderful service.
Amazon has one also though which I appreciate very much: one can look inside a book.

Our best bookshop was independant, became part of a chain and then the chain broke, now with crowdfunding it is the best bookshop in town again, with a good poetry section. And that's high praise coming from an avid poetry reader like me.

ChompyChipmunk

30/11/2015 08:20:44 am

Crowdfunding is one of the best things to come out of the past decade. It's one of the best "tools" out there for helping to preserve what makes communities unique,....like the bookshop in your town.

Freda

30/11/2015 02:16:01 pm

We have a successful independent bookshop in our wee town here too. Crowdfunding is a fascinating concept.

Lotta

30/11/2015 10:25:18 am

I have a friend who sells books on Amazon - I'll try to remember to ask him if he knows what goes on with the pricing! I do love real books, reading them on a screen doesn't feel the same, they lose their soul somehow. I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I really struggle with the smell of used books... does this bother anyone else?

Freda

30/11/2015 02:17:54 pm

Now I do not like the smell of old fusty books, or damp books - it puts me off places that sell them. I have been known to walk out for fresh air!

Freda

30/11/2015 03:08:55 pm

Lotta I'd love to know what your friend thinks about the pricing..

Sarah link

30/11/2015 11:53:34 am

I always love watching that video! There must been many second hand bookshops who can now sell the books to a larger audience through Amazon. I know when I have bought used books from Amazon that many have come from second hand shops all around the country. Sarah x

Freda

30/11/2015 02:19:07 pm

It is interesting how although changed, there still seems to be a healthy market for 'real' books.

Simply..books, books, books,

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