While stumbling 'round the Internets last night I came across this page on how to buy inventory from a used book store. I thought the 5-S strategy was very interesting and would serve those of us who buy things to resell.
http://www.bookthink.com/0008/08inv.htmFirst and foremost, start with reasonable expectations. Unless you've stepped into a very unusual place, it's highly unlikely you'll go home with more books than you can carry under one arm. In a store containing 20,000 to 30,000 books, for example, there may be only 5 or 6 good candidates (or, at times, there may be none). However, if it only takes you an hour or two to find them and you ultimately resell them for $100 or $200 profit, you're still doing fine.
When we first wrote about this topic, we suggested concentrating on non-fiction and applying what we called "the Five S's" - scarce, specific, strange, scenic and slender. Let's review these briefly.
Scarce books are those which are in short supply but do not ordinarily rise to the level of being collectible - as distinguished from rare books, which are both scarce and collectible (and priced accordingly in most bookstores). Scarce books, primarily because the topics are either obscure or narrowly defined, don't often sell briskly in an open shop but frequently do well in a global venue such as eBay.
Since we'll be away from our computers, this begs the question, how do we determine if a book is scarce? Look at publication data. Books that are privately printed by an individual or organization are likely to have been produced in small numbers. Books published by major publishers are likely to be numerous, and if some indication of a later printing or edition is evident, this suggests larger numbers yet - and a high unlikelihood of scarcity.
A plain appearance may be another clue, especially if the book or booklet is something that could have been accomplished by any printing method, even photocopying, and bound, say, with a stiff paper cover and staples. Age may help here as well, and if it's a book that wouldn't ordinarily be something a typical reader would hold onto, many copies may have been discarded over the years. Finally, ephemera - booklets, brochures, pamphlets, etc. - are less likely to be priced high in an open shop, more likely to be scarce, and best of all have a good track record on eBay.
Specific books, those which focus exclusively on very narrow or obscure topics, may have little or no interest to most of us, but again, in a global venue, may attract intense interest in a small group of buyers. Local histories are an obvious example (though many open shops now price these higher) as are vintage catalogs, instruction manuals, forgotten arts & crafts how-to's, government-produced monographs, fraternity and sorority publications, and so on. Instincts play a large role in identifying specificity. Use them.
In the sense that they appeal to small audiences, strange books overlap with specific books (and scarce books) but differ in the sense that they're, well, odd. A book devoted exclusively to the dissection of the Ophidian snake is not only specific but strange as well.
Scenic books, those which have photographs and/or illustrations, may also be good candidates for purchase because they have so much potential to evoke emotional responses from potential buyers. The fact that these illustrations are also effectively "invisible" either on a shelf in a shop or in a fixed-price listing online enhances their salability in a venue in which illustrations can be displayed - once again, eBay. Density of illustration is an important factor - the more the better - and specificity also enhances value. One greatly prefers a photograph, for example, of a specific farmer in a specific bean field in a specific county in Illinois, all annotated in a caption, than an un-annotated photograph of Everyfarmer in Everyfield.
Looking for slender books may not produce a high percentage of winners, but this is another factor worth considering because so often scarce, specific, strange and scenic books are also brief, and if you're looking at shelves and shelves of books quickly, it's easy to spot the thin ones. Look for both slender hardcover and softcover books. Also, when looking at an entire shelf of paperbacks, make a point of looking at oversized copies, those which extend above the level of the common trade paperback. These will more likely fall under one of the Five S's.
Important note: if you're knowledgeable in the area of Modern First Editions - that is, if you have a reasonable command of collectible authors - it might be worth your trouble to look through some fiction because many used bookstores have extensive collections, due largely to the fact that recent fiction is so frequently brought in for store credit. Prices for first editions of collectible authors published in the latter part of the 20th century can sometimes command obscene prices. Finding one on the shelf of a used bookstore could make your entire month.
A final note: there are areas in most used bookstores that will be more productive than others. History (especially local history), military, nature and pets, some (definitely not all) sports, music, fishing and hunting, fine art, crafts, etc., will more likely produce results than cooking, psychology or romance. Experience will help you to confine your searches to the best areas.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
