Here’s A Really Long Look at the book sale in Cherry Hill, NJ. “I don’t read ’em. I’m just here for the money,” said Nathan Ellis of Little Egg Harbor Township, who attends more than 100 sales a year.
Some trade in volumes so they’re willing to make change or a buck on a single book. Others require substantially higher margins.
Serious book sellers these days pack their PDAs with a database subscription service that allows them to scan the UPC or ISBN (international standard book number) that generally appears on a book’s back cover. Instantly, the number reveals how much a book is worth on the used market.
FOLs need to beef up their knowledge of book value
According to this article, the Friends president said the dealers are welcome as dues-paying members of the organization. But the playing field is so uneven these days; the Friends are amateurs–lovers of books, and the dealers are pros–lovers of profit. Friends have to stop selling books for a dollar or two and find out what the pros know.
Re:FOLs need to beef up their knowledge of book va
I see this happen at our own library. We have a book sale twice a year and the booksellers show up the day before the sale when we are setting up to try and purchase books before everyone else. Usually doesn’t work so they are there first thing the next day.
The problem is finding people with the time to go through hundreds of books to find its value before putting them out for the book sale. We get thousands of donations plus what we delete from the collection, that alone could be a full-time job for someone.