The BookThinker Newsletter ISSN 1547-9501 #115, 25 February 2008

BookThink Update
3 March 2008>>>

Update Announcements

Buying and Selling Civil War Ephemera Part I Photographic Images Michele Behan writes about ephemera, but, if you don't buy and sell letters, photographs, brochures, postcards - or any of the innumerable items that comprise this market sector - this doesn't mean you should give her articles a pass. The thing is, if you're good at selling books, you'll almost certainly be good at selling ephemera - and vice-versa - and gaining knowledge in one will be essentially equivalent to gaining knowledge in the other. What makes the study of ephemera especially productive is that it almost always leads you to what is collectible and why. See how this plays out with Civil War ephemera in today's article.

Becoming an Antiquarian Bookseller Part II: Scouting and Finding Saleable Books Chris Lowenstein, our Accidental Antiquarian is back today as well. Those of you who are looking to establish a career in bookselling would do well to follow her series closely. Though somewhat new to bookselling, Chris isn't taking a conventional approach - she's not spending most of her days pointing laser beams at bar codes, etc. Instead, she's deliberately seeking knowledge about books and how they can most effectively be bought and sold. Today's article focuses on acquiring inventory - and there's not a word about scanners.

Gold Edition #47 How To Establish a Trusted Internet Bookselling Presence Part II: Pricing What role does pricing have to do with trust? More than you might think. Purchase now.

From the Editor Important announcements for BookThinker readers.

Shipping Suggestions for Booksellers A Fast, Cheap and Secure Method for Labeling Your Packages It's time for another action-packed article on packaging. If you've been spending too much time labeling your packages and/or too much money on supplies (labels, tape, etc.) I propose a solution today that you might not have considered before. It's fast, cheap and, most importantly, secure.

Why Not Print It Instead of Filling It Out By Hand? Next, are you tired of filling out those stupid international customs forms by hand? Well, why not print them instead? As long as you're using PS Form 2976 - the small green one for packages under 4 lbs. - and have Microsoft Word, you can use the template I made for it. More details in today's newsletter.

How to Start a Clicks-and-Bricks Used Bookstore Store Locating and Lease Negotiation Part 2: Lease Negotiation Finally today, Jill Hendrix continues her superb series on how to start a clicks-and-bricks used bookstore. Look for some detailed, sage advice on negotiating a lease.

BookThink's Quarterly Market Report of Common, Profitable Books Issue #3 Issue #3 of BookThink's Quarterly Market Report of Common, Profitable Books is now available for purchase. Purchase or subscribe now.

Previous BookThinker update-

BookThink Update
18 February 2008>>>

Update Announcements

Collecting Science Fiction Exceptions to the Rule The Science Fiction Book Club Part I Science Fiction Editor Timothy Doyle discusses an important concept today - exceptions to the rule. There are few rules in bookselling that don't have exceptions, and yes, there are even exceptions to the rule that Reader's Digest Condensed Books are worthless. In Part I of a 3-part series, Tim investigates the Science Fiction Book Club, offers a search methodology for identifying more valuable SFBC titles, and lists specific SFBC omnibus editions that are worth grabbing.

Selling on Amazon Amazon's Catalog Cleanup Has Created a Mess Steve Weber's topic is, shall we say, less cheerful - the Amazon catalog. If you're an Amazon Marketplace seller, you're doubtless aware of the horrific cataloguing issues plaguing this venue. Recently, Amazon has made attempts at cleaning things up, but not unexpectedly, it hasn't been smooth sailing. Steve explains why and what you can do about it.

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On What Planet Is The Alibris Warehouse? Out of This World Regulations for MRS (Merchandise Return Service Labels) If you haven't seen Alibris' February newsletter yet, it seems they've taken a stance on books shipped to their warehouse that could only be sustained on ... Mars? MRS (Merchandise Return Service) labels may not, they assert, be accompanied by anything else, which in effect prevents you from purchasing Delivery Confirmation or Insurance. News Editor Karin Bergsagel elaborates.