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What do you mean it's "out-of-print"?
Ok, you want a book and you discover that it
is out-of-print. That means the publisher no longer has it in stock, either
because it has sold out and they haven't bothered to reprint it, or because
they got sick of their surplus and sold them off as remainders. Even if
it's only a year or two old, that isn't uncommon, and despite the volume
of books that chains and distributors handle, if a book is out-of-print
that means it is not on their computer system, they can't get it, and as
far as they're concerned, it's yesterday's news and doesn't really exist.
What is a Book Search?
A book search is a service in which a bookseller
tries to find a particular title for a particular customer. I have an open
shop, so I always check there first, but I don't have everything. If it
isn't sitting on my shelf, I put it on my wants list which I send to friends,
book scouts, and fellow dealers in the trade to check against their inventory.
I also check sources on the internet and advertise in trade magazines dedicated
to this purpose. Sometimes it takes awhile, but that's the nature of trying
to find something considered unobtainable.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Really. If I find the book, you can pay for the book.
Will the book cost a lot? No, not necessarily. You should count on any
book costing at least $15 though, because that's usually the minimum
cost for searching, finding and obtaining a book (unless it's a common
title already sitting on my shelf). Obviously the condition, edition, scarcity
and desirability of a book will affect its price. If I find your book,
I will send you a quote stating its condition and cost before you decide
whether to order it, and there is no obligation to order it. So
you have nothing to lose.
What is a Quote?
If I find the book, I will send you an e-mail quote with the bibliographic
information of the book, i.e., the author, title, illustrator, publisher,
copyright, edition, condition and price. Here's an example:
How do I Order?
So, here's the book you've been waiting for! Is an early edition in
good shape with dust jacket what you want? Is price reasonable? Then simply
respond to my e-mail promptly and I'll hold the book for you until I receive
pyament and then I'll send you the book. We accept payment via cash,
check, money order, PayPal, Visa or MasterCard. It's really quite
simple.
What if I don't want the book
anymore?
It takes some effort to search for books, so if you find it before
I do or you get it for Christmas, I would appreciate it if you let me know
so I can discontinue my search for it. Likewise, a yea-or-nay reponse to
my quote is very much appreciated. If the price is too high or the condition
too rough, let me know so I can find a more appropriate copy for you. If
I send you a quote and don't hear from you, I will remove your request
from my search list. Consider how long you've been searching for this
obscure memory. Let me try for you.
What if I don't know who wrote
it?
Obviously, the more information you can give me about the book you're
looking for, the better. I don't need ISBN numbers, but a title and author
certainly help. However, some lone titles or authors are clear or crazy
enough to search for quite successfully (like Little Squeegy Bug or
Dawn Powell). Occassionally I can also recognize a book from your description
of a childhood memory, but not always. I've created a page, Stump
the Bookseller, to chronicle some wild requests that I need help
identifying, and Solved Mysteries for
titleless requests I have figured out. Feel free to help me try to
decipher any of these mysteries.
What if I don't like it?
I put a great deal of effort into a book search, so I assume that you
really want the book. I ask that you give me a prompt yea-or-nay reply
to any quote I send about books found for you so I can promptly order them
from my source or let my source sell the books to the next available customer.
Since my search is based on information that you provide, I must assume
that it is accurate, and that you really want Genevieve Foster's George
Washington's World and not Jean Fritz'
George Washington's Mother.
Once ordered, the only acceptable reason for return is if the book is not
as described. There is a basic condition vocabulary
and rating system amongst book dealers for describing books, and it
works pretty well. I tend to overdescribe flaws and undervalue the condition
grade so that the book looks better than you expected it would. But these
are used books, descriptions tend to be subjective, and I am often relying
on someone else's description of the book when I send you a quote. So if
you think the book you receive is not as it was described you may return
it to me for a full refund, minus shipping fees. You must return
the book within ten days, and advance notice of your intent is appreciated.
How do I start?
Tell me everything you know about the book, and I'll search away. You
can use my easy fill-in-the-blanks book search
form, or you can just send me e-mail
describing the book you seek. Easy. I look forward to hearing from you,
and wish us both good luck in the quest.
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