The BookThinker Newsletter ISSN 1547-9501 127, 25 August 2008

BookThink Update
14 September 2008>>>

Update Announcements

BookThink's Top 10 on eBay July 2008 July's Top 10 on eBay is here today, and Pamela Palmer notes: "Alcoholics Anonymous monopolized the non-fiction top 10 list in July, filling 8 of the 10 positions. Selling prices ranged from a high of $12,100 to $2,010. One US seller had a winning month on eBay, selling 3 of the copies. In case you wonder, #11 for the month was yet another copy of Alcoholics Anonymous. In addition, it showed up as #5 (tie) on the Antiquarian & Collectible list. The fiction list counted its repeat winners as well. Ian Fleming's James Bond titles came in at #1, #2 and #3. In an unusual twist, the Antiquarian and Collectible category included 4 buy-it-now (BIN) purchases among the 6 listed (tie for #5).

QMR Book of the Week French Style How to Think, Shop, and Dress Like a French Woman If you want to be as fashionable as a French woman, certainly you'll need to dress like a French woman, but the makeover absolutely will not work unless a similar change happens within to support the outer presentation: You have to start thinking like a French woman. Unlike many fashion how-tos, French Style: How to Think, Shop, and Dress Like a French Woman doesn't stop with mere fashion advice but goes deeper, examining the mystery of why fashion does or doesn't work. Read more about this QMR Book of the Month here.

Gold Edition Quotation of the Week 133 Book Club Editions That Are Actually Worth Something! Issue #53 Among the myths circulated among booksellers, experienced and inexperienced alike, is that book club editions aren't worth bothering with (by "worth something" I mean $20, $30 or more, sometimes $50, $100 or more). And, like many other myths about bookselling, there are exceptions. What may come as a surprise to some of you, however, is that exceptions to this particular myth are so numerous that it becomes near foolish to reject book club editions out of hand when scouting. How numerous? There are fully 133 titles in the August Gold Edition. Read more here.

Gold Edition #53 133 Book Club Editions That Are Actually Worth Something! Issue #53 Part I: List Among the myths circulated among booksellers, experienced and inexperienced alike, is that book club editions aren't worth bothering with (by "worth something" I mean $20, $30 or more, sometimes $50, $100 or more). And, like many other myths about bookselling, there are exceptions. Purchase now.

From the Editor

Professor Booknoodle's Scrapbook The Grab and the Gloat Giving Purpose to One's Gloat John survives a hectic book sale, returns home with his finds, and shows us a thing or two about cleaning books.

Buying and Selling Ephemera Buying and Selling Vintage (and Not So Vintage) Magazines Part I: Collectible Covers Michele begins a new series today on buying and selling magazines. Today's article focuses on collectible covers.

Selling on eBay The Impact of Buy.com on eBay Bookselling Craig takes a hard look at the impact of Buy.com's newly hatched mega-presence on eBay and offers his opinion on the future of eBay bookselling.

A Bookseller's Guide to Textbooks Part I: Edition, Condition, Grading, Listing and Pricing Michael returns after a long absence with Part I of a primer on selling textbooks. Today's article addresses edition, condition, grading, listing and pricing.

The Accidental Antiquarian Bookseller Catalogues: Part II In Part II of her series on preparing her first print catalogue, Chris invites you along as she locates the 50th and final book for it and plots her next move.

Selling on Alternate Venues Selling on eCrater Part II Reesa hits a roadblock with her bulk upload to eCrater but discovers some interesting resources along the way.

Selling on Amazon The Price is Right earthmom discusses the art of pricing books on Amazon.

BookThink's Quarterly Market Report of Common, Profitable Books Issue #5 Issue #5 of BookThink's Quarterly Market Report of Common, Profitable Books is now available for purchase. Purchase or subscribe now.

Previous BookThink Update >>>>>>>

BookThink Update
11 August 2008>>>

Update Announcements

BookThink's Top 10 on eBay June 2008 Fortune favored the UK and France in June. Sellers from the two countries made a strong showing, garnering 4 spots in the fiction top 10 and 5 in the non-fiction group. One UK seller did especially well, selling 2 James Bond novels. It was a good month for books published during or after 1950. In fact, the #1 fiction work dated from 2008. The book Devil May Care, in the Penguin Bentley Bond series, gave the sleuth 3 appearances on the list. Will July bring more European Union countries to the top 10?

QMR Book of the Week Five Simple Steps to Perfect Golf If you're a golfer (or know one), you doubtless understand that golfers are forever looking for "the secret" - some technique or other that will, once and for all, cure what's amiss with their games. Present them with a "forgotten" - rather, "suppressed" method that legend maintains was astonishingly successful back in the day, and intrigue begins. Count Yogi promised this and more, but apparently the road to acceptance among his peers was paved with discrimination.

Gold Edition Quotation of the Week How to Become a Full-Time Bookseller Issue #23 How many full-time booksellers do you know? I don't know many, and I know a lot of booksellers. However, I know a lot of part-time booksellers who talk and talk about doing it full-time. Someday. For some reason not many of them ever make the transition.