posted on September 1, 2000 03:37:45 PM
I decided to try posting some books on half.com and found less than 1 in 4 of the ISBNs defined in their database. I've seen other comments here on their incompleteness and inaccuracy (and lack of undates) but are such sparse results common or not?
posted on September 1, 2000 04:16:07 PM
I only use the ISBN Search as a last resort.
First off, I do not merely wanna list a title -- I want to see firsthand how many copies are listed and what their conditions are, and check out the prices, myself.
When I first started at Half, I tried the ISBN Search, and only little was retrieved, and since I KNEW that a number of my titles HAD to be listed there, I now only use the ISBN Search if the TITLE and AUTHOR searches do not retrieve the precise item I have on hand to list.
There also have been some posts here, the past few weeks where there was some disgust that some books are being listed for, oH say, maybe 14-cents.
I have finally come across a number of such listings -- and the reason I finally found them is that I took several bags of books I was gonna donate to a charity, as I did not see any re-sale value in them.
Ya know, there are LOTS of books available out there in secondary markets SIMPLY because none of the used book dealers want them -- they already know from decades of experience that there is NO market for such titles.
I actually did end up listing about half a dozen titles -- and at VERY tiny prices; however, NOT so tiny that I LOSE money.
I did this when the ISBN was entered for the exact edition that I had, and there were either NO copies, or perhaps, in my view - OVERPRICED copies.
Anyway, do NOT rely on the ISBN Search to find the actual item.
posted on September 1, 2000 05:08:01 PMfigmente ~ Those results are not common. I think 75% is way too high. I would need to know more about what kind of books you were listing to give you a good answer.
posted on September 1, 2000 06:56:04 PM
Went on to a box of modern mass market paperbacks and the portion where isbns matched were much better (but an awful lot of them probably should go in the waste bin as they had offerings in the pennies). It's not surprising when a UK or obscure press edition doesn't show, but some some of the failures are inexplicable.
Re. accuracy - Noticed one matchup showed a publication date of January 2005! Must have a prerelease.
posted on September 2, 2000 03:28:13 PM
I haven't had a lot of problems with the ISBN - mostly they don't show on the out of print books that I have - but the reprints of the books do show up and I usually list there - with the publish date of the book that I'm listing put in my comment area. I have sold a lot of books where there are some listed at .14 or .20 and I list over a $1. I think most people are scared off by the low low price - I have found that this is a great outlet for books that won't do well at auction.
posted on September 2, 2000 03:53:20 PM
Jane: I agree with you about alla them books listed at under a buck -- I think potential customers are repelled and/or suspicious.
I do NOT mind gettin' a good deal online; but that does NOT mean that I'm gonna support sweatshop-reminescent prices, nowadays as we sit on the eve of the 21st Century, nor anytime in the future.
There's a WHOLE buncha popular press books that simply do not have RE-sale value; however, if I happen to have a copy AND there are not, say three dozen, already listed, lol, then I will list it at Half.
