posted on February 17, 2001 05:27:29 AM
I sell few books, but when I do, I would like to give a more standard description of what the book's defects/good points are. Can anyone point me to a website that tells what the standard nomenclature for describing books and their condition?
I AM familiar with the simple ratings on half.com. I'm looking for a primer on what the pro's use.
posted on February 17, 2001 06:03:26 AM
The ratings the "pros" use are cryptic and misleading, and you should not expect the normal eBay book buyer to understand them.
Just show the book, and list all damage to dustjacket, cover, and pages. Show closeups of the damaged portions if you have to.
posted on February 17, 2001 06:23:20 AM
There have been industry standards for describing a book's condition in place for 100's of years. They are far from cryptic and misleading. The "pros" have been using them with success for a great deal longer than online auctions have been around, and one of the problems with booksellers on online auctions is that they typically don't follow those standards. The current universally-accepted standards are below.
posted on February 17, 2001 06:28:34 AM
Simply look at the book and describe it as if you were talking to someone on the phone who knew nothing about books.
You need to be talking the same language as your prospective buyer(s).
You should give the Title, Author, type of book (hardback, paperback, softbound, and if there is dustjacket), Illustrator (if any), date, Edition (if available), size of book (measure it), # of pages, and Publisher.
Also state if there are an illustrations or photos and if they are in color or B & W. Most want to know if there is an index, glossary, or appendix.
Then simply describe all defects-tears, staining, library markings (if it is an ex-library, state that), underlining, writing in book, dog-eared pages. If the corners are bumped or worn, if it is loose from spine, or has cocked spine, etc.
One of the best ways to learn is browse the book section, find someone with high feedback, check all their auctions to see if they usually sell books and read their descriptions. Check out a lot of them as each has their own way of doing things, but you will get a general idea.
Above all, be very honest and be willing to admit a mistake and make it right.
posted on February 17, 2001 06:41:06 AM
Meadowlark,
I may have mistakenly made the assumption that you were selling general books and took it from there.
If you are selling highly collectible books and selling to pros, then by all means, use the language of the pros. But if you are going to sell general books to the general public, you will save yourself a lot of headache by describing it so anyone can understand what you are saying. The pros can understand a thorough description, but not all book buyers know the pros language.
Also, the Book Board on Ebay is a great place to get info and also check out the selling practices of those folks.There are some very good resources listed there on the 'colored posts'. Check it out!!!!!!!
posted on February 17, 2001 06:58:18 AM
Meadowlark-
The point the previous poster made about making your descriptions comprehensible is valid. The standards are very comprehensible, as comprehensible as anything an individual seller could create, and more importantly, if you should put a link in your descriptions to those standards for anyone who has questions about them, your bidders will in all likelihood have greater confidence in what they are buying.
I am a "pro." The biggest problem with people who sell used books on Online Auctions is the fact that their subjective standards differ so widely that a bidder often has no clue what they're getting, and is just as often unpleasantly surprised.
I would suggest that you check my feedback to see what happens when proper, standard descriptive terminology is used accurately. I use it with every book I list.
posted on February 17, 2001 07:21:54 AM
I don't consider myself a bookseller, certainly not a pro, so I would never argue with a professional.
This is a discussion that happens ever so often on the Book Board. I had only just discovered Ebay and wanted to sell books when such a discussion happened on Ebay and I thought that I should not even try as I was not a professional--but there is room for both if you are honest and honorable.
There are sellers who do quite well with the booksellers standards, and some who describe ad nauseam (me), and I know one who does wonders with just one or two sentence descriptions. Bottom line, check out both ways and use what works for you.
Thanks... The only reason I really think it's vital to use an accepted, objective standard of condition is because there are not enough conscientious people like you (and Meadowlark, since he/she's obviously concerned with the issue) around selling books- You don't have to be a "pro" to realize what you obviously realize, that the best and most honest way to sell anything is to post a complete and accurate description... It's the people (who unforutnately may be in the bookselling majority on Online Auctions) whose descriptions are as follows-
In good condition...
that do everyone a disservice. It's impossible to have a clue what they mean about good, you don't know whether a book is hardcover or paper, you can't tell whether the book has a jacket if it is hardcover, etc.
posted on February 17, 2001 09:50:40 AM
TENTWENTYTWO AND NNT:
Thank you both for your enlightening posts. I did want to call things by their correct name at least (dustcover vs jacket, difference between spine & binding, bumped or bent corners, describing tears, etc.)
I WAS somewhat intimidated in the past by reading descriptions listed by pros that I couldn't undertsand at all because they were cryptic. I didn't intended to go that far. I do sell books for reading, and recently ran across what looked like (though I am inexperienced in the area) a few collectible music books at an estate sale. Nothing of extremely high value, most likely, but some over 90 years old and in better condition than I would have expected for their age. I picked only the ones I'd was pretty sure I could sell and got them for little more than a song (tee hee).
I just want to make sure that I do accurately describe the books, and if I do use a particular term, not to misuse it and unintentionally lead a more savvy collector to believe they are getting something they aren't.
I highly value both of your opinions. It was more help than you may think! I plan to take a "middle of the road" approach (between the technical jargon of collectors vs. made up names for parts of the book I don't know what to call!), with as accurate a description as I can.
