posted on February 9, 2002 03:19:19 PM
I went to a library book sale today, and was really disgusted by the book dealers who were there and acted liked a pack of wolves over all the books.
As soon as I walked in, one woman was scooping and grabbing books off of the tables - even while people were looking them over! I even said something to her, "Geez, calm down - show some consideration!" But all she did was sneer and mock me in return.
The other dealers were pretty considerate - altho alot of them were grabbing books and setting them aside in boxes - without really looking at them. They were going to loook them over only when it was time to pay for them, apparently.
This was a neighborhood type of book sale - mostly geared towards families and people looking for good prices on books, and I was pretty annoyed at how these people acted.
One of the volunteers at the library sale was receiving complaints by some of the patrons about the book dealers putting books aside and suggested (over the intercom) that they put the books back NOW they were not going to buy for those who were interested. None of them did, and I even over heard some of them mock the announcement, laugh and keep on doing what they were doing.
On my way out the door, I made sure to voice my complaints to the people running the sale and they weren't too happy to hear what I and a few other had to say about it - especially a woman with a young child who had had her CHILDREN'S book snatched out of her hand by a dealer - who apparently needed it more than the kid did! Pretty sad and pathetic - if you ask me.
I'm no serious book dealer, but I do attend these book sales to find things for me and also books to sell on eBay, but I've always been considerate of everyone else - it's just a shame that a few idiot book dealers like the ones I encountered today MAY have their priviledges revoked of attending these book sales due to their rude, greedy actions.
posted on February 9, 2002 04:08:28 PM
My wife and I attend auctions mainly to get books, videos, etc. We have had dealers STEAL items that we bought. One of them took a very expensive book (the one we wanted out of the entire box!) and managed to get away with it. I'm afraid you had it right - greed.
We are much more careful now about watching what is going on. Learned the hard way.
posted on February 9, 2002 04:17:41 PM
My Husband and I go to thrift stores each week and a few weeks ago a fellow thrifter had his car window smashed in a thrift store parking lot...The item he bought in the last thrift shop was the only thing missing...scarry
posted on February 9, 2002 04:35:30 PM
At least you STILL have book sales. I think the rude dealers was just ONE of the reasons they quit having them in my area.
I admit that I'd go to look for eBay books but mostly I'd go to look for myself and my daughter. I really miss them.
I work at a thrift store and if you are able to find something decent, you are lucky. I can tell you from working there that they are few and far between. We get three types of books in HUGE amounts:
1) Religious books --nothing interesting.
2) Self-help books --we have tons of people who feel they need some guidance I suppose
3) Romance books --I am talking about books by unknown romance writers in stacks. Rarely any from "well known" romance writers like Karen Robards, Heather Graham, Nora Roberts etc..
Even the children's books have leveled off to those thick toddler books and Babysitter Club series.
posted on February 9, 2002 04:55:15 PM
Unfortunately book sales have been like this since when I started going to them back in the 1980s. If you get there at the opening, it's always been more of a rugby match than a book sale. A typical tactic is that people would grab stacks of books and pile them up onto their own heap so nobody else could claim them, then later they'd sort through their pile and toss back the rejects.
ThriftStoreQueen, you're right about the variety of books at thrift stores today. At this time of year, thrift stores are about the only venue that I buy from, and they are always crawling with sellers. The two Goodwill stores in my area have sorters who pull out most marketable books and set them on a special rack for a few bucks each. They have the same system for the records. I can still manage to find some decent resale items among the regular-priced books and records - but gone are the days to find real bargains, like the Arkham Press first edition I once picked up at a Goodwill for fifty-five cents.
posted on February 9, 2002 06:55:39 PM
That sounds horrible. You may have noticed I have a temper when faced with certain things and I doubt I would've been able to restrain my mouth in such a show.
I went to my first "estate sale" a few weeks ago. I hang back and am very discreet. (I guess the sellers noticed because they did give me brand new Mikasa crystal clock, which was nice. ) Anyway, thre was one guy who was gathering up lots of small items and piling them on the kitchen sink. After a while I didn't notice him. Sho'nuff he just split and didn't bother to put them back. I guess the nice thing was that he didn't just pocket them.
I guess it is the type of crowd. Once I bought a step-van at a USPS auction. I forget the details, but I wound up jumping for it when I saw them driving it back into the lot like 30 seconds prior to auction close. I had been watching it but then it didn't turn-over. I was surrounded by guy-dealers who could have just knocked me over. I still feel they hung back and were being gentleman about it.
posted on February 9, 2002 08:56:16 PM
It would be nice if libraries put books out inside the library for a week or so BEFORE they announce the sale ... that way their true book lovers would get first crack at them.
That is the same reason I quit taking reserves on videos at my store .... vultures wanted everything, leaving my good customers out. The way I did it the customers who came in got the titles. It worked very well for me.
posted on February 9, 2002 09:29:24 PM
I never find anything good at these sales. The good books are marked up high.
The thing that bothers me most is when people reach around me to grab a book. I expect it at a book sale but at at a thrift store there's no reason for it.
The best way to counteract these aggressive people is respond their way and more aggressively. So if they grab a book out of your hand, go grab their entire lot. I find that it usually leaves them speechless and in shock.
If someone gives you a slight budge, give them a hip check. Do it though with a slight grin or even a loud laugh, not out of complete anger. You don't want a war.
posted on February 9, 2002 09:52:33 PM
have you folks ever consider ordering new books from barnes and noble,there is no long line,no waiting and no shouting match.
<br />
the books are all clean and new.
<br />
<br />
[ edited by stopwhining on Feb 9, 2002 09:54 PM ]
posted on February 10, 2002 06:27:27 AM
Without a question, some of these book pickers are the lowest form of picker anywhere! These people have absolutely no appreciation for books, and there are some we seriously wonder about their ability to read!
(Which is a life saver at times, since they pick some very strange pieces, prefering a certain "look" to a good title, or even a good subject!)
The hazing starts long before the sale begins, while you have to wait in line listening to these guys talking on their cell phones, and bragging about their most wonderful finds (and arrogant, too - it's never a pile of Nancy Drew books, but a few select editions of Carolyn Keane's works, oh well -).
They've been trained to hit certain sections, so they do - and never buy anything to read, just hit and run. We've seen them out in the parking lot after the sale selling their grabs out of the back of their car! But I think the very worst story we've heard is one from a friend in Alabama, where the top picker of the area aces the rest of the dealers out of the sale by claiming there is a funeral he must attend on the sale date (you see, he really is a minister!) and the Friends of the Library let him in a day ahead of time!
Auctions are much more fair, otherwise all the books go to the strong and ruthless - but even those aren't foolproof, there is a local book seller who will bid on anything we ever put in a bid on, and he simply goes one bid higher, opening admitting to using us to choose the books, but counting on the fact that we're known for being on the cheap side!
posted on February 10, 2002 09:16:55 AM
We have one notorious dealer that frequents the sales in our area. He's practically the joke of the whole library crowd by his antics. Most of the "dealers" are much better behaved and quite friendly with the other regulars.
My attitude is to be on the offensive, grab the books you want as quickly as possible, don't leave them lying around(if you do,cover them). I am much more of a cherry picker than I used to be, but you have to know what you are doing.
) Anyway, thre was one guy who was gathering up lots of small items and piling them on the kitchen sink. After a while I didn't notice him. Sho'nuff he just split and didn't bother to put them back. I guess the nice thing was that he didn't just pocket them.