Really Useful Phone List

As always please forward changes or additions or removals.

– 123-pix.com 800-747-2699

– Abebooks.com USA and Canada 800-315-5335 / other 250-475-6013 / 250-475-7575 / UK 44-211-7117069-40 sellertech@abebooks.com

– ABooksearch.com 831-728-4881

– Alibris.com 877-254-2747 / 510-594-4573 / 510-652-2403 / 510-594-4500 / 207-894-8460 / Seller Services 510-594-4509

– Amazon.com Seller Support 1-877-251-0696/US and Canada: (800) 201-7575/206-346-2992 / 206-266-2992 / 206-266-2335 / 206-266-1000 reports@amazon.com / stop-spoofing@amazon.com

– Barnes & Noble Seller Relations 866-897-1763 / sellerrelations@bookquest.com

– Biblio.com 800-813-9432 / 828-350-0744

– Bibliophile Mailing List / Bibliophilegroup.com (MX)(52-664)609-6667

– BidPay.com 800-350-5852

– ChrisLands.com 703-989-1557

– ChooseBooks.com 1-888-896-2087 / 1-607-277-8055 info@choosebooks.com

– eBay.com 408-558-7400 / 408-376-7400 / 800-322-9266 / 888-749-3229 / spam@ebay.com / spoof@ebay.com

– Half.com 800-545-9857 / 888-TRY-HALF ext.1

– PayPal.com 888-221-1161 / 4am-10pm PST -UK 08707307191 spoof@paypal.com 1-402-935-2050

– ProPay, Inc 801-852-4100

– ScoutPal 425-222-0581 support@scoutpal.com

– TomFolio 301-926-2095

– UsedBookCentral.com 800-290-8365 / 541-476-3132

– CAN PS 800-267-1177

– FEDEX 800-GO-FEDEX Ground 877-244-7333

– UPS 1-800-PICK-UPS (742-5877)

– UPS claims department 877-524-4498

– UPS online 800-344-7779

– USPS 800-222-1811 icustomercare@usps.com Shipping Assistant 800-344-7779 / 800-275-8777

– Do Not Call Registry https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

– U.S. Uniform Commercial Code http://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/2/2-509.html

1. AOL US Postmaster(local): 1-703-265-4670

2. AOL France: 0892 02 03 04

3. AOL Germany: 0 1805 313164

4. AOL UK: 0870 320 2020

5. AOL Puerto Rico: +1-888-265-1111

6. AOL en Español (Estadas Unitas soledad): +1-800-771-7084

7. All other countries: +1-703-264-1184 (this is a toll call)

8. General AOL Support: +1-800-827-6364

9. AOL Broadband Support: +1-888-849-3200

10. AOL for Windows Support: +1-800-827-3338

11. AOL for Macintosh Support: +1-888-265-8007

12. AOL Support by TTY: +1-800-759-3323

Joyce can be contacted at http://www.sicpress.com.

Sam Heitman of Naples Books, Inc.

In high school I hated to read and couldn’t have cared less about books. My teachers issued mass market paperback editions of the classics like army supply sergeants. Cover art was most likely a still from the latest film adaptation. No wonder I loathed the experience.

It wasn’t until my first visit to Kafka’s Books in Miami Beach in 1996 that I became intrigued, even obsessed, with books: the musty smell, aisle upon aisle of books I had never seen or even heard of, the interesting dust jackets. The whole experience was like hunting for treasure. It became apparent that spending time in a used book store was something I loved! Within a few weeks I was being paid for the privilege; within a few months I was managing the store. I learned a lot about books and the book business that year. Kafka’s grew quickly and plans to add a cyber café developed. With the prospect of spending more time making coffee and serving pastries and less time handling books, it was time to move on.

In 2000, after a short stint at one of the major chain stores, I found myself in Seattle. I knew I wasn’t cut out for the bureaucracy of corporate life and the appeal of new books wasn’t there for me. Spending time in those mega book stores was claustrophobic and I began to feel the same about the books they carried as I did about the ones in high school. I landed a job at a used book store in Bellevue and was soon scouting the book shops in and around Seattle, selling books on ABE and eBay, and generally enjoying the thrill of the hunt.

With the birth of my children, I had to get a “real job.” In 2002, we moved back to Florida and I got my real estate license. I have done well in real estate, but my heart has never been very far from the used book business. So in July, 2007 I once again embarked on a journey into the online book world by incorporating Naples Books. I am a small, home-based bookseller with a stock of only 200 or so books, but plan on expanding my offerings in 2008. In addition to listing books on www.naples-books.com, my listings can be found on IOBAbooks, ABE, Amazon and will soon be found on Biblio, ChooseBooks and Alibris. I am also beginning to have delusions of opening a bricks and mortar shop some day (God help me!). Naples Books specializes in first editions, travel and adventure, and military history.

Sam Heitman operates Naples Books, Inc. out of Lehigh Acres, FL and can be contacted at http://www.naples-books.com.

Mark Sugen of Sugen & Co. Film & TV Tie-Ins

I began, as many dealers have, as a collector. Basically I collected (and read of course!) SF/fantasy and horror paperbacks. From Asimov to Tolkien via Lovecraft and Verne and all points in between. Obviously I was/am into the visual side of all this as well—the movies and TV series of this genre. I noticed early on that there was an interesting cross-over…that is, a book that “ties-in” to the film or TV show. I then came across a seller (long retired) who actually dealt inter alia in these type of books. I became his best customer! When he moved on to pastures new I bought all his stock up and cherry picked the ones I wanted for my own collection. I had no interest in the leftovers, but I began to think that others might.

I then collated a simple typed list and put an advert in book and film magazines inviting any interested parties to send a stamped address envelope for said list. The response was encouraging and eventually this progressed to a proper regular printed catalogue. Sourcing stock was done through the normal channels of B&M stores (many about in those days), charity shops (not so many!), car boots, etc. Things took off quite nicely. Although these types of books were stocked by general paperback dealers they would be buried amongst their normal listings and often overlooked. I also made contact with sources in the U.S.A. which opened a whole new line of titles and printings for my U.K. customers.

Although most tie-ins are paperbacks and are fairly common, over the years certain “cult” series always seem to be in demand with new generations discovering them, and these can command decent prices. Grapper recently went for a high price at auction—unfortunately not from this dealer!

Back to my own book dealing, things were ticking over nicely with the regular printed catalogues. Then the INTERNET exploded onto the scene. Bookdealing was never the same again! I was fairly new to computers but learnt quickly—in order to survive. I joined ABE early on (since departed, due to “artistic differences” as they say) and also listed on various smaller sites. However I was determined to have my own site and after several false starts of trying to do it myself I looked around and found Chrislands—life savers!

They spoon fed me through the set up and now it’s simply a matter of uploading data and images. A very reasonable monthly fee and any questions or problems are answered or solved very promptly. A casualty of this was my printed catalogue, which was no longer cost-effective to produce. Ironically I had several phone calls from people asking have they missed a catalogue. I replied that not enough “customers” bought books to make it viable. Yes you’ve guessed it. These were the same customers who bought one cheap paperback a year just to stay on the mailing list!

Because of my niche market I’ve only ever dealt by mail order via a printed catalogue and now solely online. It would of course not be feasible to have a proper bookshop unless I branched out considerably, which I’m not keen to do, and this would also be economic suicide! So I’m quite content pottering along doing this. For those of a practical mind my wife is a full time College Lecturer which enables us (and two cats) to eat and me to work from home!

Mark Sugen operates Sugen & Co. Film & TV Tie-Ins out of North Yorkshire, England (by mail-order only) and can be contacted at http://www.film-tvtieins.com.