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Like most people in the used and rare book business today, I was not trained for this career. I did not have access to the generations of knowledge and experience enjoyed by the children and grandchildren of the founders of Dawson’s Book Shop in Los Angeles, the Arthur H. Clark Company now in Spokane, Washington, and The Argosy Book Shop in New York City. I had to learn this business by listening to mentors, watching how other booksellers worked, and by making mistakes more e

You read that right, folks. I’ve been too busy to think up some witty nonsense for a title, so I’m putting the burden on you. Go ahead and think up a good one. Got it? Just imagine it up at the top of the screen right now. Please note that those of you who thought of “Editor Too Lazy to Think of a Title” will have to try again: I’m not using that one. What have I been busy editing? A comprehensive list and detailed comparison of book listing sites, an extensive article on gen

Not yet, though. Bookselling may feel more like a ride on a Tilt-A-Whirl than the cultured, slow-paced trade we used to dream of. We didn’t dream that thousands of new sellers would make good stock more difficult to find and that those thousands would flood the market with common books of ever-sinking prices. Our dream didn’t include so many booksellers wondering how bills would get paid and so many bookselling businesses turning out the lights for the last time. My point? Th

In a world of commoditized physical and online retail offerings, consumers are looking for more diverse shopping experiences. Buyers are again searching for things that meet their needs, and wants, and are favoring quality over price. This is where Biblio.com fits in. In 2000, the original Biblio.com was launched as metasearch engine for new, used, rare, and out-of-print books: it quickly gained recognition for its speed and simplicity of use. In 2002, the name of this metase

This (or a variant of it) is probably the most often asked question I hear. What I’m talking about is, of course, whether it is better to buy a book (or get it autographed by the author) with just a signature alone or whether it is better to have it with a personalized inscription. With modern books by living authors, the popular wisdom states that it is better to have a “flat” (I hate that term) signed book – that is to say, a “stand-alone” signature, not a book with an insc

Selling books on the web seems easy. You get hold of some books (that really is the easy part!) and start listing them like crazy onto a database. Sure, there are a few technical details to overcome – joining up with various listing sites and mastering the assorted uploading techniques, but nothing that would stall the average 12 year old for more than a few minutes. Nevertheless, setting up your own virtual bookshop is neither unduly difficult nor particularly expensive in n

If you love books, collect books, or sell books Discarded Books: The Facelift for Ex-Library Books is a very handy reference book. Written and illustrated by j. godsey, the book contains simple, clearly-explained methods for prolonging the life of a book. Ms. godsey makes it clear that these repairs should not be attempted on rare or valuable books – but you can certainly use these handy tips on enhancing your own collection or books you are trying to sell. The tips are not j

At some point in time many book collectors will obtain an item that is unique, beautiful, perhaps somewhat fragile, and that requires long-term protection beyond the usual mylar dustjacket protector or mylar sleeving. In such cases the best solution may be a custom slipcase or clamshell box (also known as a “drop-spine box”). A slipcase encloses a book on all sides except the spine, while a clamshell box normally envelops the book completely. In general, clamshell boxes are m