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Book Trade Information

Though most people think that buying books is as simple as going to any local bookstore and perusing the shelves, it can in reality be much more complicated than that, especially if one is dealing with rare and/or out of print books. People looking for a rare book might find what they are looking for at the first secondhand bookstore they go to, but more than likely they’ll end up having to spend large amounts of time immersed in the rare book trade before they find what they’re looking for. Despite all this, though, it is not as difficult to find rare books as one might think.

In addition to bookstores that specialize in rare and out of print books, antiquarian and book societies will also often hold trade shows or conventions for collectors to be able to peruse large collections in one central location. The complicated part of the book trade lies in the language they use to determine conditions of books, which determines the pricing. A small, out-of-print book may look inexpensive at first, but it might be signed, and then the value would skyrocket. While conditions such as limited printing, or signed copies may increase a book’s value, things as minor as dog-eared pages or a dent in a hard cover can also decrease a book’s value. Of course, the buyer and seller of any particular book must agree on what exactly the condition of the book means in terms of the sale, or the terms of the condition are useless anyway. In such cases it is beneficial to have access to publications about the book trade or a glossary of terms related to the book trade. One such glossary can be found online at http://dogbert.abebooks.com/docs/HelpCentral/Glossary/index.shtml. This glossary in particular is helpful because there are pictures included of many of the conditions it describes.

The expansion of the Internet into the global marketplace has made finding rare books easier for the consumer. Commercial book giants like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble online have made books widely accessible, yet they have not had a significant impact on sales in physical bookstores. The rare book trade has been impacted, too, by the internet. Online databases of trade shows let collectors know when large events are occurring so they can not only mingle with other collectors but also purchase and sell to larger numbers of people. Also, rare book sites like the Advanced Book Exchange, alibris.com, abaa.org and Bookfinder.com allow collectors to search for books in a much wider area than local shops and conventions. Because collectors using online search engines can even search internationally for books, the Internet has made the rare book trade faster and easier for the collector or consumer. The added ease of searching has also made the trade cheaper, though prices are still dependent on the condition of the product being shipped.

However, despite the added ease and convenience of buying books online, the shops that deal in rare books have not suffered financially. Perhaps this goes to show that there is something to be said about the thrill of the hunt, and being able to see what is purchase before it is paid for and shipped. Many Internet databases on the book trade, instead of having search engines to purchase books online, have links to small bookshops for consumers to contact directly. So while the Internet has indeed advanced the book trade and brought it to a wider populace, there is as yet little danger of the physical bookstores being put out of business by online shopping.

Web sites related to the book trade:

http://dogbert.abebooks.com/docs/HelpCentral/Glossary/index.shtml
This is a glossary of terms used in the book trade. It includes terms and shorthand used to describe book conditions, editions, covers, sizes and the like. The glossary might be useful as a novice book collector’s first stop as a knowledge of the terms is necessary in order to know what exactly is being purchased.

http://gateway.library.uiuc.edu/ala/alawess/books.htm
This is primarily a site with links devoted to French studies, but most of the links point to websites devoted to rare books. There are links to rare book sites and booksellers online that deal with rare and out-of-print books.

http://internet.ggu.edu/university_library/booktrade.html
This is another link page with links covering all aspects of the book trade.

http://www.thebookseller.com/?pid=2
This is a site about the book trade in general. It doesn’t have as much about rare or out of print volumes but it does give a good crash course on the book trade in broader terms.

http://elj.warwick.ac.uk/jilt/BILETA/1996/3weedon/2.htm
This is a very informative article about the internet and the book trade.