DO YOU HAVE A BOOK QUESTION?

[manor_house_books]

Hi all, pippy_oak here, posting under my brand new user name. Hopefully, Richard will pin this thread, as it seems a nice tidy place to pose specific questions about a book (Is it a 1st edition, what's it worth, where to find it etc. etc.) Don't just come here with a question. If you think you have the answer, then let's hear it.

Or we could just mooch around and learn a few things.

Cheers

Paul

[manor_house_books]

Yes, I did notice that yesterday. It should be under illustrated children's books.

As far as I can see, this book is so obscure as to be unknown. I'm not sure a buyer would find it, even in the right category. Obviously, any value in this book rests with the artwork, and I would have thought it imperative to identify the artist in oerder to make a sale.

[samtheposter]

Hello manor house,not sure about the artist but it has a small windmill inside the front cover with m&z underneath it (mulder&zoon) i think.

Thanks for the proper category info,so will i have to withdraw it and relist it under this category? I cant seem to change it under the normal channels. ____________________________________________

I hope you have an umbrella down there?

I really need a pee!

[patgal4]

Manor-House - Am I allowed to ask questions of this nature? I noticed that you said you sold a lot of books on the river as opposed to here because of the high costs involved. Any chance of a breakdown on how one goes about this. Between Ebay and Paypal fees this does take a good chunk off any profit.

[147victoria]

Pat, you have mail.

[manor_house_books]

I do sell on the "river", amongst other places. The fee structure there is entirely different from ebay. To say that the fees are more or less, depends on what you are selling, and how quickly they turn over. You really need to go over there and study the fee structure to understand the differences. One thing is certain - unless you register as a "pro-merchant" with a fixed flat-rate subscription, you are probably on to a loser.

The main reason I use both venues is that, in broad terms, they are two different marketplaces. Ebay is definitely the place for antiquarian and collectable books. Amazon is a readers' market for modern books. For example, if a book is pre-1969 and has no ISBN, it is not impossible, but very difficult to sell it on Amazon.

[patgal4]

Thank you Manor_House. I'll do a bit of sleuthing before I wade.

[ok-mrs-bee]

Be careful, Pat, it's a jungle out there! :^O

[manor_house_books]

I fear I may have a totally forgotten 1st edition by a totally forgotten novelist.

Cat on Hot Bricks by John Atkins. MacDonald & Co. 1950.

I can't seem to turn anything up. It's either priceless or valueless.

Any information gratefully received. The dj notes refer to him as a poet, essayist and critic.

[photogravyshop]

Hi Paul,
Hows tricks?
Theres a refernce on this page to a John Atkins on this page with a bibliography, but no mention of this work. The dates do fit though. He's the only one I've been able to find. I have a small box of these sort of books, I have a sort through every now and then, but usually find no info. Maybe its worth checking the books wanted on the river? but I guess you've already tried and its not on the database?

There is also a SF writer who produced these: The Fire Came By--The Riddle Of Thegreat Siberian Explosion - - 1976 but maybe a bit later.

I will keep searching
chris

[manor_house_books]

Hi Chris. I got nothing much on google, nothing on addall, and it never occurred to me to look on the River. Yet there it was, that very edition, in the catalogue, albeit with no availability and no buyers waiting. I think I'll just list it there at a disgustingly high price, and wait till someone comes along. The chances of the only collector in the world for John Atkins looking on ebay in the next 10 days are fairly remote.

So thanks for your suggestion. Must compare notes on the bookselling business sometime. I see your feedback is surging ahead of mine. I'll have to list something!!!!

[alan9990_6]

Hi All,

I have a book question. I have been ebaying various items for a friend of mine. He has a copy of the book "The Black Girl In Search Of God by Bernard Shaw. It is not the first edition but is a 1932 reprint - not listed as a second edition.

It is hardback with the original dust jacket - which is a bit tatty. The book is illustrated with black and white illustrations and is in overall good condition. I don't have photos on me, but could easily obtain some.

So the perennial question: Value. We may decide to offer it on Ebay but he doesn't want to put it up at a £1 starting price if, realistically, we might expect to get a decent price for it. So any of your comments or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[sigmapsidelta]

It isn't going to make a huge amount.

And eBay doesn't do too well with GBS.

I've tried one or two Bernard Shaw 1sts and had no bites at all.

It is unusual for the glassine wrapper to survive.

. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whomever you may murder, there's no police like Holmes.

[alan9990_6]

Thanks for that. Strangely enough I'm not that surprised that you've had trouble selling some on Ebay - it doesn't seem to be quite the Universal market.

Just to correct something: In saying dust jacket (I'm not a book collector) I was referring to the paper printed cover that goes over the hard back. This is the thing which has the title and cover illustration on it. Your mention of a glassine wrapper sounds like some sort of early cellophane.

But thanks for your help. :0)

[black-country-books]

Morning experts, it's me pickin' yer brains again.:-)

Have seen several 'old' books on my travels, issued by the Reprint Society . Is there any value in these?

[sigmapsidelta]

Hi Chris. Reprint Society was a book club. Few, if any, of their titles are collectable.

Alan, I can't be sure about the wrapper, but the word 'glassine' is used in the descriptions of several that I've seen. Not quite cellophane but not quite paper either.

Other Shaw titles have sturdy paper wrappers.

But whatever wrapper it has is a survivor.

. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whomever you may murder, there's no police like Holmes.

[patgal4]

Just in case it helps. I use glassine when using goldleaf (calligrapher). It is often used to protect prints, drawings etc. in old books.

[manor_house_books]

I wouldn't go out of my way to buy Reprint Society books, but they did some very good non-fiction titles, particularly on exploration and natural history. These will sell, nut for huge sums but £4-£5 each.

[black-country-books]

Thanks Steve and Manor House.

Please bear with me here: I now you have explained about first editions dozens of times, but I'm still finding it very difficult. Could you please confirm that this is a 1st:

Published: 1978

Cat. Card No: 78-62871

Thanks for your patience,

Chris.

[sigmapsidelta]

What is it, Chris?

Sounds American.

. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whomever you may murder, there's no police like Holmes.

[black-country-books]

Hi Steve,
Nothing fab. I'm afraid - just a bog-standard Observers Book of Jazz. But a lst has just fetched £19, except mine is price clipped unfortunately.