1
Revolutionary Changes in the Out-of-print Book
Market

• Bob Holley
• MLA Annual Conference
• October 12, 2006

2
Introduction and Background

• Welcome and introduction
• Demographics of the audience
• Interest in buying, selling, or both
• Are there other experts in the audience?
• This PowerPoint and bibliography will be posted
  on the MLA Web site

3
How I Became Interested in this Topic

• Valuing donations to libraries
• High availability of obscure materials
• Perceived decline in prices since 2000

4
Research Funded by LCATS in 2003

• Compared buy and sell ads in AB Bookmans Weekly
  (1982 and 1992) with current OP market
• 95 availability in all four samples
• Decline in prices in inflation-adjusted dollars
  (-45)
• Mostly books in humanities, history, and social
  sciences

5
Experiences as an OP Book Dealer

• I have sold around 500 titles in one year
• Prices from .75 to 80
• I have put aside around a dozen rare titles for
  later
• Library books sales have been an excellent source
  of stock so that giving this talk is against my
  self interest

6
Resources for Buying and Selling

• The metasearch engines
• http//used.addall.com/
• http//bookfinder.com
• The individual dealers

7
Advantages of OP Market for Buying

• 95 availability almost no distinction between
  in-print and out-of-print
• Retrospective buying for new collecting areas
• Repurchasing missing books
• Lower prices in general
• Many 20th century popular books at 2.95 or less
  plus shipping

8
Advantages of OP Market for Buying (continued)

• Lower prices for libraries that can wait
• Publishers concerned by this trend
• May reduce number of books published
• Purchase as substitute for ILL
• Past use as indication of future use
• Item available for long-term use
• Buy not borrow pilot at Wayne State University
• Possible to outsource these purchases

9
Disadvantages of the OP Market for Buying

• Only Alibris consolidates orders for libraries
  Strand and Powells Books sell from stock
• Other sources list books from multiple vendors
• Each purchase is a separate transaction
• Each purchase is shipped individually

10
Disadvantages of the OP Market for Buying
(continued)

• Most often need a credit card or PayPal
  accountno purchase orders
• Issues with condition, non-delivery, and returns

11
Selling on the Internet for Libraries--Advantages

• Book sales undervalue many books
• Increased revenue

12
Selling on the Internet for Libraries--Disadvantag
es

• Time involved in the process
• May be practical only for libraries with free
  volunteers
• Can be complicated
• Required constant attention though sellers can go
  on vacation
• Removes the books from the community
• Loses the publicity value of book sales
• Local policies may prohibit such sales

13
Where to Sell on the Internet

• Ebaylimited selling period, listing fees,
  payment complexities
• Sites with easy of entry for relatively few sales
  
• Half.commore popular materials, lower prices
• Amazon.comhigher fees for casual sellers

14
Where to Sell on the Internet (continued)

• Sites designed for professional sellers and
  libraries with larger inventories
• Abebooks
• Alibris
• Outsourcing sales to firms like Better World
  Books
• Exhibiting at MLA

15
How to Sell Successfully on the Internet

• Good service in all areas to achieve a high
  feedback rating
• Accurate description of condition
• Prompt shipping with excellent packaging
• Dealing with occasional problems
• Statement of non-profit status probably makes
  little difference

16
What to SellGeneral Considerations

• Search possible candidates on the metasearch
  sites
• Higher priced items however the libraries defines
  this
• You might also put them aside for the local book
  dealer
• Items with a sales record
• Library discards can be sold but are less popular

17
What to SellSubject and Format (My Opinions)

• Mass market paperbacksno except perhaps those in
  pristine condition
• Hard cover fictionno except if rare or currently
  in high demand
• Coffee table booksbeautiful but impossible to
  sell if available as remainders

18
What to SellSubject and Format (continued)

• Childrens booksno in general with some
  difficult to identify exceptions
• Trade paperbacksmany sell well especially those
  used in college courses
• Textbooksno if not current sell extremely well
  if still in use
• Religious books--yes

19
What to SellSubject and Format (continued)

• University press booksyes if used in courses
  otherwise slow movers
• Mediadepends on format, condition, popularity,
  and scarcity
• Rare booksAmazon, Alibris, or perhaps Ebay

20
Final Considerations

• How to arrange inventory for easy retrieval
• By format
• By title, author, or date of listing
• Determining when to remove an item from sale

21
Bibliography of the Best Resources

• See separate document

22
Questions

• Its your turn to ask any questions.