mutterings and ravings no. 92
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 11:10:07 -0500
Sender: Bibliofind News and Views <NEWS@BIBLIO.BIBLIOFIND.COM>
From: Harry Nudel <nudel-soho@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: m&r A.B., tu...
Let's look at the demise of the AB (HURRAH) from a purely
economic stand point..Dealer from OUT OF THE WAY Michigan advertises for
Taylor Caldwell book...customer wants...cost dealer postage, 1.10 a line to
AB, misc. labor expenses..(cost 2.00)...he/she get 15 responses (low
figure) from 5 to 12 Dollas...picks the 6.50 book sells it to customer for
15...makes 15-8.50= $6.50 profit...15 responses at 20 cents each in postage
3.00....15 quotes at minimum wage cost 6.00 an hour computing at 4 min. a
quote...60 minutes..cost 6.00...total 8.00....cost of book & postage..
1.00..TOTAL COST TO TRADE 6+2+1=9.00 so the trade worked hours to lose
money so the idiot dealer could make min. wage and the F...en AB could make
1.10 a line...this is below migrant labor conditions...The AB was out for itself and ITSELF alone..it managed never to
have any other voice except some over the top dealers..The new reality isn't much better....to ABE's credit...they
clearly state that under 15.00..it''s not much worth it...not thatthat
would do much good...throat/cut throat/ better to pick grapes...One imaginative solution to this problem is to take ordinary
books and price 'em like this...Felexner,James (sic)...POCKET HISTORY OF AMERICAN
PAINTING..P.B. 1950........good condition inside 4 pages have small rips
repaired w/o tape........200.00and if you think this is a mistake..
Eliot, T.S...COLLECTED POEMS....Harcourt...1930-34-36- no
d.j..book good cond age discolored hard back book.....100.00Actually the descriptions are much worse than this...and this is just
a meager sampling..Is it CAVEAT EMPTOR...or idiots all around...it;s hard
to imagine the ABE could let this ride...but....name withheld to protect
the guilty....is there a solution..SURE...buy all yr books from NUDEL
BOOKS...top dollar/ top books/ imaginative pricing only when called
for...see you on the bread line DRn..
previous
Please note: Popula Reference Library articles and links are updated on an ongoing basis. Please do us a huge favor and contact us at editor@popula.com with broken links, errata or other improvements or changes you would like made. Thank you for your help in building this free public resource.
(Why not visit Popula Auctions by clicking one of the links below?)
