The third largest old book site on the internet recently announced a new pricing schedule for its dealers. No, it is not a simple price increase. It is an option. Biblio now allows its dealers to choose from two pricing schedules, and for some of them at least, it could mean a price decrease. It all depends on how the dealer sells.
Biblio, in the past, has worked on a straight commission schedule. You pay 15% of sales up to a certain point, 7.5% on sales over that level (the threshold depending on how many books you list). Nice and simple, and no cost if you make no sales.
Biblio has retained a commissions only structure, but has now added a combination commissions and flat fee option. That is option, not requirement, as sellers may remain on a risk-free commissions only structure if they wish. The use of a combination structure is one that has gained popularity among the selling sites. Abebooks previously moved from a flat fee only to a combination structure, and now Biblio goes to a (optional) combination structure from a commissions only structure. The popularity of a combined fee schedule by the sites makes sense. Commissions allow them to participate in the success their dealers enjoy on their sites, while flat fees provide a predictable, guaranteed flow of monthly income. Both are important to any business.
Biblio's two structures work this way. Plan A is a flat 15% of sales. This is not quite so favorable as the old commission structure, at least for those with higher sales. The old formula was 15% up to a certain level of sales (based on number of books listed). After that the rate dropped to 7.5%. Now, it no longer drops.
However, larger dealers can opt for Plan B instead. This adds a flat monthly fee, ranging from $10 for up to 10,000 books listed, to $25 for 40,000 books listed, plus $5 per additional 10,000 books. Under Plan B, all commissions are at the 7.5% rate. None are charged at 15% any longer.
For the smaller dealer, there is effectively no change. Those who did not sell enough to reach the cut off rate where commissions drop from 15% to 7.5% can choose Plan A and they experience no change at all. They pay the same 15%, including zero if no sales are made in any given month.
For larger dealers, the structure actually offers a price reduction! When was the last time you saw that? For example, under the old schedule, a seller who listed 25,000 books, and made $300 in sales ($300 being the cut off between the 15% and 7.5% rate) would have paid $45. Under the new formula, that dealer pays a $20 flat fee, plus 7.5% of his $300 in sales, or $22.50 in commissions. His total is now $42.50, versus $45 under the old formula, a savings of $2.50. Since both structures charged 7.5% on sales above $300, that $2.50 savings will remain no matter how much larger his sales might be.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: APRES DE MANNEVILLETTE Le Neptune Oriental
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: CASSAS Eaux fortes de la Sicile et quelques vues d’Espagne
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: CASSINI DE THURY Carte générale et particulière de la France.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: JOUY; GARNERAY Vues des côtes de France dans l'Océan et dans la Méditerranée
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LA PÉROUSE Voyage autour du monde
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LE GENTIL DE LA GALAISIERE Voyage dans les Mers de l’Inde
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LICENT Hoang Ho, Pai Ho, Loan Ho, Leao Ho. Itinéraires suivis dans le bassin du golfe du Pei Tcheuly
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: FRENCH SCHOOL FROM THE 19th CENTURY Panorama d’Athènes
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: PEETERS Description des principales villes, havres et isles du golfe de Venise
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: PÉRON; FREYCINET Voyage de découverte aux terres australes
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: STACKELBERG La Grèce : vues pittoresques et topographiques.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: VALENTINER Atlas des Sonnensystems.
Forum Auctions Online Sale: The Detective Fiction Collection of John Cooper Ending 7th November, 2024
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). The Thirteen Problems, first edition, The Crime Club, 1932. £15,000 to £20,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Dumb Witness, first edition, 1937. £3,000 to £4,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Cards on the Table, first edition, The Crime Club, 1936. £2,000 to £3,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: [Carr (John Dickson)], "Carter Dickson" and John Rhode. Drop to his Death, first edition, Heinemann, [1939]. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: Berkeley (Anthony). Jumping Jenny, first edition, Hodder and Stoughton, 1933. £800 to £1,200.
Forum Auctions Online Sale: The Detective Fiction Collection of John Cooper Ending 7th November, 2024
Forum, Nov. 7: Marsh (Ngaio). Overture to Death, first edition, The Crime Club, 1939. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: [Day-Lewis (Cecil)] "Nicholas Blake". The Beast Must Die, first edition, 1938. £750 to £1,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Brand (Christianna). Green for Danger, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, John Lane the Bodley Head, 1945. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Murder is Easy, first edition, signed by the author, 1939. £3,000 to £4,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Sayers (Dorothy L.) Lord Peter Views the Body, first edition, Gollancz, 1928. £6,000 to £8,000.
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Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 11,135 USD
Sotheby’s: Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven and Other Poems, 1845. 33,000 USD
Sotheby’s: Leo Tolstoy, Clara Bow. War and Peace, 1886. 22,500 USD
Sotheby’s: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1902. 7,500 USD
Sotheby’s: F. Scott Fitzgerald. This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, and Others, 1920-1941. 24,180 USD
Freeman’s | Hindman Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana November 14
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: LEROUX, Gaston. The Phantom of the Opera. FIRST AM. ED, FIRST ISSUE IN THE VERY RARE DUST JACKET. 1911. $6,000 – 8,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: GOULD, John. A Monograph of the Trochilidae...Humming-Birds. L., [1849-] 1861. $60,000 – 80,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: A COMPLETE RUN of Limited Editions Club publications, v.p. [mostly New York], 1929-2010. $50,000 – 60,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: ORWELL, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Lon., 1949. FIRST EDITION IN A VERY FINE DUST JACKET. $6,000 – 8,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: GOULD. A Monograph of the Ramphastidae...Toucans. L., [1852-] 54. SECOND ED. $35,000 – 45,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:The Federalist. NY, 1788. FIRST EDITION, THICK PAPER COPY. $60,000 – 80,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: SELBY. Plates to Selby’s Illustrations of British Ornithology. Edin., [1833-] 34. $20,000 – 30,000.