Rare Book Monthly
The Collaborative Project Part II Using Databases and the New “Wants List” Software
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Here’s the issue: you probably have a list of books you would like to purchase but can’t find, or at least you can’t find an acceptable copy at a reasonable price. If you use the ÆD, you’ve probably discovered lots more books you would like. Let’s say there are 200 titles that, if the price and condition are right, you would at least consider buying. What do you do next?
One thing you will undoubtedly want to do is look on the major online sites, such as Abebooks or ILAB, for copies held overseas. So, you type in 200 titles and authors in the “Search” box on those sites to see what’s available. You make or don’t make purchases based on what you find. Now what?
At some point in the future, more of those titles will show up for sale online. Abebooks estimates 25,000-50,000 new listings are added to their site everyday! If the book is common or the price too high, it may stay there for ages, but if the title is desirable, or the price a relative bargain, it probably won’t last long at all. How will you know when someone posts it for sale?
Well, you can go back and enter those 200 titles and authors in those "Search" boxes again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. And the…how much free time do you have? It’s one thing to spend a couple of hours entering titles once. It is not possible for anyone with a life to do it everyday. What this means is that when the rare title becomes available, or the bargain price from someone in a rush to sell, the item may be gone before you ever see it. The best deals on the internet will likely be the ones you never see.
What the “Wants List” Software allows you to do is post all 200 of those titles on one list. We will then upload all of those titles to the internet sites everyday. Every morning, you will be notified of any new matches. Whenever a title you want becomes available, you will be the first to know. There’s no obligation to buy and no one else even knows what you’re looking for, not even the person who posts the title for sale. It’s all done in complete privacy and it’s up to you to decide whether to make an offer.
You’ll be able to pull listings directly from the ÆD for convenience in building your “Wants List.” Alternatively, you can enter the titles yourself, which means that while the Æ is an Americana site, you can use this software to locate titles in any field. But, that’s enough for now. Next month, as we get close to launch, we will tell you more. Stay tuned. And for now, please read as many of our individual TCP articles as your time allows.
