Rare Book Monthly Articles - September - 2005 Issue

What Is happening At Abebooks?

What Is happening At Abebooks?

By Michael Stillman Consternation, confusion, controversy and downright anger are swirling around the largest old and used bookselling site in the world today, Abebooks.com. All of the major bookselling sites have strained relations with their sellers at one time or another, but Abe has been pilloried by the trade of late in ways not seen before. The explanation is that the venerable bookselling site has undergone some major changes recently. Changes almost inevitably lead to disgruntled users. Some don't like any change; others have legitimate beefs. On top of this, the implementation ...

Abe:  A Walk on the Wild Side

Abe: A Walk on the Wild Side

By Bruce McKinney Abebooks, like most businesses that have done well enough to actually change scale, is looking to swim with the big fish. What they have created in the book business is n...

Can Google Redirect Your Customers to Another's Website?

Can Google Redirect Your Customers to Another's Website?

By Michael Stillman It is every bookseller's worst nightmare. You post a book for sale, on a bookselling website, or maybe even your own site. However, somewhere along the way, some insidious ...

The International Bookseller's Directory:  An important free dealer tool

The International Bookseller's Directory: An important free dealer tool

By Bruce McKinney All the talk on the internet is about how powerful it is but the underlying reality has been kind of unpleasant. Yes you can increasingly become listed on the net and even de...

Pacific Book Auction - A good place to do business

Pacific Book Auction - A good place to do business

By Karen Wright Last month I attended my first Pacific Book Auction sale. I have bought from them online several times, making bids and either being elated that I won my prize book or deflat...

Package Insurance: Managing Shipping Risk in the Bookselling Business

Package Insurance: Managing Shipping Risk in the Bookselling Business

by Renee Magriel Roberts I've never been overly fond of the insurance business. Insurance is an ethereal, intangible commodity that frequently appears more connected to a state of mind than a r...

Small Victories Make Collecting a Pleasure

Small Victories Make Collecting a Pleasure

By Bruce McKinney Building a focused collection is always a matter of discipline and luck. It helps to know what you are looking for but it's impossible to know all the material that logically...

Map Dealer Charged With Cutting Maps From Library Books

Map Dealer Charged With Cutting Maps From Library Books

By Michael Stillman A new and even more disturbing case than usual of slicing and dicing of volumes from library rare book rooms came to light recently with the arrest of E. Forbes Smiley, a lo...

1912 by James Chace

1912 by James Chace

A review by Bruce McKinney The subtitle describes this book succinctly: 1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft Debbs - the Election that Changed the Country. What? You weren't aware that this elect...

Rare Book Monthly

  • Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: William Shakespeare.
    The Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare, 1960. 7,210 USD
    Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens.
    A Christmas Carol, First Edition, 1843. 17,500 USD
    Sotheby’s: William Golding.
    Lord of the Flies, First Edition, 1954. 5,400 USD
    Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: Lewis Carroll.
    Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Inscribed First Edition, 1872. 25,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien.
    The Hobbit, First Edition, 1937. 12,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: John Milton.
    Paradise Lost, 1759. 5,400 USD

Article Search

Archived Articles

Ask Questions