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Because
the other book indexing services are well-meaning but incomplete!
From
the rare book dealer's perspective:
- Who
are these people buying the books? Are they sincere in their interest
in my lifelong passion or just "tire-kickers"? In some
cases I never know who bought my books - they are sent off anonymously
into the void. I didn't become a bookseller to do that! I want
to know the people I am selling to! I want to share my know ledge
and to learn.
- I
have to upload my books again and again and again to all the various
indexing services, all with slightly different requirements. In
some cases the service extracts a percentage, so I have to boost
my prices to stay fair to the other services that don't. In other
cases I have to ship to a central warehouse for resale, but I
have to make sure I don't leave any information about my shop
in the package. I'm sure it must take forever to get to the customer,
and pass through too many hands on the way! It's all very confusing
and very time-consuming.
- I
have avoided computerization until now, but now I have no choice.
Is there any way to post catalogues that can be browsed or even
searched without the need to put everything in a database? I don't
want to put my material into a database, it just doesn't interest
me! But the idea of creating a gallery of images to show people,
that I like!
- I
have been computerized for years and my systems were tired. I
just converted my system last year, but the new one is buggy and
frustrating - it seems I spend more time working with computers
than with the books I love! How do I update, save my old data
and create a book business system that will be able to actually
help me save time, organize myself better..... I am sick of having
the technology dictate the way I run my business.
- Why
is all this money coming into the old book world? It is scary
because we, the established old book experts, are being shunted
aside. We have to take control of our business again! It seems
that the knowledge I took a professional lifetime to acquire,
the knowledge that is embodied in my catalogue desciptions, is
ending up in other peoples' hands! How can I protect what must
be my own intellectual property? The book indexing services are
saying they have a right to do whatever they want to with that
information - how can that be? Also, I've got old customers and
new buying from me over the 'net through the indexing services
and the services must know every detail! How can I protect what
always used to be my most valued possession - my customer list?
From
the rare book customer's perspective:
- Who
are these people selling the books? Can I trust them, not just
their honesty but their knowledge, too?
- When
I go to the various book search sites, I find the same books listed
over and over again, sometimes the same books from the same dealer,
sometimes even at significantly different prices. What's going
on?
- When
I order a book, sometimes it takes weeks to get to me. Why is
that?
- I'm
not comfortable giving out my credit card information over the
Web, or via email.
- Sometimes
I don't know exactly what I want before I see it. I'd like to
replicate the experience of going to a really fine old book shop.
But they don't seem to exist anymore, at least not in my town.
Can you give me a taste of that over the 'net? Can I ask questions
about books, share my own history with books, learn about books
- without feeling like I'm wasting someone's time - someone I'll
never meet?
- What
exactly is a rare book? It seems like most of the book sites are
mostly just old books, used books...... Where can I go to find
to find rare books (and I don't mean just expensive books!), to
find interesting and unusual books without wading through the
other stuff?
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