Comments on: How to Find Rare Books

on 9/4/2006 As a longtime bookseller, I am constantly amazed by how many buyers out there buy from sellers without checking feedback. I'll look at a book auction and find that someone with 10 or 12 negative feedbacks a month and low feedback is still getting bids! Would you continue to patronize a regular brick and mortar store which sold shoddy goods, had misleading ads and poor customer service? If not, don't buy from that type of seller online. Feedback can tell you a lot. Read the comments. Then decide whether to buy from that seller.

on 11/22/2005 Abebooks.com is a wonderful seller. They catalogue about 70 million books from around the world, using a network of 13,000 sellers. I can usually find any book I want, at reasonable prices.

on 11/22/2005 Buy books that are very early or pre-1900s ("period") in good condition. Buy for 50 cents a volume or less ("price"). If both stipulations aren't met, I don't buy. These are the only criteria. Shopping/collecting is always fast and profitable.

on 11/22/2005 If you go searching for a particular title, you will wind up spending too much. Rather focus on a genre. This will allow you to find hidden treasures in thrift stores and used book stores. Collect what interests you. What good are books you wouldn't read.