Antiquarian Booksellers: almost as badass as Librarians.
In news that will shock, er, actually a few of you, Amazon backs down in dispute with booksellers
Amazon has backed down from a growing dispute with secondhand booksellers, in an almost unprecedented act of reasonable behavior from the online behemoth. Booksellers from across the globe were incensed earlier this month when Amazon's AbeBook, an online souk for books, art and other valuables, informed its partners in four …
COMMENTS
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Friday 9th November 2018 10:46 GMT VinceH
"Antiquarian Booksellers: almost as badass as Librarians."
I know you say that as a joke, but there's this documentary about librarians that I haven't seen yet, but does make it sound like there may be something in the idea that Librarians are indeed a bit bad-ass.
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Friday 9th November 2018 10:11 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: Possessing an increasinly rare skill...
I entered a second hand bookshop a while ago but didn't get far. There were more books than free space to move in, even if you could fly. I am still impressed that the owner of the establishment could immediately locate what I was looking for but I am still mystified how he could move through alleys between the towering stacks of books. I suspect quantum mechanical tunneling.
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Friday 9th November 2018 10:26 GMT Kane
Re: Possessing an increasinly rare skill...
"I suspect quantum mechanical tunneling."
A good bookshop is just a genteel blackhole that knows how to read.
And remember, kids:
1. Silence
2. Books must be returned by the last date stamped
3. Do not interfere with the nature of causality
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Pterry Icon? No? I won't get tired of asking....
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Friday 9th November 2018 09:49 GMT nematoad
Choice
I used to use ABE until I found out who owned it. I switched to another seller Alibris.
Just thought that I would let people know that there are alternatives.
Oh and thanks El Reg, you seem to have given me back my Silver badge. Why it went away in the first place remains a mystery.
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Friday 9th November 2018 16:24 GMT Kubla Cant
AbeBooks specializes in rare books, and provides a marketplace for sellers of expensive tomes dotted all over the world.
Maybe they do sell rare, expensive books, but that's not my impression. I've bought quite a few books from Abe, and I don't think I've ever paid more than a fiver including postage. Second-hand bookshops are an excellent way to buy a nice copy of anything that's not a recent publication.
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Friday 9th November 2018 16:34 GMT Anonymous Coward
"...expensive tomes..."
For me, that's anything that costs more than $0.99 + $6.49 Shipping (Canadian dollars). Problem is, I've already bought all the $0.99 used books that I want (my Jeremy CLarkson collection, LOL!!). I've been forced up-market, purchasing more expensive books that are sometimes even over $10.
On the other hand, I do have a few $100 price class books. Six of them are signed by people that have wandered around on the Moon. :-)
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Friday 9th November 2018 19:02 GMT earl grey
not to mention book faires and antiquarian shows
Ok, well, i mentioned them. great places which used to abound with book sellers and their wonderful old tomes. Most of the stores i preferred going into were used book stores with high shelves, books stacked all over, and a certain dry, musty smell. They always had inadequate lighting.