Re: ACQNET: Inflated prices for old children's books via the OP market

While this response is very late, perhaps late is better than never. I have
found children's books to be one of the slowest selling areas except for a
few collectible titles. Yes, I did sell an ex-library book once for $30.00;
but this is the exception. I've even considered offering my entire stock on
Craigslist for ten cents each in lots of 100. (The buyer wouldn't be able to
choose specific items.) I give the lowest priority to children's books in
deciding what to process for my selling inventory since the prices are low
and they don't sell well.

Bob

Robert P. Holley
Professor, School of Library & Information Science
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
313-577-7563 (fax)
aa3805_at_wayne.edu (email)


-----Original Message-----
From: acqnet-l-bounces_at_lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:acqnet-l-bounces_at_lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 2:06 PM
To: acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [ACQNET-L] ACQNET: Inflated prices for old children's books via the
OP market

It turns out that our Teaching Resources Center has been holding back
a select number of deaccessioned children's books that they have
checked availability and prices for on the OP market via the Internet,
and have (what I believe) a mistaken belief that these books have some
kind of commercial value.   I asked for a sample and found that
indeed, there are listings out there for some of these books that
really are out of sight.  (At least one title has an Ex-library copy
available going for $900+ .)

I would like to convince my colleagues that they are not sitting on a
gold mine.  Even if some of their ex-library copies are valuable, we
are not allowed by our state to sell these materials directly.
But really, the main point I want to get across to them is that
usually there are many other copies available at lower prices and that
dealers offering high priced items are simply hoping for some sucker
to come by and buy at the higher price because they are looking for
something special.  Ex-library copies have no business being at the
high end unless there is simply nothing else available, and most of
time this is not the case.
I would appreciate it if those from the trade would be willing to
weigh in on this situation.
Even those within our own ranks need educating about these matters at times!

Thanks,
Eleanor Cook


Assistant Director for Collections & Technical Services
Academic Library Services -- Joyner Library
East Carolina University
East Fifth Street
Greenville, NC 27858
252-328-2598
252-328-4834 fax
cooke_at_ecu.edu
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