"book hoarders" who resell online??

[Silversuess]

So my local library had a big used booksale today (that counts as thrifting..right?) and while there I noticed at least half dozen people walking around with these scanners scanning the barcodes on the backs of books that had them.

I'm assuming these folks are trying to find the books that will make them a good profit online (i.e. Amazon and eBay).

Sorry if i offend anyone..but these people piss me off!!!  I feel like they don't have much right to be there since they obviously aren't finding books for themselves and most of the people there just want to find something good to read for themself.

Why should i have to step around them as they block the aisles while scanning book after book until they get ones that will make a profit later? Why should they be allowed to swipe as many freaking books as they can hold when they aren't even gonna READ them??

**grumbles**





Do I have a right to be mad or should I look into reselling thrifted books as a new career (I kid)   ?

Thoughts??  Opinions??

[valleythriftshopper]

I guess I can't really talk because I resell some of the collectibles I find at thrifts or yard sales (occasionally a vintage book, but I am not too good at knowing which ones to get except the obvious ones).  But I have to say that book sellers are particuarly obnoxious for whatever reason.  They usually have lower customer satisfaction ratings on Ebay too, so I think that proves the theory as well.  They do always seem to get in early to those sales as well.  Sorry you had a bad experience!

[Big Daddy Audio]

I resell as well, but I rely on my own knowledge (which I have accumulated over time by making good picks and by getting burned by bad picks), NOT on the database of a scanning tool.  It's rather unethical to do this at a library sale.

There's no law against it, I guess.

Figure out a way to cause a low spread EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) and walk next to them and bollocks them up good.

I don't think there's a law against a low-spread EMP either.

SYNT
BFN 

[Silversuess]

it's good to hear different opinions about the issue.

I think I was just a bit mad because it was a crowded booksale to begin with and it didn't help to have obvious resellers all over the place.


I guess it makes me a hypocrite to say that I don't really have much problem when resellers hit up an actual thrift store (say a Goodwill rather than the local library booksale) because first of all I've never seen anybody walk around in a goodwill or salvation army with one of these scanners.




I think my own opinion in the end is.....do your homework when it comes to books (or anything really) that look like they'll be a good profit later, as in: learn to develop a keen eye for profitable books but DON'T carry around a scanner at individual book sales..because it kinda makes you look like jerk..

But I still feel like you shouldn't have much right to do it if you have to rely solely on a scanner to tell you what books will give you a profit back.


Anyone else?

[mccoysnina]

I always figure a combination of Buyer Beware and Carpe Diem at ts, yard/estate sales, book sales and anywhere else folks are buying/selling used goods.  Buy at your own risk and take it before someone else does.  If you find a rare first edition at a library sale and re-sell it for a million bucks, so be it and more power to ya' hon.  But to walk around at a crowded sale with a scanner?   Jeez Louise.  Have some consideration for fellow shoppers. I figure if you don't know what it is, pass it by.  Maybe rig up a magnet as someone has suggested.  No law against having a magnet on your person that I know of.
Jeannie

[Mattie]

Figure out a way to cause a low spread EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) and walk next to them and bollocks them up good.

Bravo!

I've never noticed someone using one of these devices at a book sale but I think I'd be pissed if I did, especially if they were hogging the aisle I wanted to be in.  Times are tough and I think more people are ebaying for extra income, but it's inexcusable to be a vulture about it. 

[Firekinghunt]

I just found out about these a few months ago myself!!! I was at my fav thrift and there was this guy walking around scanning every single book. I was like...what the heck is he doing? He had honestly maybe 75 books in a shopping cart. There was a fellow thrifter friend there at the time and I asked her if she knew what he was doing. She told me he had a scanner that when you scan the barcode will show how much they go for on amazon. I was like HOLY CRAP! Your first reaction is of course...where do i get one of those! Even though I don't sell books or even know a diddly about them the amount of $$$$$  they have to be making off of doing that is incredible.

I also want to point out it is probably these "book guys" as I call them that caused my local thrifts to raise the prices on books. A few years ago books were .25 for soft cover, .50 for hardcover. That is now $1.00 soft and $2.00 hard EACH!!! That is a big jump, and it's because of these guys buying 100 books at a time. Sorry they have made me mad FOREVER too and Im glad somebody else is irked by them too.

[anastasiabeaverhausen]

wow..great discussions this am... *wavin at mattie*  I have just recently seen someone using a scanner, I actually thought he worked there <at this flea/antique store> but my yard sale arch nemesis <does anyone have one of these folx?> walked up behind me and told me what he was doing. It kinda worked out in my favor though...as he was scanning he was putting books up neatly and had seperated all the magazine/pamhlet type books out on a different shelf. So I actually found about 13 old cookbooks <pre1960 put out by the food companies> with great graphics and crazy recipes. I never would have taken the time to look through the jumbled up shelves had he not straightened them out, but I heard a lot of ppl grumbling that he was in their way but if there were several ppl there with scanner that would have been too much!

[Big Daddy Audio]

I've seen guys with scanners in Goodwill as well.  They couldn't give a crap what they're buying, as long as they can turn a profit.

I've seen guys doing this with movies and CDs as well.

I hope it was worth their soul.

SYNT
BFN

[Thewizardessofoz3]

As a member of my local library board of directors I must say we get just as mad! We as well as the last county I lived in have banned any use of electronic devices at our sales. If you are really upset I would say something to the library. If the public has a problem with it then we are likely to take action.

[dewdrop_me_a_line]

My Sissy has a magic cognition for what the value of almost any thing is. If she doesn't know; her husband does. She picks up books by using her 'gift' and usually makes money on them. If not, ah well . . . I don't think anyone is becoming wealthy selling used books, unless of course they find rare first editions.


Guess I'm just too laid back. I only find what I want or need and that ain't much. I have tons of donations for this year. It could be my age. (I'm 59 BTW) and I'm tired of dusting all this stuff. I'd like to get rid of this gigantic house and live in an apt.

Sorry I digress.

dew dew

[SplashsMom]

I have never seen this either. Does it use a wireless internet signal or do you have to preload it with a pricelist? Or work off phone signals? How is it they can use it wherever they happen to be?

Does anyone know how the lead laws will affect book resellers?
If the libraries are getting rid of childrens books because of lead in ink
I definitely think the same laws would apply to resellers. Even if only for children's materials.  I heard Amazon had put out a notice about the implications, but I am not reselling except at yard sales.

The books I am interested in are pre-barcode anyhow. Still I agree certain people are a pain in the tushy at book sales.

[Good Buddy]

I have never seen this either. Does it use a wireless internet signal or do you have to preload it with a pricelist? Or work off phone signals? How is it they can use it wherever they happen to be?

You load the price list from a website to a card that's on the PDA.

I've been reading this thread with great interest as we've known several folks who do this. I personally don't think it's a big deal at all. The books they are buying are just very obscure ones that you 99% of the time couldn't care less about. All it is is computerizing knowledge.
If I were to know all there was to know about Avon collectibles and knew all the current pricing on ebay then I were to buy everything that was worthwhile to sell, would everybody be all upset about it?
There's plenty of folks that thrift to resell and books are just too numerous to know everything about so they've computerized a list.

That's all I got....

[valleythriftshopper]

I don't have a problem with people buying & reselling, I do it too.  The issue I have with book sellers & antique dealers is that they show up for these sales & act pushy & rude.  Alot of the book sellers tend to be real snobs too.  To make any money at just selling books to have to work in a big volume which I guess is what makes them seem greedy.  To openly scan the books letting everyone know that you are just there for the resell also just rubs people the wrong way.  I would love to have a PDA devise to look up stuff at yard sales but I would probably go to my car to do it.  I never let on at a sale that I am looking for items to sell.  When people ask me what if I collect something or what am I going to do with such & such, I just make up a story.  The people selling the stuff are much happier to hear that than "I am going to put it up on Ebay". 

I don't have to resort to being pushy or rude & I find nice stuff all the time, although I am into just about everything so that helps. 

[Good Buddy]

Anyone who's pushy and rude sucks in my book, I agree.