Forgotten Vintage Children's Lit We Want Republished! discussion
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But just in case you're in the Deutschschweiz/the Zürich area, here are my LOCAL recommendations!
- Bücher-Brocky!!! https://www.buecher-brocky.ch/ Several locations (the Zürich one is just across from Bahnhof Enge in a musty, unfinished basement that feels like a fire trap and has hideous fluorescent lighting and paper shopping bags of donated books piled on the floor. Tall shelves as far as the eyes can see. Glorious). Lots of work to be done here, digging through and scanning shelves. Lovely on a rainy day...
- anywhere except OrellFüssli. Seriously. Even online, Weltbild or ExLibris will have it for substantially less (like 5-10CHF less!). I don't know why. Nice shops, nice locations, simply evil prices.
- Bülach is a village just north of Zürich (reachable by S-Bahn, but outside the city's network - will need supplemental SBB ticket). It's the local equivalent to Hay-on-Wye. As is typical, there's no one website to refer you to, no organized chamber of commerce deal. There are at least 3 big secondhand bookshops here - GoogleMaps is the best reference I can give.
- Kirche oder Kreis Bazaars, Bring & Nimm Tage, Pfädi Flöhmis, Elternverein Kinderflöhmis - I haven't had much luck with the regularly scheduled fleamarkets, but have made off rather well at a few events. The Church fundraising sales are usually very good (for everything). Bring and Take days (swapmeet - everything is free) are few and far between, but I always (in spite of promises to my partner) end up with armloads of books (it's not my fault!). Guide/Scout run fundraisers are usually as good as the church sales. Parents groups generally get good turn-outs, too.
Less good (in my experience, anyway) are Library off-sales (surprisingly! Certainly nothing like the ones in Canada, which were almost heaven on earth!), and regularly scheduled fleamarket stands. Many of those latter sellers I've seen shopping at the local Heils-Armee (Salvation Army) shop or other thrift stores, and then reselling at the markets.
- Little Free Libraries. The Swiss have money to burn, and it shows. You wouldn't believe the luxury editions and entire sets that show up in these, many of which are in English (the Swiss are excellent with foreign languages, particularly English!). There are better offerings here than at the fleamarkets, always. ;) I have seen an entire hardcover set of Harry Potter (in German) in perfect condition at mine. I've picked up an entire collectable set of an early German translation of The Lord of the Rings. And I've both given and taken many English books, too.
- There are many Antique booksellers in Zürich, nearly all of which are TERRIBLY UNFRIENDLY AND UNWELCOMING. ;) In spite of a central location on tourist-friendly alleys, they don't want you coming inside without a very good reason and very deep pockets. I was told they don't sell the sort of 'garbage' I was looking for... ;) Yeah. So be forewarned and expect very grumpy, very ancient old men glaring at you and being, umm, abrupt. (There was one in the Neumarkt that was friendly and welcoming, but I can't find it on GoogleMaps again. It was the only exception. Ah well).
Very sadly Amazon is shutting down Book Depository at the end of the month.
The Children’s Bookshop in London will also ship internationally.
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THAT is useful info! Many thanks! :)
https://www.childrensbookshoplondon.com/ for the link. I will be visiting! :)
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Yeah, I couldn't believe it when I heard it. I mean, I could... it was still a shock, though. Got some last orders in this morning. :S (They will still take orders until noon on the 26th, though).
I think it might have come somewhat as a surprise to their staff, too - they just launched their new 'collectable' bookmark lines for the next couple of months. I'd be curious to know if they were blindsided.
I did not realize Abe was Amazon; good to know as I'm anti-Amazon myself.You did not mention Alibris or Better World Books. I don't know if either is still around or any good; it's been so long since I needed used books.
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I think I've only used alibris once. I don't remember much, but yes, they come up often in the Bookfinder.com results! (Anyone prefer them?). Alibris is here: https://www.alibris.com/
Better World Books I like. :) I have bought from them through Abebooks, but never from their own website (which is here: https://www.betterworldbooks.com). I like the philantropy angle. :)
(Is it Discover Books who sends their books in that awful sticky-sided kraft-paper stuff?! It does work, but I hate peeling it off... https://www.discoverbooks.com/ )
EDIT: Yeah, it's them. And sometimes the corners tear open in transit, too. Hate that stuff - imagine your book sandwiched between two giant stickers, without a middle layer to protect the cover from the glue. Urgh. I've also received books from them in plastic, so I think they only use the sticker-stuff on the large flat books (picture books, etc.)
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EDIT: Yep, too good to be true - the copy of The Fair to Middling was "damaged" in storage and so I can request a different book of similar value or a refund. :p
I don't know if this is a momentary gap in Bookfinder's vision, or if there's a delay in the data it gleans, or what, but I just wanted to share that. I'll let you know what finally alights in my mailbox, but, at least to me, there were some seriously good deals that I didn't expect. Ratty paperbacks, probably, but I like 'em that way. :)
Also - I decided to exercise restraint and postpone an order, but there were many choice picks at the Children's Bookshop (Hay on Wye) recently, too. Maybe people had Easter weekend clear-outs of attics, who knows. :)
Image Cascade has been reprinting titles for quite some time, especially my very favorite, Lenora Mattingly Weber's Beany Malone. https://imagecascade.com/
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Thanks for this - I was not aware of this publisher!
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I bought a copy of Choristers' Cake, and then received a message saying that sorry, due to high customer demand, they had sold out and had to refund my order.
So, I went to see how much the copy would run me elsewhere via bookfinder.com.... WOB was selling the very same ISBN, maybe the same copy, for 3 times the price I just paid, via Biblio.
This is NOT the first time it's happened, either. It's probably the fifth. Sometimes they claim that the book was in unsaleable condition due to a warehouse leak or similar, which I only half believe (one time they sent the rodent-chewed copy AND a subsequent unchewed copy of THE CONJUROR'S BOX).
But like, The Fair to Middling, which is quite scarce, I had purchased, then had my order refunded, only for another (identical) copy to come up soon after (a day or two - by the time I got the refund notification) for a much, much higher price.
I've emailed them, because I think at this point I'm owed some reassurance that it was a simple warehouse error and not something more nefarious (it doesn't look good from my end, of course!), and I'll let you know how it goes... I've been pleased with them generally otherwise, and I'd like to keep shopping with them!
But, again, it's not the first time this has happened, and it's almost always with paperbacks under 5 pounds which reappear as being over 12 next time they come through...
It would be illegal, yes, if they were reselling the same copy for more after pretending they didn't have it? Like I said, I don't want to kick up a fuss, but when it's the same edition and all, you start to wonder...
Re-Read Ltd. (Doncaster) is the only bookseller I will AVOID dealing with, at all costs, after an especially problematic order awhile back (during the UK postal strike). My book was sent out, but was returned to sender shortly after dispatch (I discovered, later), without having left the UK.
I never received it (waited 2 months, out of deference for the strike, and because other books were trickling in quite late then), had to contact them, repeatedly, didn't receive a single reply (over the course of 3 weeks, too!), then was forced to escalate to AbeBooks customer service, which resulted in the book being resent by Re-Read the same day they got involved. ;) No apologies, no response to me via the bookseller. Left a bad taste. AbeBooks was able to show me that the book was shipped (and returned, without having left England), via their waybills, so I appreciated their explanation. Not a word from Re-Read, though!
So points to AbeBooks customer service (impressive!), but Re-Read is a no-go now for me. ;)
https://reread.org.uk/index.html - it looks good, sounds good, allegedly does good, but... isn't. Or at least, wasn't. Enough that I likely won't give them a second chance.
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So in this case, I sent an email showing the same copy shown as currently for sale by WOB elsewhere, after they said they haven't the copy in stock. So I'm really hoping I've forced them to explain.
I have had "ISBN mismatches" with them before (it happens, sadly), and that I don't really fault them for - they ARE, supposedly, unique identifiers, so I don't mind that their system doesn't catch the few glitches very well. They've been good about correcting/refunding for that, anyway.
I have never used WOB. But I have had some frustrating experiences with Abe sellers. No specific names I can share (it was months ago). Basically, I was looking for a copy of a specific book, the third in a trilogy. I already had the first two, in excellent condition. I wanted something in similar condition, and was willing to pay quite a bit for it. But although I messaged four different sellers who were listing copies for $100+, not a single one could give me details about the book's condition. The sellers were all in different places from the books! Apparently this is a common model now for sellers on the site. Anyhow, I was just astonished that they all recommended I take a chance on their books (sight unseen), because I could return them if not in the condition required. To charge that much money, and not be able to answer basic questions, seems like madness to me. Maybe I'm old fashioned?
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And let's not forget shipping costs - they aren't negligible these days, either! Would you be reimbursed that (for certain!) if you had to return it with tracking? Hmm.. I would wonder about that.
The one thing about WOB is that they do ship their 'rare' books from another branch/warehouse. I haven't tried to ask, but I suspect that being 'rare', which doesn't always equate with expensive, happily, might provide you with better customer service... although maybe I'm just being optimistic!
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Apart from WoB (aka you get what you get but at least the shipping is cheap) I buy only from reputable, long-established booksellers. Abe is full of untrustworthy sellers. Never used to be, is now. And the shipping costs are usually far too high.
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No issues for me with any of the booksellers - I once had a paperback arrive with a bare patch on the cover where a sticker had been removed badly. I mentioned this in my review of seller, saying it didn't spoil my read, but would reduce the chance of giving a similar book as a gift. A clean copy arrived unasked for in short order. I updated my review.However... I bought an old - over 70 years - large hardback from a secondhand bookseller on Amazon. This was sent in the UK by normal post, and never arrived. As the book was about the size of a small laptop I reckoned it had been stolen from the post by post office workers. I would not even mind if it arrived with package opened, but presumably they had to take it away to open it, and just dumped it rather than get caught returning it. As there were no more, I could not get a replacement.
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I've had USPS workers steal from me - I had to mail some Swiss chocolates to a friend when they didn't fit in her suitcase - and they cut open the package, removed the chocolates, resealed it, and sent it on empty to the recipient at her home. I was aghast, but she said it wasn't the first time it had happened to her! Imagine! :O No customs note, no nothing - they tried to cover their tracks, too!
I also once got a replacement for a product that, luckily, they could send another one of. It seems the original got ejected from the mail-sorting machinery (or so I presume from the greasy gear-prints and abrasions on the package I eventually received!), and it was sent on to me half a year later in the Swiss Post, again, without a "whoops - this got stuck somewhere! Sorry!" sticker or anything. I guess they do a good deep-cleaning periodically and find all the letters and slim packages that were flung underneath conveyer belts, etc.! XD
I told the company (RedBubble), just so they were aware, and they said keep both. ;)
A newly made t-shirt or whatever doesn't compare with a rare old book.... but we put our trust in the post. Usually An Post, the Irish version, is reliable. The missives have dropped off greatly, of course, so they are package post deliverers more often than not. Amazon is a major player in giving them work.
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No, I should have been clear - if it can happen to a slim package of that size, if could very well have happened to the majority of paperbacks I get shipped! (Probably not a book of the proportions of your missing rarity, though - you'd think they'd notice the CLONK! if it did bounce off!).
No, sorry - wasn't clear about that. It was no big deal, but it did make me wonder about:
a) How often the spaces under and voids within those sorting machines get checked (and for sure the fastidious Swiss clean them more regularly that everyone else!), and
b) What horrible gears and belts and drums and crank-shafts, etc., lay waiting to EAT my next scarce vintage book!
I'm not joking - I've been in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, worrying a lateish shipment has been reduced to confetti...!
Sending good thoughts to the interspace of the postal service...
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It seems there is a local movement in process to preserve its business. My computer expertise is very limited but I have been unable to identify any online scheme to preserve the business. If anyone feels they want to look further into this I am sure the people of Llanrwst would welcome it.
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Seems like they are hanging on for now - oh I do hope for a happy end! :(
https://www.bysabawd.cymru/en/
Forgotten Vintage Children's Lit We Want...
Books mentioned in this topic
Choristers' Cake (other topics)THE CONJUROR'S BOX (other topics)
The Fair to Middling (other topics)
The Fair to Middling (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Mabel Esther Allan (other topics)Monica Edwards (other topics)
Blackwells.co.uk: This is my alternative recommendation to Book Depository, for folks living outside of the UK who want new UK books. :) Until the 26th, I'll be doing my usual comparison shopping between Blackwell's and Book Depository and ordering from whichever has the better price (they are pretty similar, but the prices can vary widely on occasion, without an apparent rhyme or reason). I'll be sorry to see BD go, but I'm glad Blackwell's is still up and running. :)
Abebooks.com / Abebooks.co.uk / ZVAB.com (Deutsch): hopefully it won't suffer the same fate as Book Depository, but it was acquired by Amazon some time ago and runs parallel to its own secondhand book sales (where it has Amazon-based payment options, Amazon advertising, Amazon everything for more $$$$...). So Abebooks is on similar shaky ground. I wouldn't be surprised to see it shut down, too. Bezos... what a greedy pig.
A few notes about this one:
- has a useful "Create a Want" feature, where you can log a particular book or edition, gate for price, and a spot for 'secret information'. I find this very helpful. I enjoy seeing those "Abebooks has found the book you want!" emails, but sadly, if I don't get to that within minutes, it's usually gone.
- ZVAB is the German-language version (serving AUS, DE, CH, etc.) and displays the same listings from the same sellers... but is sometimes (always?!) more expensive for the same item. My current theory is that the 'shipping' costs are calculated in a rather suspect manner, and some skimming is happening. There's always a premium to pay somewhere if you're buying in/from Switzerland - money to be made on that exchange rate!
- SHIPPING: I recently had a conversation with a US based bookseller on Abebooks who told me that Abe only allows them to set ONE price for international shipping and they cannot vary it. It covers books for up to 4 pounds, so for a single paperback, the trans-atlantic shipping can be outrageous. The kind bookseller pointed out that they also sell on Biblio, so... guess where I went. ;) The international shipping was $10USD less at Biblio. My theory is this: that Abebooks has a business rate with the USPS and other postal outlets, and they are charged a fee which varies on the number of shipments sent that fiscal year, etc. I suspect that Abe (Amazon) is skimming cash on this - they charge for the maximum postal rate (to be sure it's covered), knowing that they'll be paying a mere fraction of that, and there's profit to be made. That's my suspicion, anyway. This also explains why ZVAB charges more for shipping from the UK than Abe does for the same listing - it's all Royal Post, but the default rate has been, mysteriously, set higher... again, just a theory.
TL:DR - I'm trying to move past Abebooks, because Amazon owns it. I miss the good old days, though. It has some nice features, a good interface, and some habits are hard to kick.
WOB (formerly "World of Books"): I remember a time (last year?) when I could check the price at Abebooks and then go directly to WOB's UK site and find the book for a different price. It used to be less, but recently that's not the case (in some cases it's more expensive than its Abe listing!). This I chalk up to the fact that WOB has rebranded and expanded. There's a Swiss/German option (similar idea to ZVAB) which, again, lists that very same books but for more money. So I only really browse the UK site. These guys have changed dramatically in the last little while and are no longer a 'go-to' option for me.
Thriftbooks.com: I like this one - it has wishlists and alerts, and it has a rewards program. It's not a great deal if you're not living in North America, though - the last time I got a free book, I ended up paying so much for shipping that it would have been cheaper to buy it from the UK without a discount (sniff sniff - a little sad about that!). It's also a very nice place to browse covers, with lovely large images for each book, and they are nicely categorized and searchable with useful sorting and filters.
Medimops.de / MOMOX: It's German, but it does have English books as well, and other media (DVDs, CDs, etc.). I HATE this seller. It's fine for sending refunds (zum beispiel: when my DVD arrived in 20 different pieces), but what it lists as "Good/Gut" or "Acceptable/Akzeptabel" condition is a complete and utter exaggeration - DO NOT buy anything from this seller that isn't listed as "Very Good" or "Wie Neu/Like New", and avoid at all costs anything listed as "Befriedigend/Satisfactory". Anything less than "Very Good" is the equivalent to "POOR" for every other bookseller out there. I've been sold a "Good" picture book where 25% of each image was torn (got damp, ripped open and detroyed much of each page!), and several with missing pages, pages torn down the middle, books that were more cello-tape than cellulose, and board books with multiple missing flaps. This seller lists on Abebooks, so I'm posting this is as a warning in the public's interest - the quality here is shockingly absent, and I'm no fussy collector. Be wary of this one. They do give refunds and are fine re: customer support, but they are selling things that should seriously be recycled and not sold on.
Livre.FNAC.com: (French) I have made 3 purchases on FNAC. The first was prcoessed, confirmed, and then cancelled - the bookseller apologised, that book was no longer available. Refund sent. Oui, bon. Ok. Then that book was relisted (a different seller) for 5 times the price. Possibly coincidence. Then I made another purchase, from another seller - wouldn't you just know it, the exact same thing, again: same story. The other available copies - astronomically expensive. Zut alors! Forget it. The third time, I actually received the books I bought. XD Third time's a charm, ne c'est pas? But seriously, what the frack?! I can't tell if it's dodgy or just sloppy or what, but that was disappointing, especially because the cancellation comes several days later, just when you think everything's going to plan and that book you ordered as a gift for your friend is going to arrive soon.. :p So I dunno what to say about this, other than 'keep your expectations low'. ;)
The Children's Bookshop, Hay on Wye: Possibly my favourite shop of them all. A searchable catalogue, reasonable prices, adorable little independent shop, large stock. I have bought books from here that I knew nothing about, just because it's so lovely to browse. Quality always good. Shipping very reasonable (honest prices). Hope to visit them one day in person. :) https://childrensbookshop.com/
Peakirk Books: I've used them a few times, they're reliable (mostly), but I was a bit peeved because they didn't follow up with a question I had about the book protection sleeves that they use or could recommend to me. Considering the amount of money I've spent there, I found that rather obnoxious. I haven't been back since, so natural consequences of sloppy customer support. ;) They are a bit expensive, too. But worth knowing about, if they happen to have the one you want. https://www.peakirkbooks.com/
Stella and Rose: I don't think I've made a purchase from them, but they are similar to Peakirk - lots of lovely titles, nicely displayed, and costing a pretty penny, too. They are closed until the end of this month (April '23) for renos. A very nice website to browse, anyway. https://www.stellabooks.com/
Biblio.co.uk: It's new to me, but I like it! :) User interface a little less polished, and has less features than Abebooks (unless I've missed something?). Shipping rates trans-atlantic are much more reasonable than Abebooks.
Bookshop.org, uk.Bookshop.org: I would choose this every time, if I could. However, there's no ch.Bookshop.org, so useless to me living in Switzerland! But a great idea - a cooperative of independent booksellers, forming a large online entity for your browsing pleasure. Again, I wish I could use it...
Girls Gone By: Reprinting many out of print Girl's School stories and the like, this is one of my favourite ways of getting my hands on old material I couldn't afford otherwise. Their regular emails are pretty, umm, personal - I know all about Ann's specific health concerns, the dispositions of their cats and the doings at the vicarage. It's adorable. I'm there for the Mabel Esther Allan and Monica Edwards, chiefly. It's not especially cheap, but it's a lot cheaper than the extremely scarce originals, assuming they're even for sale. All of their books contain extras and biographies and usually a short story or two, on top of a robust publication history and pictures. A labour of love, really. You can order directly from them (cheapest) or via Book Depository (at least, until 26 April '23, that is). If it gets lost in the mail or delayed, you can have a conversation with Clarissa herself, who seems very busy and occasionally put out. :S Again, very small scale and definitely not 'big business'! :)
and finally, perhaps the most useful of all:
Bookfinder.com (Not a Seller): with the caveat that, due to caching or search results or insufficient procurement, it can't see all listings on the internet (I have discovered). But start here first to comparison shop - the features are astounding, especially the search functions (take a look!), and they'll show all new and used offers INCLUDING shipping costs* to your country!
*I was forced to buy from Amazon itself for the first time in a decade, and my shipping costs were NOT included in the price - I think if I had AmazonPrime (NOPE), it would have been free. But as I do not (and will not), I had to fork over. It was still much more affordable than the next, so I didn't have a choice. (I bought a duology and sat down to read it, only to realise it was a trilogy and the first book was missing!!! Desperate times...).
Did I miss something? Disagree with an assessment? Please comment and let us know! :) I'd especially be interested in loyalty programmes, and (personally) for anything based in Europe or the UK. Perhaps a Canadian or U.S. reader could help flesh out options in North America? :) Paperback Swap was not mentioned because I've not used it, living in Europe 'n' all. :( It sounds glorious - enlighten me if you've used it!