Used Book Sellers Wanted

[tenshikurai9.livejournal.com]

I have a random assortment of books to sell. Which stores in Davis/surrounding areas would buy/trade in used books and what kinds of used books do they deal in? Nothing's older than 30 years so no antiquarian book shops needed.

Comments

[twirlingtulip.livejournal.com]

Lorem Epsom in Inman sq

[ron_newman]

correct spelling is Lorem Ipsum. I didn't realize they had moved from Hampshire Street to Cambridge Street.

[twirlingtulip.livejournal.com]

Yes! They moved!

Sorry I had Epsom Salt baths on the brain!

[radegund-lj.livejournal.com]

That sounds like the name of a relaxing spa treatment where you soak in a bath and get a book to read at the same time. :)

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I now desperately want the business for which this would be an appropriate title to exist. I think I may be disappointed if ArtBeat does not contain a soap seller under this name.

[ron_newman]

Davis Square has no bookstores anymore, but McIntyre & Moore is still nearby in Porter Square.

[alphacygni]

M&M will reject most of your books and sneer at you while doing so - it completely turned me off to the place. Lorem Ipsum has always taken more things, and at least been nice about it while doing so. I also only just discovered that they had moved further into Inman, and I wish them great success in their new location.

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Not quite what you asked, but something I use a lot is http://paperbackswap.com - send books you don't want to people who want them, and in exchange get other people to send you books you want but they don't, for the cost of the postage.

[laryu.livejournal.com]

Along similar lines, I might suggest http://www.swaptree.com, which does a good job setting up swaps directly rather than using the point system that paperbackswap.com or bookmooch.com use. I have 55 points on bookmooch and find it impossible to use them unless I want 55 copies of the DaVinci Code.

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Interesting - I find the point system a plus for paperbackswap, because it means I don't have to find the rare person who has the book I want and at the same time wants the book I have. (I haven't tried bookmooch). But true, it's the perfect tool for acquiring last year's best seller. :)

[laryu.livejournal.com]

Very true. Swaptree helps grease the wheels by including inventories of CDs, DVDs and games alone with books, and further by setting up 3-way trades. If you have a reasonable inventory and can list some wants, it works pretty well.

I also keep part of my inventory on bookmooch, but every time I get notified that a book I want is available, someone beats me to it. So I end up mailing more and more books out but never having the chance to cash in points. Maybe there's just too many points floating around on bookmooch. Have you found paperbackswap to be similar?

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

For books that aren't posted on paperbackswap, there's a wish list you can sign up for, and new books get offered in order to the people on the list. So for popular books, you put your name on the list and slowly work your way to the front of the line as people in front of you get the book. If it's a really high-demand book, it could be years to get a copy, but I find that it works pretty well if I put things on my wishlist when I think "Oh, I'd like to read that some time" and then eventually I get a notification that a book I wished for is being offered to me.

[laryu.livejournal.com]

I see. With bookmooch, you also add books to your wishlist, but I think a notice of availability goes out to everyone and the first responder gets the book. I like the idea of getting in line better. Thanks.

[borgin.livejournal.com]

Paperbackswap isn't as free with the points. Bookmooch gives you a 1/10th of a point for every book you post, in addition to the points you get for sending out books. PBS only gives you two free points for posting your initial 10 books, and then you have to earn the rest of them by mailing books.

PBS also holds credits in escrow until the transaction is complete. I ended up quitting Bookmooch because it was hard to get the books I wanted (love the way the wishlist works at PBS!) and because I kept requesting books that wouldn't be sent for months and months - so the sender could order a book with my point but never actually send me mine. PBS has time limits built in - if you don't respond to a request after about 5 days, it rolls over to the next person.

[justjess.livejournal.com]

I've never had any trouble using up my BookMooch points!

[snoopymel.livejournal.com]

I find paperbackswap user friendly, easy to use, and a lot more direct thatn swaptree. Then again, I haven't tried swaptree personally. I've been a member of PBswap for three years now, and absolutely love the variety, the fact that you can set up a wish list, and the joy of getting books in the mail!

[syntheticnature.livejournal.com]

Rodney's Bookstore (http://www.rodneysbookstore.com/) in Central Square is more liberal in its buying than McIntyre and Moore. They take lots of kinds of books - I think they want them to be in nice condition, though.

[ron_newman]

Harvard Book Store buys used books.

not in Davis Sq but...

[mamabunny72.livejournal.com]

try The Book Rack on Medford St in Arlington Center.

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

Pandemonium Books & Games in Central will take most used sci-fi and fantasy books off your hands!

[radiotelescope.livejournal.com]

Including hardbacks? I have a fair stack of SF hardbacks that are taking up too much shelf space for their read-value.

[laryu.livejournal.com]

Generally not including hardbacks:
"We will not accept any library books, hardcovers, or trade paperback editions of titles that are currently available in mass market editions."

http://www.pandemoniumbooks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10

[moonshadow.livejournal.com]

If you have any left over at the end, my partner and I are hosting a free book swap in Davis Square on March 7th. Everyone shows up with books, everyone leaves with books, extra books go to charity.