Dragon Posted 23 March , 2004 Share Posted 23 March , 2004 I would like to track down some particular out-of-print books and probably buy on-line. (Themes: history, literature) I would appreciate any recommendations of reliable, trustworthy and comprehensive websites. The books I seek were published in 1980-ish and 1990-ish and are not collectors’ items. Condition is not material. Many thanks. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Godden Posted 23 March , 2004 Share Posted 23 March , 2004 Hi Gwyn, Try www.bookfinder.com I have always had luck when searching for something obscure. Alternatively check out the Amazon Zshops and Abebooks for other things. All the best in you hunt. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Brown Posted 23 March , 2004 Share Posted 23 March , 2004 UKBookworld It is made up of hundreds of different sellers in the UK . You have the facility to input details of your subject interests and receive email notificatiuon when a possibility is uploaded by someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 23 March , 2004 Share Posted 23 March , 2004 Hi Gwyn, I have a direct search box on my website to abebooks but you can also try alibris.com Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 23 March , 2004 Author Share Posted 23 March , 2004 Thank you thank you thank you. I appreciate the recommendations. I will search around later on. Gwyn Ryan - was it you who suggested a site to download a cd ripper? If it was, it worked brilliantly, thank you. (Nice to grab an alternative to the Windows sound options for showing that the PC is waking up or going to bed, by using a few bars from a favourite CD!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lesley Posted 23 March , 2004 Share Posted 23 March , 2004 Gwyn, I usually search for out of print books using abebooks.com. When I've located the book, if it is available in the UK I contact the seller direct rather than ordering via the site. regards Lesley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armourersergeant Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Gwyn, I usually search for out of print books using abebooks.com. When I've located the book, if it is available in the UK I contact the seller direct rather than ordering via the site. regards Lesley Lesley, The advantage being that you get a better price? Arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Ryan - was it you who suggested a site to download a cd ripper? If it was, it worked brilliantly, thank you. (Nice to grab an alternative to the Windows sound options for showing that the PC is waking up or going to bed, by using a few bars from a favourite CD!) I believe it was Gwyn, dBpowerAMP - and if anyone else wants a copy of this great programme simply go to http://www.dbpoweramp.com/ Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem22 Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Gwyn I've found http://www.addall.com/ to be very useful. It has an out of print and used book section. It doesn't sell books but searches other book search engines. It then links you to the dealer. Garth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleur Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Gwyn, I've had great success at traking down some dead obscure titles using eBay, especialy thier 'available to the UK' area. Fleur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosemary Clarke Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Gwyn I would second, third, fourth or whatever, Abebooks. Found my Wilfred Owen poems through them (from NZ) a few years ago and haven't looked back! Great website and search facility - good hunting. Rosemary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 24 March , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Thank you all ever so much for your suggestions. I will try them all and keep returning to them. Fleur, I hadn't thought of eBay. I've never used eBay before. Worth a try. If all else fails, I will go and rob the public library. I know they've got copies. Gwyn PS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Serious point about Ebay for s/h books. I often use it to highlight titles through key words and then watch the item. Sometime I bid but I always make a point of searching for the same title on abebooks for example. To date out of every book researched I have then purchased it cheaper on abebooks than the final price reached in Ebay... Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 EBay buyers never fail to astonish. I, too, track prices on ABE before bidding on eBay, but many bidders obviously do not. Consequently prices sometimes go way above what you can get books for on ABE. And sometimes they don't and you land a bargain! Gwyn, As regards dealing direct with booksellers found on ABE, you cut out the middle man, and are more likely to get a better postal price than that through ABE. I use One-Tell as my phone router, which gives me very cheap international calls - its fun to ring up one in the States and buy a book - they're usually completely bemused by this mad Brit wanting this book mailed out Global Priority! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lesley Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Arm, cheaper postage, no problems converting currencies and I don't care how secure the server I've had my details downloaded and used once from a web site I shopped with and it ain't gonna happen again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Gwyn, I usually search for out of print books using abebooks.com. When I've located the book, if it is available in the UK I contact the seller direct rather than ordering via the site. regards Lesley Lesley, The advantage being that you get a better price? Arm. The book trade is traditionally a conservative one and I have always treid to deal directly with the book dealer by phone where I can. I generally find myself speaking to some nice helpful chatty soul and often find the side benefit of being alerted to other volumes. The benefit may not be in financial terms but benefit there often is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 24 March , 2004 Author Share Posted 24 March , 2004 Thank you very much. I've visited all the sites, unfortunately unsuccessfully, but I've bookmarked the pages and I'll keep returning to look. I'm sure they will be useful in the future for other needs. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 24 March , 2004 Share Posted 24 March , 2004 There is one more, a more involved system where they will do the trawling for you - http://www.exedra.co.uk/ Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 25 March , 2004 Author Share Posted 25 March , 2004 Thank you, Ryan. I've now left details there. Fingers crossed..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Brown Posted 25 March , 2004 Share Posted 25 March , 2004 I've visited all the sites, Just in case not mentioned:- Biblion Bibliophile Maremagnum OddVolumes They may also appear under the umbrella of Bookfinder.Com , I do not know, but worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbob Posted 25 March , 2004 Share Posted 25 March , 2004 Gwyn, I regularly trawl round second hand book shops, if you want feel free to send me a message or email me with the titles you are after as well as a guide price for how much you are willing to pay. I will gladly keep an eye open for you, there is a particulary large second hand book wharehouse nearby that I spend many an hour in. As a Pal, it goes without saying, I will not charge any extra than the shop price. Fatbob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alessandro Milan Posted 29 March , 2004 Share Posted 29 March , 2004 I usually get out of print publications and books (in a very good condition) from: Denis McDonnell, Bookseller Specializing in T.E. Lawrence & French Foreign Legion & World War I Founding Editor of T.E. NOTES: A T.E. Lawrence Newsletter 653 Park Street, Honesdale, Pennsylvania 18431-1421 USA Tel: (570) 253-6706 § Fax: (570) 253-6786 E-mail: dmd@ptd.net § denisbks@hotmail.com URL: www.denismcd.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 29 September , 2004 Author Share Posted 29 September , 2004 I tried them all!! Exedra have now, today, found me the book! I placed the request in March and now I'm really pleased. Are they reputable / legitimate? Am I safe giving them my money? It's not a fortune, but if I hand over my card details... Any negative comments could perhaps be put in my message box rather than on a public forum (thinking litigation possibilities). Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Wright Posted 29 September , 2004 Share Posted 29 September , 2004 Hi Gwyn, As a librarian, I usually use Abebooks.com, which is a consortium of used book dealers around the world. You can search for a book by title, author or keyword and it will give you the book from least to most expensive. This is nice because you can compare prices, editions and where the book seller is located. (For instance the US versus the UK.) I've also tried a number of other posted suggestions with succcess, but keep returning to Abebooks. One thing that I do run into from time to time is looking for something that is so obscure that no one (at the moment at least) seems to have it. So, it pays to be patient and look around awhile. Like any other bibliophile, I have a rather long list of books that I spent years looking for and then found in the strangest places. Finally, there is the problem of paying for whatever you are buying.... Happy hunting! Steve P.S. For great books on bibliophiles and their quirks, read Nicholas Basbanes' "A Gentle Madness" and "Among the Gently Mad" My wife would consider my quite far gone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 29 September , 2004 Author Share Posted 29 September , 2004 So, it pays to be patient and look around awhile. Like any other bibliophile, I have a rather long list of books that I spent years looking for and then found in the strangest places. Thanks, Steven. As my post today shows, patience does indeed pay, as I requested in March and was notified this morning. Paying is a minor problem compared with storing! There are some rooms of the house into which I'm not allowed to expand... Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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