I was just having a conversation with a good friend recently about scanning books at the point of sale (before buying them). I came away confident in my position and he in his. I think that it really depends on what your business model is. If you are just trying to get a lot of inventory moving and have a venue to sell the mountains of penny books (he has his own bookstore as well as an online store) then it may be a good idea to just buy books in bulk. I however have started to move towards a different business model. While at the very beginning I would buy large lots of books for very cheap per book, I found it to be a lot of work and while there would be those hidden treasures, most would be junk. I now am trying to limit my inventory to higher priced and fast moving inventory, but less of it. It works well with trying to get an internship this summer also.
While some sellers think that they have the eagle eye and are proud of being able to spot books they want on the spot, I think that as they say, the pride comes before the fall. This seller will often miss good deals that are right in front of them. For example, I went to a sale on Saturday and there were 30,000 books there. I was able to go through and scan the ones that had barcodes, but still keep my eye on the older, non-barcoded books in order to be able to spot a deal. Using this method I saw a textbook with a great sales rank and worth $50. Otherwise, I would have had to take quite a bit of time to decipher if it was worth it or not and maybe would have made a wrong choice. Using a scanner doesn't mean you have to be an idiot with no idea what a good book looks like, it just means that you are humble enough to admit you don't know the price of every book online.
I look forward to your thoughts and some debate. Thanks
Monday, March 30, 2009
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Whenever I see mention of scanners on discussion boards, the booksellers quickly fall into two camps.... obviously proponents and detractors. There is a bit of elitism from the old guard regarding scanners. They consider them "cheating" and scorn their use. While I can understand their scorn, I do not share it.
ReplyDeleteA scanner is a tool in a bookseller’s arsenal. It harnesses technology toward a bookseller's goal: purchasing books that sell well for attractive prices. In certain situations - a quiet non crowded book sale - they are helpful. In others - a busy book sale which lots of competition - they can be a hindrance.
Ignorant use of the device is what garners the scorn of its detractors. Hording in piles and scanning and discarding is a book sale faux pas. Taking your time to review each book with a scanner is fine within acceptable parameters.
An ambitious up and coming bookseller can benefit through a scanner's use. However a seller will eventually develop a working knowledge of what sells for attractive prices. At this point scanning each item would hamper his or her efforts because of the time factor. In a busy book sale, time is of the essence. A balance must be struck.
Also remember with a scanner comes with cost of purchase and maintaining a subscription. To a bookseller reviewing a high volume of books on a regular basis this cost would be a pittance. The cost benefit is merely a factor to consider. Maybe I will try one out at some point.
Right now I hit 3 book sales per Saturday and buy a thousand or more books which sell pretty well. I do not think I could go through three 10 to 20 thousand book per sales in the 9 am to 3 pm timeframe. Maybe I am missing some treasures but I am making out pretty well without.
Still I am tempted.