Book Sale Etiquette

A collaborative document working toward a consensus on book sale etiquette. Feel free to contribute

Problems:

• Book hoarders
• Lack of basic common courtesy
• People who put books back in the wrong category, or sloppily, upside down, etc.
• I say showering! Come on people!
• I am sick of people picking up all the books on one shelf – the same shelf I am looking at – only to see them return to the shelf with half of the books after scanning.
• There are sales that offer their books free or almost free (i.e., a bagfull for $1) at the end. There are definitely buyers who hide books so they don’t sell and then take them during the special time. This is stealing.
• Placing a box of books on top of the table of books preventing other people from seeing the books.
• Opening a book on top of the table of books and standing there reading it preventing others from seeing the books.

Counterpoints: Building an inventory is tough and competitive- we will continue to use any means permitted by the sale organizers to increase our inventory- including collecting books, pricing, and returning them.

I went to a sale that simply stated you had to scan as you went. Anyone hoarding books would be asked to leave. I thought that was a decent policy. I hate the hoarding practice, but if other sellers are doing it and the sale allows it, it pretty much forces me to hoard as well to be competitive.

Consideration(s) up for adoption: Where possible, have only a single holding area at booksales where all books will be considered “sold” and to be paid for, when placed there, with no putting back of those books. Have no other holding areas, with all books not being carried by shoppers considered “fair game” for any buyer. Buyers would be free to stand at tables and examine books to any extent they would like, but as soon as they put them down anywhere other than the holding area they are “fair game”. Shoppers who refuse to pay for each and every book they place in the holding area will forfeit all of the books they put in the holding area and those books will go back out on the floor. Booksale workers who see shoppers hoarding or stashing books (other than what they are carrying) will remind them of the “no hoarding” rule and ask those shoppers to either take their books to the holding area at once or immediately put them back where they got them.

The organization having the sale should auction off (live, not silent) the chance for one person to get in 1 hour before everyone else.

(I object to this concept of auctioning an early entrance to a sale. It is a detriment to the general public, book dealers and the sponsoring organization. One person, likely a dealer, gets in early, gets the vast majority of valuable books. Subsequent shoppers get the leftovers, thus discouraged, and don’t return to future sales and don’t donate books to the sale in the future. Ultimately, a community event becomes primarily a boon to a single shopper, while everyone else is discouraged and frustrated. Bad, bad idea.)

(Auctioning off to one is a bad idea, you will probably make more money having dealers all pay $10 or $20, as no one is likely to want to pay more than $100 for the privledge. I like the sales that insist on scan at the tables, not hoarding, and if some people start hoarding they have to be thrown out. Holding areas present problems as many sales have little room, if someone has taken tons of books off the tables and is scanning in a corner, then tell them to leave loudly, I think this presents a problem because most sale volunteers are retirees but is the only way to get it done. Book sellers are after non-fiction books primarily, if you seperate fiction and non-fiction into different sales you may eliminate these potential problems. Dealers buy a lot of books, often ones that would be left there, I have heard of banning pdas and phones but that basically bans dealers, and it make no sense to bad someone who buys $100 or more of books for someone who is offended and buying less than $20. Book dealers help sales not hurt them, the point of a sale is to raise money, not supply the masses with inexpensive books. If a sale newly bans pdas and scanner, then often people try to do this without drawing attention, but will skip the next sale.)

(Why? Booksellers pretty much buy what the general public doesn’t want anyways. And it’s mostly dealers at preview night. Why not let an FOL maximize it’s revenue for the sale? Not only that, but it’s going to keep the bad behavior down if you know your competitor was able to bid higher than you and get most of the good stuff. Not donating books because of it? What do they think, they’re going to be given away for free to “needy” readers? They are going to be sold no matter what!)

I recommend prohibiting all electronic devices at book sales. This greatly improves customer behavior.

A compromise would be to prohibit electronic devices for the first part of a sale. This would favor people who understand what they want to buy. At the end of a sale PDAs and cell phones could be used. This would insure that the organization could sell the maximum number of books.

(Why not allow scanners, cellphones, and PDA‘s, when used with courtesy these are great scouting tools. There are booksellers who just scan at the tables/shelves and only put books in their boxes they are going to buy. The problem is the hoarding of books not the electronic devices themselves.)

I have a poor memory, as do many of you, I NEED a PDA to keep my thoughts straight. I will purchase much more if I am allowed to use it. I recently spent over $300 because I used my PDA. The past years, at that same sale, I was overwhelmed after 20 minutes and had to leave with very little in hand. I should be given the same respect as other shoppers, not having to come later, or leave it at home.

How do PDAs hurt other shoppers? I don’t understand that. Our organization breaks new records in sales every sale (twice a year)! Our primary policy is to be kind and courteous to ALL - we smile at everyone, help everyone, have very few rules.

Examples

• Please do not block the aisles with stacks of books or your bags. After you’ve collected a good supply, pay for your purchases and take them to your car. You can return for another round.
• Don’t sit on the floor to make up your mind about your selections. It blocks the aisles, and it is unfair to other shoppers.
• Do not pull out quantities of books to examine and decide if you want them. Pull out one book at a time and if you want it, keep it in your stack of selections. If not, replace it in its category.

Ref: http://www.duluth.lib.mn.us/Programs/BookSale.html)

See also Lawrence, Kansas “rules”:

 1. DO NOT RUN at any time. This is dangerous for everyone.
 2. For the safety of all and in accordance with Fire Code, do not bring any wheeled vehicle-- wagon, stroller, cart--into the tent or garage. If you have any doubt, please ask a volunteer.
 3. PLEASE be in the checkout line fifteen minutes before closing time. No more books will be tallied or purchased after closing time.
 4. PLEASE do not sweep or clear an entire shelf or category of books. (Customers who sweep an entire category may be asked to leave without their purchase.)
 5. If you select a large number of books, Please return those books you do not want to their proper place. Books should be replaced quickly so that other patrons have the opportunity to buy them. Our goal is to raise funds for the library and BOOK HOARDING COSTS THE FRIENDS SALES.
 6. One adult per individual membership, two adults with children per family membership will be allowed entry to the sale on MEMBERS NIGHT.
 7. Rudeness detracts from an otherwise positive experience, and will not be tolerated. The Friends of the Library reserves the right to refuse service.

Ref: https://www.lawrence.lib.ks.us/friends/sale-rules.html

Be patient and tolerant toward everyone, but also try hard to stay out of the way of other shoppers. Let’s all share space!!!