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So, you've been looking for an original copy of MACKENZIE'S MOUNTAIN for
ten years. You've picked up the reprint copies but you've just GOT to have
an original copy for your collection. Never mind that an original mint
copy can sell for $20.00, you're obsessed and have to have it. So how do
you find it?
One of the best ways is by employing patience....a great deal of patience.
Visit every single used book store you can possibly imagine, in every town
you happen to visit. I once found a mint copy of Diana Palmer's COLOR LOVE
BLUE (very hard to find, sells on Ebay for $30 +) on the floor, underneath
a bookshelf, in a used book store and paid 25 cents for it. When you go
into a used book store plan on spending at least an hour there. Scan ALL
the shelves, not just romance. You never know where someone might
categorize and shelve a book. Look on the floors. Ask if they have boxes
or stacks of books they're getting ready to get rid of. Remember that a
UBS doesn't keep books forever.
Next, try visiting the Salvation Army stores, Amvets, and other thrift
stores. People often give away boxes of books when they do their spring
cleaning. Plan again on spending some time and go often. You never know
when the treasures might turn up. I once found a mint copy of Patricia
Veryan's LOVE ALTER NOT (sells for $40.00 on Ebay) and paid 10 cents.
Join every possible trading list you can think of. You never know what
might turn up on a trade list. A friend recently traded for a copy of Nora
Roberts' PROMISE ME TOMORROW ($88.50). All it cost her was the postage and
a book in trade.
Join a favorite author's bulletin boards. Often other fans will have extra
copies they're willing to give away or trade for other books by this
author.
Employ friends who live in other cities, and across the country to scan
their used book stores for books you particularly want. Hard to find books
are sometimes regionally hard to find. What I can't find in Florida one of
my friends who lives in Tennessee has no problems finding.
Check out the used book stores online. Usually they'll know the secondary
market value of a book, but if you don't cringe at paying high dollars for
a book you really want......
Watch sites like Ebay, Amazon.com, Half.com, Abebooks.com and others. Many
allow you to have wish lists or put in orders for books they don't have.
When someone lists a book you'll be contacted by them.
Check out trade pages on the web. There are thousands of them. Use a
search engine, type in romance trade pages, trade pages, book trading..any
combination you can think of and you'll be amazed at the results you'll
find. One never knows where they might find a book they want. You'll also
find some trade webrings.
To get you started, here are some links for online sites:
New and Previously Owned Books
Alibris - Books You Thought You'd Never Find
BOOK
WAREHOUSE
GentlyUsedBooks.com,
The
Bent Cover Bookstore
A to Z Books
Retrobooks
The Old Book Barn
A
Bunch of Books
Rereadables
Welcome
to A Romance Haven online bookstore
Welcome to Central Booksource
Romance
World Bookstore
MikesEZBooks.com
D'S Book Service
Books under Three Bucks;
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