Multi-Dealer Book Databases, and Why You Should Support Some of the Smaller Ones

The two most economically viable places to list your books are ABE, and zShops. So by all means list at one or more of these sites.

I'd like to suggest something to you though. There's something to be said for diversity. If one or more of these sites close up shop, raise prices, or change their focus... many of us could be left high and dry if there aren't other options. Those other options need to be viable now in order to be there later when we need them.

Once you've gotten yourself established online, and are making a decent living, consider supporting one of the smaller databases. Here are some possibilities:

Antiqbook an excellent European database. And Piet is a prince among database owners.

Bibliophile.net based in Switzerland, and multilingual. Perhaps some of you would like to look beyond the North American, and English-speaking markets?

Book Avenue owned by Rhett Moran of Gutenberg Holdings, an independent bookstore. Rhett is as trustworthy and aboveboard as they come.

Bookopoly - It's low risk, as they only charge if you sell something.

Digital Bibliophile - It's a nice site, with knowledgeable people behind it.

TomFolio - A cooperative database, owned by booksellers. It's expected to be up and running in late August I believe.

Consider the same thing with auctions. While we all know that eBay is the monster in the auction market, wouldn't it be nice if there were some other viable auction sites. If for no other reason than that you could then rotate some of your unsold items through the different sites. Not to mention that the competition will keep eBay's prices competitive.

For auctions, try:

Popula Very hip. A site with character.

Books by Bid - rather more earnest than popula, but more specifically focused on books

BidOnBooks.com

Book Avenue has auctions as an adjunct to its database.

Copyright © 2000 by Deanna Ramsay