GAH!!! She bought it!!!

[Hon'ya-chan]

So anyone...never mind, it deviated into an Ask a Ninja segment....

Anyway, about a week or so ago, one of my co-irkers dealt with a woman who was obsessed with the condition of the book. Perfect except for the fact that the book cover had curled due to the humidity, which would be easily remedied by some weight smashing it down.

So today, i'm at register culling out the old Special Orders when I see the book in question, and I take a peek. Sure enough, the copy provided by the vendor has a noticeable bend in the cover. So I begrudgingly swap the copies.

AND THE BITCH BOUGHT IT!!!

Ugh, if she wasn't so frickin' anal.....

[Sharsarannon]

Those kind of people don't CAAAARE if it can be fixed, you should make the problem go away FOOOOOR THEEEM. *whiny voice*
Argh.
Nice to know that once they can't detect the easily mended horrible crisis, it no longer twoubles their precious widdle heads.

[Kheldarson]

I just wonder what they do after they read it. Try to give it back because it's no longer in perfect condition?

[Hon'ya-chan]

I just wonder what they do after they read it. Try to give it back because it's no longer in perfect condition?

She better not, otherwise I will inspect it thoroughly and dock her for every little rip, every little dust particle, and every little bend she puts into it.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Include a breaking-the-spine-of-the-book Tax.

It's hard to read a paperback without breaking the spine.

[Snowbird]

Include a breaking-the-spine-of-the-book Tax.

It's hard to read a paperback without breaking the spine.

I'm one of those people that like their books to be pretty darn nice when I buy them. I also worked at a bookstore for close to ten years. With our 'library loan' system, people learned really quickly that they either read carefully or they paid for the books.

I remember the first time I watched my dad crack the spine of a book, on purpose. I think every inch of my skin twitched!

He and my mom both explained that when they were in school, they were TAUGHT to break the spines on the first day of school, so that they could be more easily read. I would've gone nutty.

Back to the OP, that lady was being overly anal and in the most idiotic way. If it can be fixed, what's the problem? I wonder if she's the type of person that would refuse to buy a dented can of veggies.

[BookstoreEscapee]

people learned really quickly that they either read carefully or they paid for the books.

Yes, it can be done! I don't know if you worked for the same company as me, but we could only borrow hardcovers, and we had to leave the dust jacket at the store. But very few of my paperbacks have broken spines (I don't like to lend books cuz they tend to come back broken ).

[Jack7957]

She better not, otherwise I will inspect it thoroughly and dock her for every little rip, every little dust particle, and every little bend she puts into it.

Tell her it's been flagged for being in the bathroom.

[Mark Healey]

I don't think they have numbers big enough to count the number of times someone has tried to resell a paperback they bought from us after beating the hell out of it. Dude, they're paperbacks. They're only good for a few readings before they fall apart. (Aahh, don't get me started on "perfect binding").

Yes, I did buy that guys beat up Charles Bukowski. It's not a Michael Crichton. Some Authors are in more demand than others. Kurt Vonnegut is not Stephen King. Phillip K. Dick is not Piers Anthony. Get it, some authors are in more demand than others.

Oh, and just because something was a best seller 3 years ago doesn't mean anyone wants it now.

Another thing I don't care how "good" a book is. All I'm interested in is whether or not I think I can sell it.

And, I don't care what it says on the internet. First, the internet is a lot of different sites put up by people with all levels of intelligence, experience, maturity and judgment. You need those qualities to use the information in a meaningful way. Second, what you see are asking prices, not what they are getting.

A book club edition with the "1" in the number line isn't really a first edition. They just use the same plates from the real edition and slap a cheap binding on it.


I guess I got a little ranty there.