Convenience Fees and the Hierarchy of Booksellers

For some collectors, the thrill of the hunt takes precedence over completing a set.  For other collectors, completing a set as soon as possible is more important than the thrill of the hunt.

Collectors who find the thrill of the hunt to be more important are more likely to desire lower prices.  The collectors whose greatest desire is to complete a set quickly are more likely to pay higher prices. 

From my 2020 post about my purchases at the library book sale:

This is how I look at it. If the book is there and at a price that I can afford that is not completely insane, then I will purchase it if I need it.

For example, let's say that a book sells online for $10 to $20 on average.  Keep in mind that postage often must be paid in addition to the selling price, so the $10 to $20 book might be more than that.

Sometimes the book might sell for $5 online, but postage gets added to the total, so that book will end up being around $10.  Tax is now paid by a majority of online buyers, so there's that as well.  Online prices once were not taxed, which made online purchases cheaper.  That's not the case these days for most of us.

Let's say I am in a store and see the book I described above for $25.  The book is in nice condition.  I can examine the book in person and see all flaws.  I am there, and the book is there.  I will purchase the book if I need it.  I don't worry about how I might possibly find the book for $10 to $15 someday.  Someday might never come.  I have the book in hand, so I purchase it.

This is a convenience fee.  The bookstore sourced the book for me.  I walk into the store, and I decide to pay their price.  I might pay a little more than if I were to wait for a better deal, but the higher price includes a convenience fee. 

I've mentioned convenience fees several times in the past.

From my 2019 post about Japanese series books:

When the books were mentioned on Facebook, some people questioned why the prices were so high.  Some thought that it would be better to go to Japan and find the books.  Assuming that the books could be found, one still has to pay airfare, lodging, and transportation.  The books would not be cheap once the other costs were factored in.  Of course, if one were to be going to Japan anyway, then the cost of the trip would be irrelevant.

However, this is assuming that the books can actually be found in Japan.  I have heard about collectors who have traveled to other countries and tried to find series books as they vacation.  They usually cannot find any, or they find very few.  The international editions are not just laying around waiting for one of us to show up.

I consider it far easier just to buy the books than to try to travel to Japan to purchase them.  If some of the books are priced a bit high, then that cost is a convenience fee.

Here's another quote from my 2020 post about my purchases at the library book sale:

Most of the books seen in these pictures will be sold eventually.  The prices will be marked up, but I deserve that.  For those who might think I shouldn't do that, consider my true cost for the books.  I paid for a library membership.  I took the day off work and had to pay for my substitute.  I waited in line for hours for the sale to start.  I shopped at the sale for around three hours.  I went back the next day and spent another hour at the sale.  I drove round trip 25 miles each day when I attended the sale.

My final cost is higher than the sum total of my sales receipts.  Keep that in mind when you peruse the listings of online sellers.  The sellers have to source the books, and much time and effort is involved, in addition to the cost of acquiring the books.  The buyer pays a convenience fee to the seller, who did the legwork in finding the books.  I am eternally grateful to all the sellers over the years who have found good books that I ended up purchasing for my collection.

From my 2023 post about my eBay and Etsy sales:

A few of you suggested that I begin selling books on my website due to the low eBay and Etsy sales.  I'm not interested in doing that.  I choose to sell on eBay and Etsy so that I'm not responsible for driving traffic myself.  If I were to set up a store on my website, I would have to do a lot of advertising.  That's worse than my current setup.  The cost of selling on eBay and Etsy is not a concern.  Convenience is more important than avoiding the fees.

We all pay convenience fees in certain circumstances just because it is easier, including when we buy and sell books.  Every buyer or seller of books fits somewhere within a broader hierarchy.  This hierarchy heavily influences the pricing of books.  In fact, the prices of more expensive books would collapse if not for this hierarchy, and the aggressive actions of the high-end sellers cause much resentment among buyers and sellers who are lower down in the hierarchy.

Low Tier Booksellers

The lowest tier is where the books enter the secondhand marketplace.  Some examples are thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, estate sales, and library book sales.  People who purchase books from any of these venues have found the books "in the wild." 

The people who make these purchases are not necessarily the lowest tier of seller.  They can fit anywhere in the hierarchy from low to fairly high.  These sellers are likely not the very highest tier, since those sellers typically source their books from other sellers in the hierarchy.

Low Middle Tier Booksellers

Next are antique shops, the average used book stores, chain book stores like Half Price Books, and online sellers like Thriftbooks.  

High Middle Tier Booksellers

Some used book stores cater more to the upper middle class.  These stores will more likely use names that include words like "antiquarian" or "fine books."  They will have higher prices but are not necessarily out of range for the average person.  However, some of their prices will give the average person pause and many will avoid buying the books.  Online series sellers at this level are ones like Bluff Park Books.  Some of the prices at Half Price Books are also at this level.

High Tier Booksellers

These are the high-end sellers.  Their clientele are wealthy, as in millionaires.  Booksellers at this level price their books too high for the middle class.  We can't purchase their books.

All booksellers purchase books from sellers at their own level and from all sellers who are at lower levels.

I didn't mention eBay and other online marketplaces, simply because the sellers on these sites span all levels.  Most online sellers are low and middle tier but some are also very high-end sellers as well.  That's the beauty of the online marketplace: There's something for everyone.

Most buyers and sellers of series books probably fall under the low middle tier.  This level certainly fits me the best.  

Using AI to Help with a Minor Detail on a Post about Booksellers

I find that when I'm having trouble thinking of the right word to use in a post that AI can help get me started.  I don't take it any further than that.  This post gives an example from yesterday.

A high-end bookseller recently purchased a 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Hidden Staircase in dust jacket.  Fans are skeptical that this bookseller can turn a profit on a rough condition book and jacket that he purchased for $1,312.00.  I have no doubt that he will profit off the book.

Many people don't understand that a hierarchy of booksellers exists.  This bookseller is at the very top of the hierarchy.  He will be able to sell the book at an inflated price.

I am in the process of writing what will be either two or three posts about this situation.  I will cover convenience fees, the hierarchy of booksellers, and the auction itself.  Yesterday, I was working on the part about the hierarchy of booksellers.

I was struggling with how to describe the situation.  I was going to ask AI for help with what word or phrase to use, but I finally realized that "hierarchy" would be sufficient.  I then decided to use "tier" for each level.  But then I thought of the word "echelon," which I've always liked.

Since I had already started a question to AI, I decided to finish it by asking what it thought about "tier" and "echelon," knowing that I had already decided and didn't really need its help.  In fact, the process of composing my original question to AI caused me to figure out the answer on my own. 

I submitted this to AI:

I am writing an article about the types of booksellers.  Some booksellers purchase books from thrift stores and sell them online cheaply.  The next level consists of sellers who then purchase the cheap books online and then resell them online at higher prices at more exclusive sites.  The next level of bookseller purchases from the more exclusive sites and then marks the books up again to sell to wealthy clientele.  

I plan to refer to this as the "hierarchy of booksellers."  I want to use the word "tier" to describe each level.  The word "echelon" might also work.  Which term do you think would be better?

This is how AI responded:

That's a really interesting concept—you're capturing a kind of informal supply chain within the world of used and rare books.  Between "tier" and "echelon," the better choice depends a bit on the tone you want for your article.

Here's a comparison:

Tier

• Pros: Clear, accessible, and neutral.  Readers instantly understand that there are levels, like in a pyramid or pricing structure.  It also aligns well with modern language around commerce and services (e.g., "subscription tiers").

• Cons: Slightly more utilitarian or technical.  It may feel a bit flat if you're going for a richer, more literary tone.

Echelon

• Pros: Has a bit more elegance and nuance.  It can suggest social hierarchy, status, or exclusivity, which may work well for the idea of progressively more elite bookselling layers.

• Cons: Slightly more formal or military in origin, so it might feel too elevated or obscure for some readers.

Recommendation:

If your article has a journalistic, analytical, or blog-style tone, “tier” is likely your best bet—it’s clear, modern, and keeps the focus on the structure.

If your tone leans more toward the literary, cultural, or reflective, “echelon” might give your piece an extra layer of depth and sophistication.

Or—you could combine them!  For example:

"At each tier—or echelon—of this hierarchy, the value of the book is reshaped by context and clientele."

I find that AI can be useful for helping me to parse my thoughts.  I don't use it to write posts, since I want to write my own content based on what I think.  AI can't do that for me.

Identifying Whether a Dust Jacket Is a Reproduction

Many reproduction dust jackets were created by series book collectors 20 to 30 years ago and placed on bare series books.  Some reproductions were marked as such, but others weren't.  The people who owned the books with reproduction dust jackets are now beginning to pass on, and their books are getting dispersed back into the marketplace.  The sellers don't know that the dust jackets are reproductions.  This is a big problem if you don't know what the warning signs are.  Even if you do know the warning signs, you can still be deceived quite easily.

I will start with a recent example to show my thought process as I view a jacket that is of concern.  This will give you an idea of what the clues are, and I will then explain in greater detail.

A 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock which appeared at first glance to have a dust jacket came up for sale on eBay.  (Click on each image in order to see a better version.)

Except... there was a problem.  When I first viewed the listing, I felt that something wasn't right about it.  If another Old Clock book with dust jacket had been in the same photo, it would have been obvious.  By itself, I couldn't tell whether I was right about something being off about the jacket.  

It's often hard to tell from online photos.  Sellers use varying equipment and lighting, and items often don't appear exactly as they truly are.

I looked at the back panel.

Once again, something seemed off to me, especially along the right edge of the back panel and most particularly at the top near the spine.  It looked like it might be a copy.  I still wasn't sure.

The front flap bothered me because of the shadow along the left side.  But then, that didn't necessarily mean anything.  I then looked at the right edge of the front flap.  I could see a telltale sign that did mean something.

Compare the jacket from the auction to the first printing dust jacket that I own.

Look at how far the red print is from the right edge of each jacket.  Notice that the red print on the auction DJ is closer to the right edge than on my real DJ.

I looked at the back flap of the auction DJ.

I compared it to my dust jacket.

It was obvious.  The back flap of the auction DJ is cut off along the left edge rather noticeably.  I knew then that the auction DJ must be a copy dust jacket.

I communicated with Jennifer Fisher, who checked her photo of a copy dust jacket that was made for her by another collector using their 1930A-1 jacket as the source DJ.  Bingo.

Image courtesy of Jennifer Fisher, www.nancydrewsleuth.com

Now, look at the spine of the auction DJ.

The auction jacket and Jennifer Fisher's copy jacket have the same swirly pattern in the center left spine.  They are from the same source.  Jenn verified that the collector who copied the jacket also provided a copy to the person who owned the book in the auction.  So, we knew that the auction DJ was indeed a copy.

I was suspicious from the beginning since I've seen many copy jackets and printed them myself many years ago.  I've seen how they appear in listings, and they can be difficult to spot.  But there are always signs.

A couple days later, the seller listed another 1930A-1 Nancy Drew Old Clock book but with an authentic 1930A-1 dust jacket.  The seller's copy dust jacket is shown at the left, and the seller's original jacket is shown on the right.  Comparing the images reveals how washed-out the copy dust jacket is.  They often don't look as good as originals.

Another listing by the same seller also didn't look right.

The promotional wrapper is so scarce that only a handful exist.  We only know of a few, maybe three or four of them.  The wrapper is so scarce that I featured it in my post, Ten Rarest Nancy Drew Items and Collectibles.  That post, by the way, is by an unbelievably huge amount the most popular post in this blog's history, and it's always floating in the right sidebar as a popular post.

The wrapper looks okay in the above photo except that it is sized too small.  The original wrapper should extend all the way across the front panel.

Nancy Drew collector Meredith Jaffe provided this image of the book she owns, which has the authentic wrapper.

Image courtesy Meredith Jaffe

Meredith's wrapper establishes that the wrapper from the auction cannot be real.  

Before I continue with how to determine whether a jacket is real, keep in mind that nearly all jackets that appear for sale online are real, at least 99% of them.  While copies do show up often enough, they are uncommon and dispersed throughout the online supply in low quantities.  Mainly, buyers should be aware of the warning signs just in case a jacket looks off in some fashion.

Let's go through what you should know and how you can determine whether a jacket might be of concern.

How to tell from online listings

Reproduction dust jackets are almost always in mylar covers.

Don't misunderstand my meaning.  Most jackets with or without mylar covers are real.  However, reproduction dust jackets are almost always enclosed in mylar, because they look much more real if in mylar.  This means that a jacket that is not in mylar is almost certainly fine.  I don't worry about dust jackets that are not in mylar.  While within the realm of possibility, the chance of acquiring a copy dust jacket that is not in mylar is extremely low.

Again, most jackets in mylar are fine.  But the copy dust jacket will be in mylar rather than not.  You have far less reason to be concerned about a jacket that is not in mylar.

The jacket is in extremely nice shape to where it looks new and has paper that is bright white.

Jackets that are in too nice of shape and are in mylar should be checked more carefully.  Old jackets can surface with no wear after having been stored in perfect conditions, so jackets that are high-grade aren't necessarily copies.  However, especially perfect jackets should be examined well just in case.

The colors are off or seem washed-out.  

This is a strong indicator that the jacket is a copy, since printer ink on plain paper just isn't going to look the same.  In some cases, certain dust jackets never reproduce with the same colors as the original dust jacket.

Beverly Gray at the World's Fair is a prime example.  The original dust jackets are decidedly green in tint, but printed copies almost always end up with a bit of a purple tint.  I have made printed copies myself, and I could never get the color to reproduce right.  The professionally printed American Web Books reprints of World's Fair also have a purple tint.

The above photo shows the original World's Fair from my collection on the left alongside the American Web Books reprint on the right.

The cover art and print on the jacket seem to be of lower resolution.

If the dust jacket image looks off like it might be a copy, then it probably is.

The front and back flaps are cut off at the outer edges, most often on the back flap.

Dust jackets are longer than legal-sized paper, so the entire dust jacket image does fit on the paper.  Some people print the jacket centered so that both flaps are cut off slightly.  Other people reproduce the entire front flap with the back flap noticeably cut off.

The book is in much worse condition than the dust jacket.

Sometimes real jackets are placed on poor condition books, so this situation doesn't guarantee that a jacket is a copy.  It does indicate that the jacket is not original to the book. 

Sometimes libraries stored jackets apart from the books, and sometimes stacks of nice dust jackets come up for sale.  People buy them and place them on their own books.  This is why a nice jacket on a poor condition book does not mean that the jacket is a copy.  However, if the jacket has other red flags and is on a book that is in rather poor condition, then it is likely a copy jacket.

How to tell in person

In most cases, when you hold a book with a reproduction dust jacket in person, you will know immediately that the jacket is a copy.  The paper used is often just regular paper that is not glossy.  The jacket usually will be in a mylar cover, so if you have any concern, remove the jacket from the mylar cover.  Doing that will usually allow you to tell.

You can also use a black light.  Copy jackets printed on modern paper glow under black light, and vintage jackets do not.

Sometimes, I have questioned vintage jackets when the jackets are in especially nice shape and the paper is thin.  Some Grosset & Dunlap jackets from the late 1950s were printed on very thin paper, and those are the ones I more carefully examine when they seem especially nice and bright.  What I look for is what appears to be varnish that extends off of the front cover illustration onto the front flap.  If that is present the same as always and nothing looks strange about the jacket, then I assume that the jacket is real.  I could also use a black light, but I've never felt the need.

Caveat

We are fortunate in that series book jacket reproductions are typically not printed commercially.  Most reproduction dust jackets created for series books were done by individuals on home equipment, and those are easy to spot.  If a jacket was printed commercially, then it will be much harder to tell.

For more information about identifying dust jacket reproductions including ones made commercially, read these articles.

How Do I Identify a Facsimile Dust Jacket?

The Finer Print - Growing Concern Over Facsimile Dust Jackets

My View on Signed Items and Autographs in Books

In general, I'm not that interested in purchasing autographs online.  Even if an autograph is authenticated, I can never be certain whether the autograph is genuine.  If I have some tangible evidence that gives me a distinct reason for believing the autograph to be genuine, then my opinion of it is higher.  I do think that signed items are great, but I have a very low interest in acquiring them for myself due to my skepticism.  I also tend to have lukewarm feelings towards autographs that I own and for the same reason.

It's just really easy to fake an autograph.  I am always skeptical, so I am just not that impressed by signed items that come up for sale.

I searched though my old posts here and on Facebook to find my past comments on autographs.  On March 21, 2019, I wrote:

Additionally, I am not that enamored with autographs.  I realize that sounds strange, but I can't help that I feel that way.

I wrote this on June 13, 2019:

After a couple of weeks, I decided that I wanted the dust jacket.  I actually didn't care about the signed book one way or the other.  Signed books do nothing for me.  That probably doesn't make sense to most of you, but I simply do not care about signatures in books.  I have no emotional reaction to a signed book.  Also, I am quite aware of the story about how Mildred Wirt Benson was allegedly not paid much to sign a large quantity of books.  That taints the signature.

I wrote about some Kennedy McMann autographs on September 7, 2019.

I purchased two Nancy Drew photos purportedly signed by Kennedy McMann.  I never trust autographs unless I have proof, and I have mentioned before that autographs don't mean much to me.  I am neutral on them.  The only autograph I own that I know for sure is real is the proof that Rudy Nappi signed that I purchased from him personally.  Otherwise, you just never know.  

These images will look great framed.  I was fortunate to purchase them before the seller raised the price of the ones with the logo.  The seller figured out fast that the most desirable photos were the ones with "Nancy Drew" printed on them.  Duh.

The Kennedy McMann autographs are probably real, since the seller was based in Vancouver and probably did get the photographs signed in person.  Also, these autographs were sold a month before the CW series premiered, and Kennedy McMann was a debut actress.  Would someone create fake autographs by an actress whose career was just beginning?  Probably not.  Still, probably isn't definitely, especially since I know that I could create fake copies of these particular autographs myself.  It wouldn't be hard.

On December 31, 2019, I found two tweed Nancy Drew books that were signed by Mildred Benson.  Or were they?

Dang, look what I just found...  I am sorting books to see if I can get together some small bulk lots of books in rough shape.  I was looking at my extra Nancy Drew books with jackets.  I was examining Shadow Ranch and discovered the Mildred Benson autograph on the title page. 😮 Okay... I remembered a bulk lot that I purchased this month.  I looked up the listing and began searching for the other books. I found Red Gate Farm with a Mildred Benson autograph.

I can't be sure if these autographs are real.  They don't look just like other Benson autographs, but Benson's autograph's varied greatly late in her life.

The bulk lot came from Florida.  Some of the other books have Farah's Guide numbers written in them, so the books came from a knowledgeable collector.  I am reminded of the deceased collector from Florida whose books were sold in 2015.  I wonder if these are some more of her books.  [Always click on images in order to view them clearly.]

Several people who commented on my post thought that the signatures were real.  Nobody stated that they thought otherwise.  I put the books up for sale advising that I didn't know for sure one way or the other, and they sold quickly.  I remain skeptical, but that's just me and how I view autographs. 

I've seen a number of books signed by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, several in person and many online.  Her autograph isn't that hard to find.  In most books, Harriet signed in the upper left corner of a page.  For the books I have, Harriet signed in the middle of the title page.  Despite the slightly different appearance, I believe the autographs are real.  They were all signed to a specific person, and besides, it's unlikely that people went around forging Harriet Adams' signature. 

Eventually, I will sell them, because autographs are generally not that special to me.  

As I mentioned in one of my posts quoted above, I have one autograph that I know is real.

I posted the following on July 4, 2016.

I am beginning the process of going through some things in order to clean up my collection.  I'm finding things I forgot I had, like this dust jacket proof of Golden Pavilion signed by Rudy Nappi.  I am not that interested in autographs even with a certificate of authenticity, simply because one can't ever be sure the autograph is real unless signed in person.  Even though this one wasn't signed in person, I bought it from Rudy Nappi, and that itself proves that the signature is real.  I even kept the mailer with his name and address.  So I like this autograph.

And here's the proof.

I wrote this post to lead into my next post about Keeper of the Lost Cities books signed by Shannon Messenger.  In the case of the Keeper books, I am certain that the autographs are genuine.

Article on Weeding Out Books

I saw an article about how to thin out one's book collection. 

How to Get Rid of Book Clutter

I thought it would be fun to play along.  The article gives five questions to ask when deciding whether to keep a book.

Question 1: Is This A Duplicate?

My answer:  This depends upon what is meant by "duplicate."  If I have two books that are exactly the same in all ways, then I do purge one of them.  

I have 67 copies of Nancy Drew #2 The Hidden Staircase.  They are not duplicates, and I must keep all of them.

Question 2: Is The Material In The Book Out Of Date, Or Still Current & Relevant?

My answer:  I still like my books, so they are relevant.  If I get tired of them, then they become irrelevant.  Do they have outdated information in them?  Of course, but that makes them interesting.

Question 3: Have I Read This Before & Will I Read It Again?

My answer:  That's not a fair question.  I will never read most of the physical books that I have.  I can't read books published in other languages, but I like the cover art.

But seriously, I do sell books that I didn't particularly enjoy.  I know that I will never try to read the Grace Harlowe books again, so I sold all of them.  I had some really scarce titles.

Question 4: Why Do I Want To Keep This Book?

I keep it because I like it.  If I decide that I don't like it, then out it goes!

Question 5: Could I Get This Book At The Library To Read Again?

99% of the books I own are not available from the library.  I remember when it was suggested that I should use the library instead of risking buying books that I might not like.  How would that work with the kinds of books I read?

The article to which I linked at the beginning of this post is a great article.  Some of the suggestions don't apply to me.  If you would like to read about how I have reduced my book clutter, read through these posts.

Collection Parameters

25 Years Ago Today

I cannot let today go by without acknowledging that I registered on eBay 25 years ago today.  I registered in order to bid on a tweed copy of Larkspur Lane that had a rather chipped dust jacket.  I lost the auction since I bid under $10.  In those days, I considered that a bit high, since I was used to cheap books in local stores.

I had been lurking on eBay since around January 1997.  I didn't jump into online activity instantly.  I checked eBay out for around two months before I finally started bidding. 

I have written posts about my eBay anniversary several times, since that day was an important day in my life.  I would not have what I have if not for eBay.  I don't know exactly how many of the books in my collection were purchased on eBay, but it has to be at least 90% of them.  

Here are links to some of my past posts which share interesting information about the early days of eBay.

Twelve Years Ago Today

The above post goes into some detail as to how I became a series book collector.  It also has a scan of the first listing I won on eBay.

Here's another post.

20 Years Ago Today

I also found the post where I go into greater detail about how I became a series book collector.

Where It All Began

Finally, here's a post about the most exciting find I ever made in an antique shop.  

Remembering My Best Find

My Big Pandemic Goal Has Been Accomplished

These previous posts tell the recent backstory.

July 2021 Update on My Activities

Late July Selling Update and Forthcoming Store Hiatus

Store Hiatus Begins Sunday + Thoughts on What I Have Accomplished

Right before my oral surgery, I worked hard on the room I call "The Library."  It is a small bedroom that was intended to be a baby's room by the builders of the house and is one of three rooms in my house where I keep my books.  Of the three rooms, it is the one that has just bookcases and an armoire and nothing else. 

Sometime in 2020, I decided that I wanted to thin out my collection so that I could get all of the shelves straightened in this room and all of my Bee Gees stuff out where I could see it.  This was a daunting task.  It took around a year to complete because of the immensity of the task and the fact that I took a seven-month break from selling in late 2020 and early 2021.  During the months that I did not sell, no books left the house.

When I started selling in March 2021 after my seven-month hiatus, I felt certain that I could accomplish my goal by June.  I later realized that I needed all of summer break.  I came very close to finishing on those few days just before the tooth extraction.  I stopped just short of completion.  That was three weeks ago.  On Saturday, I finished.  

Since every shelf in the room is actually organized enough other people to see, I will give you a photo tour.  You would not believe the mess this room was in during June and early July.  I painted the bedroom next to it in June (see above posts), and I used this room for storage of the stuff that I had to remove from the other room.  I actually had stuff stacked three to four feet high on the floor of "The Library."  What a huge mess it was.  

I got that stuff put back in the other room and finished up most everything three weeks ago, leaving some disarray.  I got everything in order on Saturday.

I'm going to start at the bottom of a bookcase to the right of the bedroom door.  I will go up that bookcase and then down the one next to it, continuing in that fashion all the way around the room.  I did not fully crop the photos so that you can see what is next to each shelf that is pictured.  And I'm taking a deep breath and hoping for the best before I begin uploading the 41 photos to this post.  Blogger no longer works well with photos.  Ugh.

And the first four landed in reverse order.  So it's going to be one at a time.  Thanks, Blogger.  Your faulty new interface has made everything harder.

Remember that you can click on photos to see a larger version.

This bookcase has unlisted extra books.  They are in disarray, but that is the least of my concerns at this time.  My goal during the next two to three months is not to place any of my unlisted extra books in boxes before I get my stores reopened.

These are more unlisted extra books.

The below photo shows more unlisted extra books.  Yes, I did actually purchase 10 extra copies of The Dana Girls Guide.  I did it for the collectors who don't know about the guide and will be upset in a few years when they learn that they missed out with no copies available.  I got 10 more printed that would not have been printed otherwise.  

This next photo shows a wall-mounted shelf with Linda Carlton, Mildred Wirt, and some other A. L. Burt books.  Sometimes concern is expressed about wall-mounted shelves.  The supports are screwed into the studs and have been in place for over 20 years with the weight of the books on them.  The shelves are not going to fall.

Here you can see some of my Christopher Pike books and the beginning of my Bee Gees display. 

Here are my Beverly Gray books and my Dana Girls picture cover books.  I sold most of my white spine Dana Girls set this summer, leaving just #14 through #17.  Beverly Gray at the World's Fair is out of order behind the others to prevent fading of the dust jacket.

My Nancy Drew Her Interactive games can be seen at the upper left edge of this next photo.  International Judy Bolton editions, Norwegian Connie Blair books, and some Japanese Nancy Drew books are on this shelf as well.  The Danish Judy Bolton books are my favorites and are in the front.  The shelf below has the Nancy Drew Twin Thriller editions.

These shelves contain series book guides and fanzines, including The Sleuth, Yellowback Library, The Whispered Watchword, and Mystery and Adventure Series Review.

The next photo shows what is on top of the armoire.  My Outdoor Girls books were shelved here for around 15 years.  This is where I have my main Bee Gees display.  I have three puzzles, a backpack, a microphone, the fan club folder, an unused school folder, an unused spiral notebook, and assorted other fun stuff.

Here is another view.

This is the first photo of the upper shelves with the Christopher Pike books and Bee Gees lunchboxes.  My Nancy Drew Files, Wildfire teen romance books, and other teen books are shelved behind them.

This is another photo showing more Pike books and Bee Gees stuff.

And this is another photo. 

This is where I moved my Outdoor Girls books.  Also shown are my Nancy Drew and Zorro lunchboxes.

Many of my library editions are in this bookcase.  The top shelf has my green APC Nancy Drew books and the 1940s Style Library Binding plus some thick library editions that are rebound early editions.

I should mention that I turned some of these shelves over because they have been sagging for years.  You might notice that some are still bowed upwards, but they are gradually bending down to where they are mostly straight.  After they begin sagging again, I will turn them over again.  The middle of the bookcase has a fixed shelf that I cannot turn over, so it is still sagging.

This photo shows more library editions, both Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton.  My Judy Bolton picture covers are hiding in the back.  I placed them there to prevent additional fading of the spines.

My Kay Tracey books were in the room that I painted for the entire time that I have owned them.  I decided to get them where I could see them, and here they are.

This is a closer photo of some of the Kay Tracey books.  This is a cramped area that is hard to photograph.

This is the first of my eBay shelves.  These books are ones that I have listed on eBay (in currently inactive listings).

These are more eBay books and items.

On the right, the last of my eBay listings can be seen on the top shelf of the bookcase.  On top of the bookcase are the rest of my Outdoor Girls set as well as the May Hollis Barton and some Amy Bell Marlowe books (ones that I liked and didn't sell).

This is an overflow shelf of unlisted extra books.  All of the Hardy Boys books that I didn't get around to listing this summer are in the back row.  At the bottom are Zorro comic books that I plan to keep.  

In this photo, the bottom shelf has magazines with the Bee Gees on the cover.  Right above is some extra stuff (Zorro and Bee Gees) that I will sell in the coming months.

My Penny Parker books are on the top shelf of the next photo.  The bottom shelf has the Augusta Huiell Seaman books that I didn't sell and my Connie Blair library editions and picture covers.

This next picture shows my Penny Parker books again.  Above them are assorted items that I plan to sell.  I will not be keeping duplicate copies of puzzles and games.  

These shelves are more wall-mounted shelves.  This photo shows my Hardy Boys books and below them are Nancy Pembroke, the Mercer Boys, other books by Capwell Wyckoff, and Connie Blair books.  Behind these books are Ruth Fielding, Girls of Central High, and Hardy Boys books with white spine jackets.  The Hardy Boys books with white spine jackets were placed in the back to prevent additional fading of the red shields. 

This photo shows the rest of the Hardy Boys, Christopher Pike's Spooksville series, and Merivale Mall.  Below them are Connie Blair books and some Dana Girls library editions.  Shelved in the back behind these books are Sally Baxter, Ted Wilford, Roy Stover, and miscellaneous books.

This shelf has some Bee Gees overflow.  The items include a mirror, which doesn't show up well in a photo.  The mirror is a carnival prize from the late 1970s and is gloriously tacky.  The bottom shelf has 45 rpm records with picture sleeves.

The top shelf in this next photo has assorted Bee Gees flat items that I would like to get into the armoire.  Before I can do that, I need to remove other items from the armoire.  That is a task for another time.  The bottom shelf has Bee Gees songbooks.  I cannot explain why exactly, but Bee Gees songbooks make me very happy.  I feel the same way about them as I do library editions.  

These shelves have my Etsy books (in currently inactive listings).

These shelves have more Etsy books.

Here are the last of my Etsy books.

This CD holder is on top of a bookcase and contains all of my Bee Gees CDs except for the boxed sets that don't fit.

These next shelves have unlisted extra books and items.  Some are items that I didn't get listed when I was selling this summer.  The rest are items that I recently weeded out or are extra books acquired through recent purchases.  At the extreme left edge of the photo, you can see my eBay books in a bookcase across the room.

Here are more unlisted extra items.

This is the last of the unlisted extra items.

This is my book closet.  At the bottom you can see some of my packing supplies.

The top shelf in this next photo has First Love from Silhouette teen books with Sweet Valley High on the bottom shelf.

On the shelves at the top of the closet are Nancy Drew library editions.

Here is another photo of the Nancy Drew library editions.

The top shelf in this photo has the rest of the First Love from Silhouette set.  The bottom shelf contains some assorted books, including Nancy Drew library editions, the set of Seniors books, some Sweet Valley High books, and the Heartbreak Cafe books.

That's the end of the tour of "The Library."

I have thought about changing which books are in the book closet.  I could move all the books in there for which I am especially worried about the spines fading (Judy Bolton picture covers, Dana Girls picture covers, Hardy Boys white spine jackets with the red shield, and all A. L. Burt jackets).  I could then hang a curtain across the opening.  I really like how I have my Sweet Valley High and First Love from Silhouette books positioned, so that keeps me from seriously considering moving the books.

I would never have been able to get the books straightened if I had not sold approximately 2,000 books during the five months from March to August.  A few people expressed surprise when I mentioned that I was selling certain books.  I had to get rid of desirable stuff in order to make way for the Bee Gees stuff.  I like the Bee Gees, okay?  They are just as important to me as the books.  In some ways, they are more important.  All of my books are great, but I had to let go of enough of them to free up some space.

Since some people seemed a little surprised about what I was selling, I quit giving any warning of what I was doing.  I put the books up on eBay and Etsy, and they sold, often very fast to those of you who were keeping close watch.  I'm sure that others would have preferred for me to have done auctions, and I would have gotten more money for some books if I had done that.  However, I didn't wish to mess with auctions.  I had to get the quantity of books reduced fast so that I could straighten up the shelves. 

I will consider some auctions once I resume selling again.  I do have some items that are special enough that an auction is the safest and fairest approach in order to avoid people getting huffy like they did when some of my listings were advertised on Facebook in July.

I will be writing another post soon about how I am doing after the tooth extraction and going back to work as well as my concerns about the current stage of the pandemic.