ABAA

ConversazioniFine Press Forum

Iscriviti a LibraryThing per pubblicare un messaggio.

ABAA

1MobyRichard
Modificato: Apr 12, 2021, 11:34 pm

I've mentioned this before in passing...but just in the last two days while browsing Abebooks I've seen 5 ABAA members with 2 stars or lower. On Abebooks of all places! It's rare I see any seller below 4...
Not that I'm really surprised. I've never had a good transaction with an ABAA member, whether it's a refusal to provide photos or bad packaging or lying and concealing major flaws followed by a torturous return and refund process. ABAA really is a medieval guild designed to give its members a fake legitimacy.

2LBShoreBook
Apr 13, 2021, 1:48 am

>1 MobyRichard: Well this is timely. Currently looking at an older LEC edition and several of them available on Abebooks with ABAA dealers and I was trying to discern whether to give this any weight versus grabbing one of ebay. Good to know ...

3Lukas1990
Modificato: Apr 13, 2021, 2:50 am

I should receive a LEC book rated as VG from a ABAA member in a couple of days. Will update you on the condition of the book. Until now I am satisfied with the service because a couple of other booksellers refused to ship the book to Europe or asked 110$ for shipping as it is a very heavy book and the ABAA seller managed to ship it for 35$.

4edgeworn
Apr 13, 2021, 7:36 am

I may simply have been lucky, but I have made several (transatlantic) book purchases with ABAA members in the last year (all via Biblio) without any major issues. Once or twice I have refused to accept the hike in shipping costs requested, but that is not a big issue for me.

Having said that, I choose not to deal with any bookseller with poor feedback ratings.

5MobyRichard
Apr 13, 2021, 10:28 am

Yeah, just a random rant. Usually the Universe conspires to disprove my rants, but this time...🤔

6Lukas1990
Apr 13, 2021, 5:11 pm

OK, my first LEC book Journals And Other Documents On The Life And Voyages Of Christopher Columbus just came and I would say it is as described by the seller Kenneth Mallory - very good. I even managed to get a discount on ebay. This experience didn't make me afraid of ABAA sellers.

7Glacierman
Apr 13, 2021, 6:53 pm

Interesting. It would appear that the ABAA is loosing its lustre, as at one time, that ABAA logo meant you were dealing with a true professional who took pride in his stock and his service to his customers. That professionalism also usually meant higher prices, but you had the satisfaction of knowing that you were getting not only an excellent copy, but excellent, trustworthy service from a knowledgeable seller. Sad to see that once-proud escutcheon becoming tarnished.

I, myself, have never had anything but excellent dealings with ABAA members, including one transaction just recently completed. Sorry I am that others have not had the same experience.

8kdweber
Apr 13, 2021, 9:45 pm

I've had no problems buying books from ABAA members. I do avoid booksellers that have bad ratings and usually only deal with bookstores that I've dealt with before. That said, One bookstore, whose owner was an ABAA member, that I bought a number of books from turned out to be fencing books stolen from the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh.

9ultrarightist
Apr 14, 2021, 12:55 am

>8 kdweber: I watched a video about that. If I remember correctly, the head librarian (or head of the special collections) was the thief.

10kdweber
Apr 14, 2021, 2:12 pm

>9 ultrarightist: Yes, that's the one.

11MobyRichard
Modificato: Apr 18, 2021, 9:07 pm

>10 kdweber:

I mean...I'll point out that one of the guys you are talking about " served on its (ABAA's) ethics and standards committee." That's not exactly encouraging, that the guy who helped steal a minimum of $8 million dollars in rare books/manuscripts/maps was setting ethical standards for ABAA...

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/theft-carnegie-library-books-maps-ar...

Notice how other, presumably ABAA, booksellers rallied around the guy, despite the solid evidence against him.

12mjtbooks
Apr 21, 2021, 3:14 am

Just for the heck of it, I should point out that Abebooks "star" ratings are not feedback ratings from customers, but rather simply fulfillment rates. Booksellers with very good books that are being sold on multiple sites tend to have low fulfillment ratings - generally because if something is really really good it gets sold quickly. Say you upload your database at the end of the day, to Abe, Biblio, and your own website... maybe Antiqbook as well - and someone orders it from your website just after it hits, and then later, someone orders it from Abe after Abebooks gets it together to update your listings - they are slow -

and then the book is already sold, and you have to cancel the order, and there's a hit on your fulfillment ratings on Abe.

Again, Abebooks "star" rating system is not feedback, it's fulfillment rates. Always has been. Go ahead and bitch all you want, but please know the facts.

13BlauesPress
Apr 21, 2021, 11:48 am

One benefit of dealing with a bookseller who is a member of a professional association is that it can be used to keep them honest. There are professional standards, and also requirements for joining (i.e. a number of years in the business as a baseline, so no fly-by-nighters).

I once had an issue with a bookseller in another country that was essentially straight-up larceny. Attempts over a number of months to resolve the situation directly failed - I think the ocean between us made him feel safe. It was only when I sent a registered letter informing him of my intention to bring the matter to the attention of the antiquarian association to which he belonged that I was reimbursed in full, the day after the letter's delivery.

There are always chiselers out there. Use the tools at hand to blunt them when you can.