QUESTION: Do you use any tools to determine which books to buy, or do you just purchase based on your instincts?
ANSWER: I do use a price-checker, but I use it combined with experience. I rely on instinct to select which books I’ll check the price on. If the book is really cheap ($1 or $2) and I’ve got a hunch it’s worth something, I won’t even check the price. I know that if I buy enough books I’ll come way out ahead. If I spend lots of time price-checking, that reduces how many books I have time to buy.
My biggest reliance on cellphone price-checking is when I’m buying in a bookstore and paying lots of money for the book. Then I like to make sure I’m not making a big mistake.
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4 Comments
I purchased a cell phone and subscribed to Scout pal and was excited to use my new nifty, difty phone but after a short about 5 min stint at a book sale concluded it was way too slow. I have returned the phone and am still subscribed to scout pal but cannot use it. Can anyone recommned a good phone and/or scanner that I need to invest in real quick?
Scout pal has several phones that they carry but they seem pricey and she said on the phone that the scanner system clicks and is that ok? I have never heard a clicking when other sellers where scanning and want to be discrete in stores and garage sales. I am willing to pay as much as need be for a scanner system but I want it to be small, quick and discrete. Any suggestions?
Can anyone tell me about the socket system, do you like it? quick? Price? and where to buy?
Thanks, Janet in WA
My advice is to dump Scoutpal. It is a waste of time and money.
Scanners and cell phones will never be as fast as experience at library book sales. And, due to the frenzied nature of these sales you need something REALLY fast and reliable – your brain!!
The best thing to do is to use your electronic book finder when at thrift shops, garage sales, etc. to gain experience and to develop a sense of what books are good picks. Once you have a feel for what is good and what is not, go to library sales and choose books without a gadget. The winners will outweigh the losers.
Further, ScoutPal, etc. are not always reliable because more and more often there are library sale goers who carry CELL PHONE JAMMERS and BLUE TOOTH JAMMERS to render those devices useless!!! Believe it or not.
Finally, it is rude to others at library sales to use the electronic book finders and to hoard books – there are enough books for everyone.
Just wanted to add that I got fed up looking for a easy way to look up books while on the go, so I took matters in my own hands.
I have made a site for mobile phones that looks up books by ISBN, author, or title, and displays sales rank and the lowest prices from a number of vendors.
The mobile site is:
scout.bookspy.net
and the main site is:
BookSpy.net
This site should work on most web enabled phones. It is free (for now). Hopefully someone else can get some use out of it!