As an occasional bookdealer, I would recommend that you use e-bay for the stuff like Gold Medals, Lions, etc. ABE would be better but you don't want to do it for that long, I think. Older hardcovers......hard to say w/o knowing more. I would sell the rest as a batch. If everything is pretty recent you probably don't need to lose much sleep.
I think you will find plenty of real collectors right here. In fact, I find I am having to restrain myself from inquiring as to titles and publishers now. Make a short catalogue and ask people to make further inquiry off-list.
James
----- Original Message -----
From: forgprod
To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 19:38
Subject: RARA-AVIS: collection - what to do?
I never set out to be a collector of hard-boiled and noir books. I'm just a fan, like many on this list. But after 30-plus years I have accumulated a tremendous number of books of this genre.
Most are not "collectable" - that is, they are not rare or very old. Most were bought new (or used) and now sit in piles in my upstairs office, or in boxes in various closets.
I buy pretty much anything I see called "noir" or "hard-boiled" - I've got most of the classic Chandler, Hammet, Cain, Mc Donald, Mac Donald, etc as well as everything by Block, Burke, Crumley, Leonard. Some Woodrell, Willeford, Williams. A lot of "one offs", bios, non-fiction, etc etc. I've got hundreds, perhaps thousands of titles - all in good, or better, condition.
I don't want to get rid of these. In fact, I don't know if i can bear to. But circumstances are requiring me to move to a much smaller residence. If I can keep them, I will.
BUT - if I am forced to get rid of them, I am asking you people, who know far more about collecting and buying and selling than I do, what is my best course of action - sell individual titles on Amazon or the like (sounds like a lot of work)? ... Sell batches to used bookstores?... sell some (or the whole lot) to REAL collectors? - and how do I go about finding them?
any suggestions or ideas are welcomed
and any individual inquiries can be sent to me offlist
thank you for your help!
phred
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