Buying Old & Used Books
When I discovered the Folio Society, I discovered that they had been around for quite a while, and during this time, had built up a rather long list of published works. I was mostl interested in works from classical antiquity, and I found that the society had published quite a lot of these, and in some cases, in more than one translation.
So should you find yourself also wanting old volumes from the society, (or any other publishers), here are some tips you may find useful.
Familiarise yourself with the language
Friendly Richard talks through the parts of a book
Bookselling and buying comes with it's own vernacular, and becoming familiar with this is invaluable. Abebooks has some great resources to get you up to speed.
General Tips
Get an awareness of the price
Search all the sites below to get a feel for what price people are listing the book for. Take advantage of eBay's "completed" and "sold" filters to see how much a book sold for, and what people weren't willing to pay. Prices can fluctuate, but if you know roughly what price a book is going for, when one is listed at a lower price, you can quickly grab it.
Follow searches
Save/follow searches on eBay and check them regularly, and take advantage of abebooks' "wants" feature.
Always, always ask for photos:
eBay users usually post at least one photo, but lots of sellers on abebooks and amazon usually don't include a single photo of a book. Whether there's no photos or one photo, always message the seller and ask for more. Also ask them about the condition: is the binding tight? Is the slipcase present? &c. Almost all sellers are happy to provide further pictures and more information.
If there's no photo . . .
and the seller can't provide due to the book being at their warehouse, try to stick to a reputable seller, check their return policy, and ensure that it's the exact edition that you're looking for.
Double and triple check the description
No comment necessary.
Avoid book sellers using generic terms
You'll find they use terms like "book condition commensurate with age", "dust-jacket not included unless otherwise stated", "may have markings on the inside", and "SECURE DAILY POSTING FROM OUR 24/7 INTERNATIONAL WAREHOUSE!!!1". They usually have an inventory code for the book listed.
Search international versions of Amazon
If you're outside the UK, and looking for a rare folio society volume, searching the UK version of the site could yield a few copies of the book where there are none to be found on your regional one. Similarly, if you're searching for a hard to find easton press or heritage press volume, try the American amazon. Of course, these sellers will have to be willing to ship internationally.
All the prices too high?
Whether all you need are the two Icelandic Sagas to complete your folio society ancient myths and legends series, or the prices are just too high for that four volume, Howard Pyle illustrated set of King Arthur volumes with a beautiful design in red and black leather from the easton press, or (heaven forbid) you've come across the folio society set of fairy books and realised you simply must have them all; accept the fact that you're going to be paying a high price. Occasionally you can get lucky, and a volume or set that you've been after for a long time pops up for a very low price, the seller perhaps not being aware of the value of the book(s).
If you see a low price for a volume you have no interest in . . .
check what the volume has previously went for, or is currently going for, and if you discover you have indeed chanced upon a lucky listing, consider buying the book to resell. This could help fund a purchase that perhaps you otherwise wouldn't consider.
Ensure the edition advertised is the exact one you desire
ISBNs & publishing dates, and of course, photos, are a great help with this, but some seller's aren't very accurate. I ordered a number of used penguin classics books from various sellers on amazon a few years ago, and although they were listed under the ISBN of the new edition (which included a photo), the copies were older editions, smaller in size, and with poor quality, browning paper.
Examine thoroughly upon arrival:
As soon as you get a book, carefully examine the condition, and try to look over the contents as thoroughly as possible. I have received books which looked fine on first arrival, but when I came to read them, found they contained writing in pen, missing pages, or pages containing misprints and other errors.
Places to Buy
Abebooks
An online marketplace and the single best place to buy old (and new) books. This is usually the first place I go when I want to find an out-of-print volume. I have been using abebooks for years and have had nothing but positive experiences.
Amazon
In my experience, versus abebooks, amazon has a lot of less reputable booksellers who don't accurately describe the books, so proceed with caution.
eBay
Some great deals can be found on eBay; particularly people who come across a valuable volume and list it for a relatively cheap price, not knowing it's true worth. Or people inheriting a large collection of books, and, finding no interest or value in them, list them all for a low price in the hope of a quick sale. However, as most listings are not from professional booksellers, you're less likely to get accurate descriptions, so caution should be advised, and extra photos sought.
Indexes a large range of websites (including the 3 above).
A reputable 3rd party seller of Folio Society, Easton Press, and Franklin Library volumes.