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Book Swap Sites
- Vanessa
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 4378
- Joined: August 2008
- Currently reading: The Farm at the Edge of the World by Sarah Vaughan
- Interest in HF: The first historical novel I read was Katherine by Anya Seton and this sparked off my interest in this genre.
- Favourite HF book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell!
- Preferred HF: Any
- Location: North Yorkshire, UK
It's strange how some swappers might mention the fact that they're not animal owners but don't mention the fact that they smoke! I can't see how having a dog in the house would have any affect on a book unless perhaps if the dog sleeps on the books or chews them! Whereas with smoking, the smell just lingers and permeates everything. (I know animals have a smell of their own but I've smelt in on a book.) I'm so glad it's banned from public places (indoors, that is).
currently reading: My Books on Goodreads
Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind
Books are mirrors, you only see in them what you already have inside you ~ The Shadow of the Wind
- Madeleine
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 5860
- Joined: August 2008
- Currently reading: "Mania" by L J Ross
- Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
- Location: Essex/London
Oh it's horrible when something stinks of smoke, I remember where I used to work, the post would sometimes smell of it if the men had been smoking in their little room where they sorted the post. Never heard of animal smells affecting a book though!
I've also had a couple of experiences where a seller's idea of a book being in "good" condition doesn't match mine - a bit of wear is fair enough, especially on an older book, but I received a second-hand copy of a fairly recent paperback a while ago, which was meant to be in "vgc" but was covered in some rather unpleasant looking stains! I hope they were only tea or coffee, but it looked so grubby I didn't even want to touch it. So you're right to complain and get a refund.
I've also had a couple of experiences where a seller's idea of a book being in "good" condition doesn't match mine - a bit of wear is fair enough, especially on an older book, but I received a second-hand copy of a fairly recent paperback a while ago, which was meant to be in "vgc" but was covered in some rather unpleasant looking stains! I hope they were only tea or coffee, but it looked so grubby I didn't even want to touch it. So you're right to complain and get a refund.
Currently reading "Mania" by L J Ross
- boswellbaxter
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 3066
- Joined: August 2008
- Location: North Carolina
- Contact:
Got my credit back, so I'm content now! I just have to find a copy of the book that I can read without it falling apart (which won't be hard, as there are plenty of copies on Amazon, it turns out).
I house an association's library at my house, and someone donated a bunch of periodicals once that were so smoky smelling I had to put them in a plastic tub with air freshener inside for a month before I could bear to be in the same room with them.
I house an association's library at my house, and someone donated a bunch of periodicals once that were so smoky smelling I had to put them in a plastic tub with air freshener inside for a month before I could bear to be in the same room with them.
Susan Higginbotham
Coming in October: The Woodvilles
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog/
Coming in October: The Woodvilles
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog/
[quote=""boswellbaxter""]I house an association's library at my house, and someone donated a bunch of periodicals once that were so smoky smelling I had to put them in a plastic tub with air freshener inside for a month before I could bear to be in the same room with them.[/quote]
Oh that has to be bad. I had one out from the library once that just stunk to high heaven and I couldn't read it. At PBS you can add requestor conditions, i.e. I don't accept books from smoking homes, haven't figured if you can do that at Bookmooch. I've lost a couple that way but nothing that broke my heart. I know some people have serious pet allergies and they have to be cautious about taking books from homes with pets (cats do walk all over the books, at least mine do) while they're walking all over your lap
Oh that has to be bad. I had one out from the library once that just stunk to high heaven and I couldn't read it. At PBS you can add requestor conditions, i.e. I don't accept books from smoking homes, haven't figured if you can do that at Bookmooch. I've lost a couple that way but nothing that broke my heart. I know some people have serious pet allergies and they have to be cautious about taking books from homes with pets (cats do walk all over the books, at least mine do) while they're walking all over your lap
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
About ten years ago, I ordered a trilogy of historical novels from Amazon UK - they were brand new, but the books stank of smoke, so badly I couldn't read them. If the smell's strong enough, I can get a horrible headache that can last for days. I complained and Amazon sent me replacements - which weren't an improvement. They were small press titles, and all the books in the publisher's warehouse must have been like that. Eventually I got my money back, and I did my best to decontaminate them, but I never have read the books. (A trilogy about Pictish queens. Maybe one day...)
I have requestor conditions at PBS re: smoke and that hasn't been a problem, but I'm about to add "no water damage or disgusting food stains" to the description. People aren't supposed to send books like that, but I just received one.
I have requestor conditions at PBS re: smoke and that hasn't been a problem, but I'm about to add "no water damage or disgusting food stains" to the description. People aren't supposed to send books like that, but I just received one.
I have lots of allergies (dust, mould, perfumes, tobacco smoke ad infinitum) so it makes buying second hand books such a nightmare, I usually don't bother even trying anymore. I just can't do old books at all (even though I love them) because of the dusty musty smell .
The worst books I've ever got (this is while I was still trying to buy second hand books) were two of the suppressed Georgette Heyers...one had obviously been propping up a very heavy table as there was a huge square indentation in the cover (it was also very brown and musty!) and the other had a squashed cockroach in the middle!! Funnily enough, both had been described as in good condition .
The worst books I've ever got (this is while I was still trying to buy second hand books) were two of the suppressed Georgette Heyers...one had obviously been propping up a very heavy table as there was a huge square indentation in the cover (it was also very brown and musty!) and the other had a squashed cockroach in the middle!! Funnily enough, both had been described as in good condition .
Jenny
"Well-behaved women rarely make history." Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Currently Reading:
"Well-behaved women rarely make history." Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Currently Reading:
I have a question about posting a book on PBS. My husband brought home a few boxes of his Dad's old books, and I found one that I already owned and thought I'd post it for trade. The book is a first edition paperback. When I enter the ISBN, the HC edition for that ISBN comes up (the paperback editions listed at PBS have different ISBN numbers). Do I go ahead and select that HC edition and just notify anyone who requests it that it is paperback, or should I manually enter it?
- boswellbaxter
- Bibliomaniac
- Posts: 3066
- Joined: August 2008
- Location: North Carolina
- Contact:
[quote=""Ludmilla""]I have a question about posting a book on PBS. My husband brought home a few boxes of his Dad's old books, and I found one that I already owned and thought I'd post it for trade. The book is a first edition paperback. When I enter the ISBN, the HC edition for that ISBN comes up (the paperback editions listed at PBS have different ISBN numbers). Do I go ahead and select that HC edition and just notify anyone who requests it that it is paperback, or should I manually enter it?[/quote]
I would enter it manually.
I would enter it manually.
Susan Higginbotham
Coming in October: The Woodvilles
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog/
Coming in October: The Woodvilles
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/
http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/blog/