Occasionally I get a sense that there are dealers that are trying to get books and re-sell.

What do you think?

I don't think it would be that profitable.  They'd have to buy credits to get the books. I suppose some would resell for more than what a credit costs. But I wouldn't think it would be worth all the trouble. 

Would they have to buy credits?  If they are dealers, they can list hundreds (thousands) of books pretty easily, esp. if their book inventory is computerized.  They would then be able to swap those books...but yes, ultimately, they'd need to start somewhere.

I do think there are dealers in our midst, but I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing.  It bothers me to think about them doing BoB more than straight swaps for some reason.

Have you seen the book prices at Amazon?  I doubt if any book sellers would make a profit ordering books from PBS--unless they've done their homework and WL obscure valuable books in which posters weren't aware of their value.  Unlikely.

Well I could see book sellers posting books here and then selling credits. But I still don't see how it would be profitable.  Ebay would be the better way to go to make money. 

You know, since I'm not going to bother selling that valuable antique or special book that I just posted for the $20 minus the listing fee, nor am I going to sell books for a buck over what it costs me to get them on here (credits aren't free whether you buy them or post books to get them) I just want my credit, and if book resellers order more of my books so that I get more credits, I don't give a whooot! what they do with them, just as long as they give me my credits! Trust me, I have a sister who sells on Amazon, and a friend a couple towns over, and places like PBS are just for them to get books for themselves and they need to post books or buy the credits to do that, so there's no need to worry.

If you base your concerns over people with HUGE shelves, maybe you'll think I'm a book seller when I get these last two batches of books loaded on our shelves. But, truth is, I have a bookseller for a friend that gives me what doesn't move after so long. PBS members gobble them up! Hubby just sent out 20 books that were mostly religious related!

If you think there are book dealers because some people have strict conditions about their books requested, that's not an indication, I know several people on here that I know are NOT dealers, and they have very strict conditions, because there are building a keeper library.

Nope, the real way book dealers make a profit is by going to estate sales and getting good deals and by being in contact with publishers and book sellers the next level up, and get the over runs and left overs.

Thanks for all  your input.

What prompted me to ask the question was that someone had a post about their daughter's BD coming, and she wanted certain books, which I happen to know were collectible. (I had one)Then the same person later in  the day made an counter-offer for some of my books which I had offered, which I didn't except because it was too  unreasonable, I thought (I was sent a PM, not a post)

It's perfectly legal to make an offer, I realize, but when I realized it was the same person with the collecitble books, I suddenly wondered if that person was being honest about the daughter wanting certain books.

I realize that I can't worry about this, and I can make any deal I want, but I was left with a real uncomfortable feeling (of being used? lied to?).

Oh well, there's all kinds out there,  and mostly I've "met" really nice people, so just wanted to express this uncomfortable feeling I had. I'm OK now ;)

Enjoy this season of preparation  for the Holy Days coming!

I understand why you asked.  First, there's a rule about it.  Why would there be a rule if it was not a concern, eh?  ah-ha.  But, like everyone said, you send a book, you get a credit, you order a book, you spend a credit.  Whether you send or receive from a dealer still costs one credit. 

I've had, and I'm sure other's have had, gut feelings about dealing with someone.  It's ok, just decline to trade.  If you're a reasonable person, with a good trading record, turning down a request on a rare basis is alright.  I know there has been a time or two that I didn't listen to my gut and have been out a credit.  Live and learn (and read).

There have been dealers in the past.  I remember a post a long time ago from a gal down south who went to a flea market and long story short ended up meeting someone selling books she got from PBS....she confronted the lady and I guess the lady basically told her she could do whatever she effing wanted with those books.

That and some of the requestor condtions I have gotten really make me suspect at times.

I agree with the confronted seller: they were HER books to do with as she wanted!

As long as dealers cannot "jump" wishlists, I can't see why they can't spend credits on books here that are either un-wishlisted in the first place, or that they obtain by waiting like everyone else?

Because it's against the rules.  R&R don't mind if you sell once in a while but not to make a habit of it.  That's not what the spirit of this site is about.

You can actually be prosecuted if it's discovered that you are using this site to make money.  Selling an occasional book you got from here is not a big deal....using this site to supply your business is.

There probably are a few people that use the site in ways they are not supposed to, but I can't imagine that it's that profitable or reliable.  You never know when you are going to get certain books or the exact condition they are going to be in.  I've never personally had any conditions or requests that were off the wall, but I've heard of some.  I can't say if they were from resellers or just people with unrealistic expectations.  Either way, they are unlikely to get many books with those types of conditions anyway.

I don't really think there are too many dealers here. I have posted many antique and collectible books here in the past, some of which had a pretty decent resale value, and the majority of them never even got requested and I ended up donating them to an FOL sale. If the dealers were here and paying ANY kind of attention, those books would have been snatched up pretty quickly I would think. I mean, I had a couple of books posted here that were probably worth over $100 on the used/rare book market...and no one ever requested them!

Collectibles may not be an issue.  For instance, I just got two brand new hardcover John Grishams.  I spent what, $3 something per credit for each book....I could easily sell them at a flea market or online for three times that amount.

It seems sketchy to me but I guess if they have credits, they are obviously adding more books into the site and people are requesting them, so perhaps they are keeping our supplies up?

I believe resellers was one of the major reasons why R&R put in the 200 books WL max.  Apparently there is a small population requesting new or popular books and then turning right around and reselling on EBay or Amazon.  If you can get a bestselling HC shortly after its release, you can definitely make a profit on those two sites.