I've been reading a couple of threads and I noticed that several posters said that they check the profile of the people that they order from.

I must be completely clueless (and this is not an unusual state of affairs for me...lol ) because it never even occurred to me to do that. 

I'll go to the bookstore and I'll generally buy one or two books, but I come away with a long list of others that I want to read and I'll look for them on PBS.  I also peruse the books that were posted that day to see if anything catches my fancy.

I also read several times that if you post more here in the forums that if you post more here in the forums that your books will get ordered more.  True? False?

After reading the forums lately, even though I've been a member at PBS for quite a while, I feel like a real noob.

Personally, I don't usually check profiles, if there is a book I want and only one copy, I order it from whoever has it available.  But I've read of some people who have been burned by a string of books going lost or receiving unpostable books or have requested books that never get confirmation, etc. that -do- want to check out the person's profile before ordering, to make sure it is a member who has been here long enough to know the rules and long enough to have a "proven track record" so to speak, by having a number of transactions (if there were a lot of bad transactions, they'd no longer be a member) and by having recent posts in the forum etc. to "prove" they are still active and not on vacation and presumably not going to ignore the order/request.

I've had mostly good luck and met a lot of fine people on the site, and I still have a trusting nature.  But one might be a little more cautious ordering from a brand new member that has no track record.  Still, we all had to start sometime, right?

Also, I do believe posting in the forums may get your bookshelf noticed more, and you may get more orders by posting in the forum.  Lots of people will read some comment you make and want to find out more about you so they will check out your profile and/or your bookshelf.  If they see something there they want, bingo! a new order for you!  You may have posted randomly in a thread that you are, for example, a Stephen King fan, and someone might check out your bookshelf to see if you have a King book they want.  And see some other books you liked and posted that they might like and order from you.  It works the other way too, someone might see you like King in the above example, and check out your WL to see if there is something they have that they might want to offer you.

I read about that kind of thing happening all the time, although it hasn't happened TO me yet, I have checked out some person I read forum post, and ended up ordering from their bookshelf.  The newest book coming to me is one of those. *grin*

I never look at the profile of the person I'm ordering from.  I've never gotten burned on a transaction though.  The one problem I had, the sender was very nice and apologized for not noticing the damage and refunded my credit.

I think people do tend to look at your bookshelf more if you post on the forums.  I post a lot in the Love & Romance forum and I will peruse the bookshelves of the people that post there and I know they look at mine.  I've sent books to and received books from most of them.  You make friends on the forums and it's always neat to see what your friends are reading.

I've always just ordered using the FIFO or book bazaar.  I have looked through the lists of my "buddies" before to see if they had anything on my reminder list, but haven't ever found anything that way.

I generally order using FIFO, too.  But sometimes if someone's post causes me to think that we might share a common book interest, I'll check out their shelf and order straight from it, so that is an example of how posting in the forums can help increase your books requested.

ETA:  I like to read somewhat obscure or older books, so I'm always on the lookout for someone with similar book interests!

I am considering checking out profiles before I request a book...especially now since I've had 3 books with no responders....and it adds at least 5 more days on the whole shipment process before my books actually get shipped to me.  If I check out profiles more maybe I'll get more active and responsive members who will actually ship books?!  I just started a new subject called None Responders before I noticed this post.   Also, please give new members a chance!  I will ship books promptly :)

I don't usually stress about whether or not they have a profile.  I do tend to check first with people I post a lot with and I know will answer a request quickly. Otherwise I go through the FIFO system. The only time I cancelled a request on someone who had no profile was when it was about to time out on a 2nd person.  I know I should have waited until it hit the 3rd person. But I was tired of it sitting there.  5days through the 1st person and then 3days into the 2nd person. It was a guy with 3 romance books on his shelf that were posted over a year ago. No info on books received or sent or anything.  I should have let it time out but I put a post in the BB with what I was looking for and someone shipped the book out the same day.  There were like 50 copies in the system and I just had a vision of this book going through 10 people before it finally got accepted.  While someone with the book was probably actively using the site.  

I also I get a lot of book orders that I know I'm not at the top of the FIFO line.  It's usually from people I see on the boards. They know I'm on here alot and I won't let their request languish for days on end.  I also get a lot of WL books posted directly to me where I'm not in the top spot.  It's from people who see me on here. They know I'll accept the WL offer w/o letting it sit for 2 days and I answer PMs quickly.   Of course it helps that I work from home and can get on the computer several times a day if I want.

I generally just use FIFO, too. I do like to order more than one book off a shelf if they have books I like. 

I do check for one person who sent me a really bad book and said, "well that's the way I got it."  He has a large shelf, and in theory I could order from him again.

There are a few people who I know share similar interests and I will check their shelves from time to time. 

This is probably off subject, but how did you get the BOXER button and what exactly is it?

The BOXER button indicates a member who has signed up for the box-of-books trading service - 4th item down on the PBS "community" menu.

I usually do FIFO, but I have a buddy list of people who have similar tastes to mine, and who I know will mail the book reasonably promptly.  I also use the buddy list to post wishlist books directly to thier lists, especially if they've done the same for me.

Until I read it in the threads it never occured to me to look at a profile before ordering a book.   If I am ordering FIFO or have a wish list book become available I DO look at the person's bookshelf to see if they have something else I would like to order.

And yes - I think being seen on the forums gets some people to notice you and order from your shelf.

I am so set in my ways.  I just look at the books posted today to see if something catches my eye.  If I do pick a book, I will usually look at their bookshelf to see if they have anything else I might like.

So at least I don't feel alone the way I choose books. :)

I'm sort of hoping that me posting here will get my bookshelf noticed so I can get rid of more books.  We move in 2 months and I'd REALLY like to not have to move so many books.  I thought about posting in the Book Bazaar, but eh, it just overwhelmed me.  yes, I AM that pathetic.

I use the FIFO system when ordering books.  I do a search to find the book then order it.  I will check their bookshelf to see if there is anything else I might want but do not on a regualar bases check out profiles on the person I am ordering from.  I have only had a couple of times had to wait for a book to be sent because it had to go through a couple of people before it got to someone that was willing to mail it to me.   I guess I have been lucky in that way.  I have so many books here already so waiting a couple of days doesn't bother me at this point.

Ivy

I'm trying not to order books right now but when I do I generally am doing a deal from the bazaar thread or using the FIFO system.  I normally don't check profiles but sometimes while I'm waiting for a book to be accepted I'll look to see where it might be coming from and such.  It can be hard to know if they are good or bad trader because it doesn't show marks against them.

Melani, to get your shelf moving definitely post a special in the bazaar like 2 for 1 on paperbacks.  it generally doesn't cost much more to mail and could move some books on your shelf!

I checked out your shelf, you've got some good chick lit so maybe you should post in that forum as well.

I'm trying to restrain from ordering because I have 170 books TBR plus my books I have listed and hubby is getting frustrated with me!  so I'm trying to read and get rid of books before I get more.

I almost never check profiles.   I trust to FIFO and it has been good to me. (Better than eBay where the descriptions are listed--but are as fictional as the books sometimes :P)

 I do seem to get more orders when I'm active on the forums. On the other hand I tend to be posting when I'm listing a bunch new books to my shelf (or setting up boxes of books such as in my sig), so it's hard for me to tell.

Hey Melani! I'm another Maniac. LOL

I will look at peoples shelves if I see a post or I'm reading a thread. I checked out yours. You have some books that I'm sure will move out fast. I'm on a no ordering kick right now.<G>

I also checked your WL. It looks like my TBR pile.

One thing I might do is post WL books to someone I've met in one of the swaps or in the forums or to another Mainer.<G> Sometimes I just put it on my shelf. I have my shelf on hold right now. December killed me with shipping the first couple of weeks so I figured I'd take a break.

PBS'rs are the BEst!

Thanks so much for the tips y'all.  I've got a few more books that I want to post.  Once I do that, I'll stick my toes in the Book Bazaar pond.

Hey Kathi!  It surely is beautiful here in Maine.  I have absolutely loved living here.  The Navy is sending us back down south in March, so I get the joy of one last really incredibly snowy and wicked cold winter.  I'm going to miss it a lot.

If I think someone is a bookseller looking to re-stock, I'll cancel the request.

How would you be able to tell?

Really,really stringent conditions. Plus a look at their bookshelf, how big it is, and what's on it. Then there is also that gut feeling.

I don't check profiles when ordering FIFO but I do check their shelf to see if they've stocked it recently because that usually gives me an idea if they're active or not. Other than that, I don't check profiles. I've had really good luck on here.

I also think that being on the forums helps - I get regular orders, which is good because I volunteer at our fairly-large FOL. I'm forever finding books in there.

Melani, aren't you on 2peas? I"m one of the oldies and know you from there but I have a totaly different name here. Anyhow, how on earth can the Book Bazaar be overwhelming when you can weather NSBR!? lol Or is that why I haven't seen you lately - but then again, I hardly ever post there either anymore. You should head on over to the bazaar. You do have some good books and a little advertising never hurt!

Anyhow, good luck with the move.