Hello, 

Boy - that didn't work quite the way I expected.  Anyway, I just signed up yesterday.  I have 2 books to mail out already.  But I'm getting some back vibes over being a smoker.  I signed up because I saw an oop mystery that I've been looking for a long time and I've ordered it.  I have 3 used book stores in my county and I don't really need an outlet for my books.  If this is going to be more of a pain than it's worth, I'd appreciate your opinions.  Any other smokers out there? 

Thanks! This really looks does look like fun. I had to cancel a request on the 1st day.  So I'm 1 for 3 - is that about average?

Diana - People who have smoke allergies(or just otherwise object to a smoky smell) usually put this in their conditions, and you will know before you even accept the request whether this is an issue for the person requesting the book.  So, no, you don't need to worry about the smell for ordinary transactions that don't have requestor conditions.  However, I am guessing that you may get dinged from time to time anyway if the smoke smell is excessive...some people will argue that this goes against PBS conditions of having "no excessive wear" to the book. 

I am an ex-smoker, and can't stand the smell, but am still willing to take books from a smoking home.  I usually take a while to get to them anyway, so they have time to air out.

My mom was never a smoker, and cannot stand books with a smoky smell.  She has not read books I've gotten from here, just because the smell bothers so much.  But when buying books on half.com or whatever, she is very careful to check to see if the seller is a smoker.

I agree, it's up to the requestor to have conditions or to ask you if they have a problem with smoke.  I think most people just want the books and are okay with the smell.

I'm not a smoker, but I've sent out over 250 books, and have probably gotten maybe 10-15 requests that had non-smoker conditions on them.

I have a smoker condition myself, but I would say in something like 60 book requests,  I have only seen about 4 no smoking RCs. If they dont' have the RC, then it is fine to send the book and if they don't like the smell, it is their problem for not putting anything on their conditions not yours. I was the same way, my very first order came with a RC of no smoking when I had rec'd the book from a smoker, wasn't a fun way to start :(, but it wasn't a sign of what was to come at all.

Welcome!

Thanks for all of your advice.  I appreciate it :)

I was a heavy smoker when I started here, but dont' smoke now.         I have to say, it had NEVER occured to me if my book smelled smoky or not until I started reading the forums.  While I never sent a book to anyone who had smoking conditions I did become extremely AWARE that others might think my books smelled smoky.   So I got some rubbermaid boxes and put the boxes I was going to trade in the boxes with crubled newspapers.         It certainly wasn't necessary, but made me feel that at least I had made the effort to control the smoke on my books.

I quite 5 months ago and now all those smokey books, except the few I'm keeping, are already out of my home.

You find it's fun here to swap and that MOST people will be happy to get your books.  The ones that have the conditions, you just decline and move on.           Welcome to PBS!

I"m one that has the nonsmoking clause in my conditions (my son is highly allergic).  I've had requests turned down and, sure, it's disappointing but better I'm disappointed for not getting a book than my son have respiratory problems.

So, have fun!   I think I'm in the minority with my conditions.

Smoker here, too, but I don't smoke in my house so I feel like the books are fine!  Never had a complaint yet.

I don't smoke and don't like the smell of smoke, but I've yet to receive a book from here that I think has smelled of smoke, so any or all could have come from a smoker and I wouldn't know.  There are some books I want so badly, as long as they don't have smoke billowing from them, I don't really care where they come from!!

Welcome, Diana!  I hope you enjoy it here.

I am a nonsmoker but I'm not allergic and I don't have any conditions.  I have only occasionally received books so smoky that I could not read them immediately, and then I just let them air out for a while.  No problem!  And although I've sent out 250-ish books, I've only occasionally gotten a no-smoking condition.

There are definitely people here who will want your books, including me!  And I'm always happy to see another fan of out-of-print books.  That's what drew me to the site in the first place, too.

I'm surprised by all the non-smoking requests, I never knew books must absorb the odor so strongly! I'm a smoker so I guess I don't notice it.

I'm a non-smoker but I don't have a no-smoking condition on my book requests. I've sent out close to 200 books.  I've had very few w/a non-smoking requirement. I think I've had more w/requestor conditions about writing, spine condition and such then for non-smoking.

I posted 4 more books tonight.  And ... I had to cancel a request again.  (with a very abrupt condition that refused to accept "books that smelled")  So now I'm running 2 for 6.  (still waiting on 1 response).   This is getting me down a little - these are brand new perfectly good books, read only by me and don't even look like they've been read at all. 

And thanks again for the welcomes and the support - I'm making my 1st trip to the post office tomorrow (woohoo).  The snow plow knocked out my mailbox Monday.  Happy Winter!

I'm seeing a few more requestor's conditions than I used to, but even so 2 for 6 is pretty high.  I'd say no more than one in 10 or 20 requests I get have conditions.

I'm a non smoker, hate smoke but haven't put it as a condition. I've received 80 books and only three that reeked really bad of smoke. One was so bad it felt sticky and was yellow. Two of them in a freezer bag with a bar of soap and the smell was gone in a week. The one really bad ended up thrown away because soap, didn't help the smell and cleaning the cover with cleaner didn't help the sticky feel. If I got those kind of reeking books all of the time I'd put the condition myself. For a while our temp mailman was a smoker and the packages smelled awful but the wrapped books were okay. I've often wondered where those people had the books for them to smell so awful. I've gotten books from smoker friends that I couldn't even tell it. Don't feel too bad. I've mailed out 68 books and I think I may have come across a smoking condition four or five times. I've come across the pets condition about the same amount. I do have pets and my cats rub on my books as I read them for sure so it's not just smoking.

If anyone orders from me this week BE AWARE

My books probably smell like Christmas cookies!!   Think brown sugar and cinnamon and wonderful smells!  It is all over my house and I'm SURE the books have obsorbed some of it too!     : )

Ohh....I want one of your books Coz...but only if you send the cookies with it...lol

Diana, you're definitely running higher than average for getting those conditions.  Hopefully you're just getting them out of the way right off the bat!

Ive been a member for 2+ years and have always had to turn down smoking conditions cause I smoked and so does my husband and mother. I quit but they havent. Even with that I have sill mailed out 588 books.