I just signed up here and have added a ton of books to my wishlist.  A lot of the books say that I am in the hundreds on the list.  I am curious if anyone else has gotten books when there are 200 people in front of them.  How long does it take?  I know it probably depends a lot on the circulatio of that book.  Just curious if I have a hope in the world of getting one of these book on here before they go out of print :-)

So far these seems like a great deal, and a cool site to be part of.  I am hoping I will love it.

Thanks, Karissa

It really depends on the book. If it is a popular, recently released book, the lines usually move very quickly. I got in line for HP7 at over 400 and got it in around 3 months. The older, out-of-print, collector type books and cookbooks tend to move really slow.

I see you have a lot of paranormal. A few months ago I would have said they move much slower that main stream fiction, but it seems like we have picked up a lot more members posting in that genre and there seems to be a lot more action there (at least for me). Also, hang out in the Paranormal forum. There is a thread there where members sometimes list what they are going post into the system to see if they can find someone who wants to take more than one or just so they can work with someone they know will respond right away. 

Welcome. I am sure you will love it around here.

Those long lists have a way of moving along very quickly. My own experience is that if you're number 200 on a popular book's wishlist, you're much more likely to get that book -- and get it faster --  than when you're number one to five, or so, of a less popular book.

Pam

I put notes on all my WL books to see where I was when I first wished.  I collect a lot of older science fiction, and that is hit or miss (I am #1 for more than half of my WL).  I also read some paranormals...some have pretty long lines, but I've seen some of them moving pretty fast.

Hardest books to get: older out of print Dean Koontz novels.  I am 19th in line for one and 11th in another.  Neither have had a copy posted since I've been here, and I doubt I'll ever see them from this site.  On the other hand, I am 310th in line for the collection My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, but it's gone through 19 copies in the last couple of weeks.  I'll probably get that a lot sooner than vintage Koontz.

You can get some ideas of how popular a book is here by looking at the numbers next to the star ratings. That's the number of people who've rated it. I think (though I have no proof) that you're more likely to get a book that's been rated by more people.

Non-fiction tends to move slowly. Those chemistry books you have listed look really cool, but it will probably take longer to get them than it will to get the Southern Vampire books, even though you're probably much closer to the front of the line on the chemistry stuff than the vampire stuff.

rare, or out of print books are hardest to get.  A lot of the books with a lot of wishers move pretty fast, but then you get books like the post secret ones that don't seem to move at all. I think it also depends on what genre the book you want falls under, some move faster than others. I have gotten quite a few books that I was listed way high in the wishlist line,  just be patient, and while you are waiting something else will probably catch your eye to read while you  "wait".     Welcome to Pbs - I hope you have fun and find some really good books.

Thanks for all of the great responses.  I am happy to hear that even though I am way down on the list for some books that if they are more popular I might see them sooner than I would expect!

Michelle, you are completely right...I always have a lot of books lined up to read.  My husband likes to tease me cause I am always looking for more books and he's like "what about the 60 books you have lined up on the bookshelf.."   :-)

So far I have already found some great books that I am really excited to get reading!

Karissa,

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but my experience with the type of books on your wishlist (mostly paranormal trade papeback or hardbacks) is that they move slowly.   You'll maybe move up 2-3 spots per week and sometimes won't move at all.  Don't be too discouraged because you WILL get them eventually, it's just going to take a while.  I encourage you to do as others have suggested.  Focus on reading the books that you already have and those that are available in the PBS system.  There are a LOT of great books in the system already.    In a few months, you'll start getting your WL books.

If you have some MMP's in there, you'll get those faster.  People are more willing to buy those and post them because they cost less in the first place.

I also encourage you to start hanging out and posting on the genre forums - especially the Paranormal forum.  

Should I make you jealous and tell you that I picked up C.E. Murphy's entire Negotiator series at a recent FOTL sale for 50 cents per book?  If they are still on your WL when I am done with them, I'll post them to you.  

Hi Lynne,

I am jealous!  I've heard that the Negotiator series is pretty good, hopefully you will enjoy it.  I love going through used bookstores looking for good deals.  My son and I do it quite a bit, even though he is only 22 months old he knows what bookstores look like and starts yelling "Books!" as soon as we pull up to one.

I will check out the paranormal forum later tonight; sounds like it could be a great place for info. 

Thanks for an offer to post those Negotiator books to me when you are through with them!  BTW, you are the MN coordinator right?  I am just a bit northeast of you in Blaine.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Hi Karissa! I'm in St. Louis Park. :) I have quite a few of the same books as you wishlisted--and also quite a few of them on my TBR, so I'll add you to my buddy list and keep an eye on things. I have found that a lot of the more popular books do move really fast---especially as Lynne said, the mass mkt paperbacks. Trade size paperbacks go slower, but if you have a huge TBR like me, it's not such a big deal--I've got so many other books to read I don't worry too much about the speed of my wishlist anymore.

I've found that the books that take the longest to move are actually ones that aren't real well known, that have maybe 20 or 30 wishers or something. I've often been stuck on those lists for months and YEARS, moving very little and often will end up getting the book from the library instead.

Anyway, welcome to PBS!

Cheryl

I was 270 or something like that for a book released this summer. I'm now at Number 8 on it and the book only came out in July. So yes, it is possible. On the other hand I'm 1 of 1 for some of the books on my wishlist and I'm sure I'll be waiting a long long time for those books, if indeed they ever get posted here!

Usually if it's a popular book that has a long WL line-I buy it myself and post it because before long there'll be a lot of copies posted to PBS.  I had one recently that 30+ on WL when I got it-2 wks later there were over 20 copies posted and now there's twice that.  So the lines do move. It's the large expensive books (heavy cookbooks, craft books) and the OOP books that move slower.  Most move at a steady clip.  I've worked my way to the top of a few  thick tradesize  books that I was at the end of a really long line for in just a couple months. 

I find it rare to find paranormals sit on my shelf.  They usually get snapped up pretty quickly.  I don't really care for them but if I find them cheap, I'll post them because they seem so popular. 

My experience is that cookbooks are the ones that never move.  Those tend to be "Keepers" and there are huge long WL for some.  O the other hand - books by Dan Brown and John Grisham - there are thousands of them and I use them (I actually have some) as my "dummy" book if I need to send something but don't have it on my shelf and it isn't a credit trade - like send a book to a Buddy or friend.  Gift thing!   I'm seeing lots and lots of people wanting the paranormal books - so I'm figuring they will move very fast.  Just hang in there - soon you'll be wondering if you will have enough credits to cover all the WL books you have coming in!  ;D

Ruth

I always use Danielle Steel or Stephen King as my "dummy" book for sending WL books out on games.  They are usually pretty common in PBS as well. 

I won't WL anything buy a mega author-King, Nora Roberts, James Patterson etc.., They tend to have long WL right before the book comes out and then the next thing you know there's 100+ posted. 

I have noticed that as the paranormal genre becomes more popular they are becoming easier to find on PBS.  The last few pararmormals I bought cheap thinking they might be WL were actually heavily posted onto PBS already. 

On the good side, I was 600+ in line for the new Harry Potter when it was released, and I got a copy in only 2 months.  As contrasted with a WL book I missed responding to during a weekend that I happened to not log in here and missed the 48 hour window; that book, Allure (yaoi manga book), I put back on my wish list on July of 2007 and I'm still only 4 of 6 for it in line.  I may never get it.   :(

As the others have stated, it depends on the popularity of a book, but books that have lines in the 100+ length will often be received much more quickly than you think!  (My Harry Potter WL book was popular, my Allure WL book is a rather small, specific genre book and not so popular.)