Recently, I had a 5 for 1 sale on my shelf and had quite a bit of response, which was great.  I had one PBS'er who was a bit upset because I had a Book Club Edition book posted and did not PM him to let him know.  Well, first of all, I bought the book at the store and didn't know it was a book club edition and second, didn't really see that it was a problem.  A book is a book, right? 

*there was nothing wrong with the book. It was in postable condition.  As a matter of fact, it was brand new*

What is the difference between book club editions and "regular" editions?  Isn't it all the same book?

Some folks don't like Book CLub editions because  they are not as high quality as retail editions.  They are also slightly smaller in size (which is why I love them).  If the receiver doesn't want a book club edition, then he needs to have conditions for that.  Book club editions are more than welcome here. 

Yes, book club editions ARE postable.  It's his responsibility to make sure the book he requests is not a book club edition, not yours!  He should be grateful to get 5 books for 1 credit rather than whining about a perfectly readable book in an edition he wasn't satisfied with.  :)

You just need to make sure that you post it under the proper ISBN or, if it doesn't have an ISBN, under the "no ISBN" feature.  If a book club edition and a non-book club edition share an ISBN, it's the requestor's obligation to include a condition if he or she doesn't want a book club edition.

Thanks,

That's what I thought.  I thought "If I got a 5 for 1 deal, I'd be thankful and certainly not complain".  Also, I always start with the ISBN Number when posting and when I put it in, it came up and everything matched so all was well.

Thanks again.. my faith in PBS is restored..

Book club editions frequently carry the same ISBN as the hardcover retail version.

If a requestor doesn't want them the requestor needs to put conditions on.

You didn't do anything wrong.

There was a short period of time that Requester Conditions were not being seen, It is possible that he has a RC about them and couldn't understand why you'd sent the book despite that.

Still though on a 5-1 deal, there ought not to be any complaining unless the book was rubber banded together and had soaked in water for a week before sending!  I can be picky about my books, but when I get a deal I don't worry about it and tell the sender to ignore my RC.

Sometimes the easiest way to tell a book club book is that it will not have a price on the dust jacket inside front flap.  The older the book, the harder it is to tell, because they get closer and closer to the retail version. (70s and before)

On Book club editions (BCE)  in general, here are some links on identifying them and other info:

www.bookthink.com/0005/05bce.htm

www.tomfolio.com/PublisherInfo/BookClubID.asp

This is a list of book terms - the site has a lot of info available on books.  (Independent Online Booksellers Assn)

www.ioba.org/terms.html

Wow, thanks Rick.  I got quite an education.  Those links are great.  I honestly didn't know there was any difference.  From a reader standpoint, I guess it's all relative but from a collector standpoint, there is quite a big difference.

Linda, I am curious about the store where you bought this book.  If it was bought new at a retail store, it shouldn't have been a book club edition.  Now if you picked it up at the UBS, that is understandable.  But book club editions are just that: they are sent to book club members and not sold new through bookstores.  Maybe it wasn't really a BCE?

Actually.. I bought it at the Dollar Store...lol  The Dollar Tree to be exact..  It did have a starburst on the cover that said "Today Show Book Club* .  Maybe the gentleman thought that made it a book club edition.  It had an ISBN on the back cover and when I pulled it up, it didn't say anything about BCE.

Linda, that doesn't sound like a "book club edition" to me!  That sounds like a book that was featured in one of those TV book clubs (like the Oprah book club).  Good grief!  I'm so sorry that you got a negative PM for what sounds like it was a completely appropriate transaction.

Unfortunately, it wasn't just a negative PM, he marked the books as "Received with a Problem" due to another book that wasn't quite up to standard.  And in hindsight that book probably wasn't but the other 4 were so if it were me I would have said, "Ok, no problem 4 good, 1 not so good but still readable".  Nothing I can do about it now.. 2 red marks against me.(this one and one other).