I have a polite request for those of you that have requests about books not coming from a smoking enviornment. Could you please be a little more specific? I get RC's all the time that say "Am not willing to accept books that come from a smoking enviornment". It is my practice to reject these requests because I get most of my books from used book stores or Good will and I could not say whether they were ever in a smoking enviornment. And I am leery about accepting these requests because there could be a possiblity that someone is more ultra sensitive to smoke than I am I may have a problem with the book I send.

If you dont want a book that has ever seen smoke, I can understand that, but I have a feeling there are a lot of people who dont want books that have been in an immediate smoking household or that dont reek, which I can understand. People may be missing out on books because of their wording.

Just my 2 cents...

Speaking from the viewpoint of one who has no smoking conditions on her RC--I tweaked mine to be specific to no books from a current smoking environment. I do think that most people who simply write "am not willing to accept books that come from a smoking environment" do mean the current environment of the book, although I can see your point in not taking the chance of sending one if you are unsure.

Despite my specificity, I still get turned down once in awhile by someone who says they can't vouch for the history of the book.

I have also turned down requests that haven't been very specific, not just on smoking, but musty or smelly books.  My sense of smell isn't that sharp, so I can't tell what a requestor may mean by musty books.  If you can be more specific, try to do so, it will help you get more books and the sender won't have to wonder if they are risking a credit.  I do like being able to turn down the request and offer an explanation, sometimes the person will come back and order the book once they know more about it.

I also turn down those RCs on used books even though I myself have a smoky book issue. The site uses that exact wording in Help as what NOT to do so I assume that people that have it that way really do want a book that can be verified as never been in a smoking environment.

this is how i have my RC worded and i still get turned down by ppl saying they dont know the history of the books

Please, due to allergies I cannot receive books that are currently in a smoking home (you don't have to know the history...if no one smokes in your house then yes, I want the book)

If I got that one, I would definelty accept it - you are very clear!

I actually think all this about smoking RC's is kind of funny.  I do not mean to offen anyone here, but I have a real problem with cigarette smoke.  I understand the problems of addiction and know it isn't practical, but I truly wish it were illegal to smoke at all.  I have had to shut my windows on a 90 degree day because the smoke drifting from the neighbor's house was making me physically ill.  It's his right, and the rigt of anyone to smoke in public, but if I catch even the faintest whiff from across a parking lot, or on someones clothing I'll be calling down curses and imprecations from above, plus going into a coughing fit.

Anyway, the point is I don't think anyone is more sensitive than I am to the smell of cigarette smoke, and with over 1,000 used paperbacks acquired from who knows where, this has never been a problem.  Once, and only once I did open a box I'd gotten off ebay and it smelled like someone had exhaled a nice big stream of smoke into the box before sealing it.  I was completely disgusted and had to leave the books sit for a few days...but after they aired out even they were fine and I don't even know which they are now. 

Talk about being subjective all you want, but if your books are not currently in a smoking environment I have a very hard time believing anyone would know the difference.

Speaking of all this smoking.....makes me want to go smoke :)

Just kiding :)

mine includes the word currently and I think I bolded it and underlined it.  doesn't mean that people don't refuse it anyway for lame reasons!

matt - I've had exactly the same experience and I'm pretty sensitive to smells. I've had *one* smoky batch of books from PBS in hundreds of swaps, and the smell dissipated - I couldn't tell you now which books were a problem.

On the other hand, the books I got packed with dryer sheets never stopped stinking.

I've considered a smoking RC, but haven't written one yet.  I haven't had the pleasure of receiving smokey books yet!  I think that as long as the book comes from a nonsmoking home it would be OK, especially if the current nonsmoker doesn't smell smoke.

Michelle