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Topic: What are the best/most popular books to post?

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Subject: What are the best/most popular books to post?
Date Posted: 11/15/2008 8:21 AM ET
Member Since: 9/5/2008
Posts: 3
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Hi everyone,

Here's the story. A few years ago, before I had heard about PBS, I moved out of my old house and had a lot of books to get rid of. So, I boxed them up and dropped them off at the local used bookstore in town. I received about $90 in trade credit, which I've never used.

The bookstore doesn't have any books that I want (as I'm looking mainly for spanish-language books), but I imagine that they have lots of books that you (as in, all you PBS members) really want, which means I can effectively transfer my bookstore trade credit into PBS credits, and thus get the books that I want, from PBS!

So, what are the best books for me to get from the used bookstore to then post onto PBS? It's a fairly typical used bookstore (lots of romance, mystery, scifi), with a fairly large collection of history, especially Civil War stuff. Should I focus on cookbooks? Romance? Children's books?

Thanks in advance!

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Date Posted: 11/15/2008 8:51 AM ET
Member Since: 3/4/2007
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Check the genre forums to see what people are looking for.  Zombie books seem to be in demand in the horror forum, so you might want to ask which authors are most highly sought after.  I've had great luck with manga and have read in that forum that not enough is being posted.  Cookbooks seem to do really well.  I've had good luck with cookbooks that focus on specific areas, cookies, chocolate, etc.   There are an awful lot of romance books posted, so I'd definitely ask for specific titles and/or authors who are in demand.  Personally, if you want to look at my wishlist and maybe fulfill a few of my wishes....... ;-)

ETA: Books by Christopher Moore usually go quickly and I know there's a demand for Dr. Who books featuring the latest doctors (10 and 11).   Torchwood books are also in great demand.

Hope this helps.



Last Edited on: 11/15/08 9:16 AM ET - Total times edited: 2
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Date Posted: 11/15/2008 9:01 AM ET
Member Since: 12/21/2007
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Every time I've posted Civil War books on my shelf they've been on only a short time.

In romance, paranormals seem to go very quickly. There are some specific authors in romance that will move quickly--Carla Kelly, Patricia Veryan, Marsha Canham are three I think that would move off your shelf pretty fast.

Craft books usually seem to move fast--especially knitting books.

swampdonkey avatar
Date Posted: 11/15/2008 9:05 AM ET
Member Since: 8/17/2008
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Check the club wishlist for books that a lot of people want.  I know a lot of people want brian keene, david wellington and max brooks for zombie books, but I have had no luck finding these in our local used book store.  Good luck.

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Date Posted: 11/15/2008 11:57 AM ET
Member Since: 7/15/2008
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If you have internet capability on your phone, you can use the PBS Mobile site to see if a book is WLed or not.  I have it saved on my BB and it helps when browsing at the UBS.

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Date Posted: 11/15/2008 12:42 PM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
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Tradesize erotic romances go really fast.  Paranormals go pretty fast too but some are really plentiful in PBS.  So do some research first.  I've found that most of the time cozy mysteries go pretty good. 

Authors who are usually WL: Charlaine Harris, Diane Whiteside, Lora Leigh, Jim Butcher, Fran Rizer-that's all I can think of right now.

KayCee1976 avatar
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Date Posted: 11/15/2008 1:00 PM ET
Member Since: 4/16/2008
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I noticed that romance novels in Spanish usually go pretty quickly.  Checking out your shelf, I noticed that you had some :)

KarenLS avatar
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Date Posted: 11/15/2008 3:31 PM ET
Member Since: 1/4/2006
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Under the Community tab at the top of each page, go under it to the Top 50 lists.  One of the tabs will be for most wished for. Another is the most posted, which is good to know what to avoid. I only wish the most wished for could be by genre....

LaurieAnne avatar
Date Posted: 11/15/2008 8:21 PM ET
Member Since: 1/12/2006
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I will order any Social Work or sociology books published within the last five years or so if you find any;)

pinksparkleme avatar
Date Posted: 11/15/2008 8:27 PM ET
Member Since: 6/18/2008
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I recently ran across a stash of an ex-boyfriends fantasy books. I posted them and they were all ordered within 24 hours. Most were even wishlisted. So my new rule when I go to FOL sales this year will be "Look for anything with a dragon on the cover!" lol

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Date Posted: 11/15/2008 9:40 PM ET
Member Since: 7/25/2008
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P.G. Wodehouse always seems to go fast.  I am always interested in his books when I have credits.

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Date Posted: 11/15/2008 11:07 PM ET
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Ditto Megan on the Wodehouse books.  I picked up a handfull of them at a sale and they went very quickly.  Any book by Christopher Moore, Chuck Palahniuk or Hunter S. Thompson should fly off your shelf.

And, yep, Military History books are usually a good bet. I know that books on the Peloponnesian War, the Spartans, the Templars and The Crusades move very quickly.

Also any Wiccan books.  Oh.. .and books on Freemasonry are good.  That's it, off the top of my head.  I'm sure that others will be able to suggest more. 

Good luck on your quest!

 

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Date Posted: 11/16/2008 10:41 AM ET
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I have to agree with the history books.  Anything to do with American History (not a textbook about western civilization) - like those about certain periods ( Cilivl War, American REvolution, French/Indian War) in American History go quickly.  Also some biographies go quickly.  Non-fiction can go pretty quickly - almost any type - like travel.  Cookbooks tend to have long WL's - but I would check in the genre section about them first and ask for feedback as to what people are looking for.  Anything Paula Deen, Rachel Ray, Anthony Bourdain, Michael Pollan, Gordon Ramsey, etc. are on WL. (all are cookbooks or memoirs by cooks and chefs).  Science fiction is funny - I love science fiction and have lot of it since it is my main interest, but it's certain ones that are popular.  Dragons, as mentioned above are usually good.  But watch out for series books like Forgotten Realms, Realms of Darkness, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Dragonlance, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, - these are over bought andvery common so won't go too fast.  Dan Brown, John Grisham, James Patterson, all these are pretty common and I wouldn't go for them.  Just check out some of the links to people on the forums and look at their WL's, you'll get an idea of what will go quickly.

Ruth



Last Edited on: 11/16/08 10:43 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 11/16/2008 11:20 AM ET
Member Since: 8/23/2007
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Any time I post an Alexander McCall Smith or Boris Akunin book they are WL or go very quickly.

tweezle avatar
Date Posted: 11/16/2008 4:17 PM ET
Member Since: 10/2/2005
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Books on homesteading are big. Fox Fire books, preserving, some herbal and just about anything that would help in this economy. Some cookbooks have a long wish list - like the Gooseberry Cookbooks and ones that pertain to whole foods/grains. Another big one is knitting, especially those by Elizabeth Zimmerman, Meg Swansen, Sally Melville. Also sock knitting is hot and the wishlists are long.

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Date Posted: 11/17/2008 12:23 AM ET
Member Since: 7/22/2008
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I know the following authors and subjects are always in demand:

Terry Pratchett - fantasy books, even the paperbacks are often wishlisted

David Macaulay - Castle, Skyscraper, Mosque, Roman City

Scott Hahn - Catholic theology

Tasha Tudor - old fashion children's books

Doreen Cronin - Childrens books especially in hardcover

Amy Wellborn - childrens books and Catholic theology

Barbara Curtis - parenting

Peter J. Kreeft - more theology

Pope Benedict - anything

Just about anything on quilting

Cooks Illustrated cookbooks

Lucy Golden - erotica

Last Edited on: 11/17/08 12:23 AM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 11/17/2008 12:29 PM ET
Member Since: 1/15/2008
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I'm not sure but you can check out my WL <wink wink> hehe

patmat avatar
Date Posted: 11/18/2008 9:16 AM ET
Member Since: 12/8/2007
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Christian fiction gets snapped up pretty quick, especially Karen Kingsbury, Susan Meissner, Karen Ball and Angela Hunt.

mamadoodle avatar
Date Posted: 11/18/2008 9:27 AM ET
Member Since: 2/24/2006
Posts: 5,498
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Diana Gabaldon books - ESPECIALLY audio books - go very fast.

Celina-s-Hope avatar
Date Posted: 11/20/2008 1:22 AM ET
Member Since: 7/6/2008
Posts: 84
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Knitting books! Especially anything by Zimmermann. She is awesome.