I'm a new member, and already I have a dozen books that are on wish lists, but the ISBNs don't match.  This is crazy!  The most glaring example:  The Road, by Cormac McCarthy.  My search shows 189 (!) members with this on their wish list, but my copy, bought brand new a few months ago at Barnes & Noble, for some reason has a totally different ISBN.  So, it languishes on my shelf.  Am I the only one that thinks paperbackswap.com, bless their hearts in so many other ways, needs to fix this problem?

Any insight would be appreciated,

Sue L.
ripplerock

I have several copies of Angels and Demons in an older paperback edition.   Listed on my bookself as:

Angels and Demons :: Dan Brown
ISBN-13: 9780671027360 - ISBN-10: 0671027360
Posted: 5/9/2009 2:41 PM ET

There are 14 members wishing for the same book but in a newer paperback edition.

Angels & Demons Author: Dan Brown ISBN-13: 9780743493468 - ISBN-10: 074349346X Rating: 116 Book Type: Paperback Members Wishing: 14

Since it is a paperback, I don't believe anybody is trying to collect this book.  Perhaps they are just trying to read it before the movie comes out on May 15th.  It doesn't look like they can connect with the people who have the book because of the ISBN difference.

This does seem to be a problem when only one identifier (ISBN) is used to determine the book.

There isn't only one identifier, t hough--when people post a book, they verify ISBN, title, author, and format match the book they have. If people have it turned on, they do receive e-mails when a 'similar' book is posted to the system (meaning, book with same author/title but different ISBN.) It could be that people wishlisting those other books have those e-mails turned off because they only want the versions they have wishlisted, for whatever reason, or they have them turned on, but again for that particular book only want that version.

Of course there are people who would probably be happy to have a book regardless of the format, but some people really only want the format listed. Some folks NEED large print or audio books. Others only WANT the hardcover version as they want it for their Keeper shelf and have already read the paperback. For the same reason, someone may want only the trade paperback as it matches the other books in the series they have, so don't want the mass market paperback. They may not want hardcover versions because they have arthritic hands and they're too heavy to hold so they need the paperback, Etc. Etc.

People can also click on the author's name for each of their wishlisted books and bring up a listing of what books the author has available in the system, so if they clicked on Cormac MacCarthy or Dan Brown's name for example, those books you folks have on your shelves that are wishlisted in other ISBNs WOULD appear. I do that myself periodically and have found books I'm wishlisting in other ISBNs that way. So there are ways of people knowing the books are available.

Theodore, in your case, there are 2,300+ copies of Angels and Demons version you have in the system already....if those people do want that version, it's been available in system for years. There is an ongong thread in the Book Bazaar forum where you can post what books you have that are wishlisted in other formats--list them there, and I know people do unload them that way. With FIFO in place, there is really no way to contact members who have books wishlisted directly.

Cheryl

Also the system doesn't always distinguish between tradesize and mass-market paperback. So the WL version may be for tradesize whereas yours is probably mmp.  Or the WL could be for those newer ones that are taller then an MMP but the same width. 

Some people collect specific covers if they collect an author. The WL version might be a special version that has a bonus of some kind in it-like an author interview or a sneak peak at another book or something.

It could also be that those wish lists for some of those paperback versions where theres tons of copies in another version-those people aren't active anymore.  If that was a rare version that hardly ever got posted then it's just sitting on the WL of someone with a dead account.

Recently I had a copy of The Devil Who Tamed Her by Johanna Lindsay.  There were over 200 copies posted when I posted mine. I posted a WL book. I always check the WL of people who request books from me to see if I have another book I can post to them and cut down on my postage costs. Anyway I look at her WL and see an MMP version of The Devil Who Tamed her on her WL. I PM'd her about it just saying "you know there's a couple hundred of them posted under xxxxx ISBN". She PM'd back thanking me for noticing that there. She had already gotten the book and forgot to delete this other version.  My guess is that the 5 other people on that WL line were a combo of inactives and people who forgot to remove it from their WL.  The cover and page # were exactly the same as mine-just a different #. 

"Am I the only one that thinks paperbackswap.com, bless their hearts in so many other ways, needs to fix this problem?"

No, no, no! Please don't try to "help" me by sending a different version than the one I have wishlisted. This is not a problem that needs to be fixed.

Pam

I received one of those (different binding type of the book) emails today.  The edition that I was wishing for had zero copies and this version had 6.  I ended up deleting the version that I was wishing for and left the new other edition on my Reminder List.

Dan (for Marilyn)

Here's a copy of the email:

Dear Marilyn ,

This is a quick email to notify you that the book 'Private Pleasures (Signet Eclipse)' by Bertrice Small,  has been listed into the system by another club member.

NOTE: This is NOT the exact same book you are wishing for, but rather a different binding type of the book. Please keep in mind that this book is NOT being held for you and is being offered on a first-come, first-served basis to all of our members.

If the book has already been requested by another member when you click the link below and you would like to put this version of the book on your Wish List as well, you can do so by clicking the 'Add to Wish List' button.

Click the link below to see details about this similar book:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780451216076-Private+Pleasures+Signet+Eclipse

THIS IS AN AUTOMATED EMAIL. REPLIES TO THIS EMAIL ARE NOT READ. PLEASE USE THE CONTACT US LINK ON THE PAPERBACKSWAP SITE FOR ALL COMMUNICATION.

All the best and happy reading,

The PaperBackSwap Team
Visit us at http://www.paperbackswap.com/

"Am I the only one that thinks paperbackswap.com, bless their hearts in so many other ways, needs to fix this problem?"

No, no, no! Please don't try to "help" me by sending a different version than the one I have wishlisted. This is not a problem that needs to be fixed.

I agree with Pam. If I don't care which version of a book I get (if I just want to read the book and don't care about the format), then I search Amazon and wishlist every ISBN for that title. For other books I do care. For example, I'm trying to collect all of the British editions of the Harry Potter books. I certainly don't want someone to send me the American editions, telling me that it's the same book and that I shouldn't care that the ISBN doesn't match!

Thanks for all the replies!  I guess I learned something today, about book collectors.  I had no idea there were so many people that were seeking exact sizes, covers, etc. on purpose!  (Of course I understand large-print needs).  Me, I just love to read and don't care what version of a book I read.  I guess that makes me just a "reader";  I was assuming most other people were also read when in fact many people are "collectors".

Learn something new every day.  Thanks guys!

Sue L.
ripplerock

Hi Sue,

There's lots of people who are just "readers" of lots of different books ... and are only collecting a few. They might be picky about a few books they order, and are not picky about all the rest.

Welcome to PBS!

Yes, that describes me exactly, Sara--most books I will read any version I can get my hands on, but a few I have wishlisted in hardcover, I have read already in paperback and want a sturdier HC to put on my "keeper" shelf so it'll hold up to many re-readings.

Cheryl

The six digit ones are made up by PBS for books with no number. 

One thing you can do is go to the wait listed book page and tag the book with something like "also under this #".  That will lead the next person to WL the book to the other number.  The system is suppose to connect all the versions of the same book, so you can see it below in green or red.  But it doesn't alway work.  Usually due to slight differences in author's name.  (Middle name vs initial.)

I have quite a few of those myself and it is quite annoying that a perfectly good book lies on a shelf when others want it, but some people only want certain types of the book.  I advertised mine in the Book Bazaar and finally got rid of some of them... just an idea.

I use the tag system since it helps everybody get information. 

Ruth

Here's an example of 2 Hardcover ISBNs that were reused and now the ISNBs are paperbacks.  The Hardcovers were posted to my Bookshelf without an ISBN and a tag added “Available in HC under different ISBNs”:

Desired  Author: Virginia Henley    Tag = Available In HC under ISBN: 202968

Enticed  Author: Virginia Henley    Tag = Available In HC under ISBN: 202967

 ETA: "to my Bookshelf"

No. The ISBN's have to match.  Tagging is just a way to point someone to a posted book. But not everyone sees that.

You really shouldn't WL the 5 digit PBS ISBN's. They are only supposed to be used that one time for that one copy.  But people don't realize this and then WL every version.

Hi Amanda;

Is this a trick question?  :)  No I don't think it's okay to post something that is not the ISBN that was requested.  I think all the tag does is add exposure (if and when someone notices the tag) that another version is of the book is available.

Dan (for Marilyn)

I was looking at some books I thought I wanted to WL.  Then I discovered that these "new" publications were really newer publications of older books that are available currently.  I took the ones I wanted off my WL and ordered the ones that are in the system.  These are fiction so they aren't in  need of "updating" like some non-fiction books might be.

Ruth

I was assuming most other people were also read when in fact many people are "collectors".

Hey!  I resemble that comment:P  But seriously, we collectors are readers too, but sometimes we do want specific editions of certain books for our keeper shelves & sets.  It's like getting a set of hardcover editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy - which I have, btw:P - because you'll read them again, or you want a nice set for your kids, and hardcovers are more durable & will last a while.  Or some of us start to lose our eyesight as we get older, and we'd like to have our favorite books in large print.  The point being, they aren't knick knacks; we really do collect them to read:P

I wish they'd remove the 5 digit ISBNs when the book is no longer available.  Every now and then I go through my WL and delete the ones I've accidentily added.  Since they aren't supposed to be used again, I wish they'd make them not show up on searches.  Ther ehave been some books I've had more results that were invalid than valid!

I keep certain books that I want to pass on or that I will reread.  For those I want a certain kind, but if I am just looking to read it then it doesn't matter to me.  I am picky on a couple types of books.

I think most people are like that.  All of the "collectors" I know are 1st & foremost "readers", and we don't keep & collect everything we read - our definition of keeper is usually something we plan to read more than once.  A standard used mmp that meets PBS standards for postability is usually fine even in most of those cases, and we're capable of figuring out when it's not & ordering the edition we want.  There are relatively few things I do this with, but those few cases are important to me.  IMO, it can be just as aggravating to have someone send you a wrong book/edition as it is to receive a damaged book.  In both cases you've basically wasted a credit that you may or may not get back - all depending on whether or not your sender understands why you wouldn't be happy to receive just any old edition of the book and decides to rectify their mistake:P