Good day,

Please, how soon will the wish list limit be removed?  Every day I have to remove much desired books I have had on the list since I joined to add newer books I desperately need.

I do not want to sound selfish, I am handicapped and am not able to go out and shop for books and we live in a county that only has one book shop and it is a Christian book shop.

Thanks for listing.

Removing the limit is part of the "new wish list'. There's no announced delivery date for it.

Removing the limit - GOOD

Ranking 200+ books - BAD

Leaving the FIFO  and RL in place and removing the limit - PRICELESS

Terri wrote:

"Leaving the FIFO  and RL in place and removing the limit - PRICELESS"

Amen to that!

Terri--I love you!

Barbara,

If you have to remove some books, you might want to try to remove the ones where you are the only wisher (if you have some like that). You also could try looking for some of the books in different formats unless you have specific reasons for looking for them in hardcover or paperback.

I sometimes browse the thread on the Book Bazaar that has wishlist books with different ISBNs just to see if there is anything there that might be on my wishlist. Or alternatively look on the damaged book thread there to see if there is one of your wishlist books being offered.

I've seen people post on the Book Bazaar also that they are hunting for a specific book and will take it if it is a different ISBN or different binding than listed to try to find those books that are listed without an ISBN.

Removing the limit is not good.  There didn't used to be a limit, and there were people with thousands of books on their WLs--enough that they were noticably impacting other people's use of the site.  That's why the limit was imposed, and at the time at least, it only hit a small percentage of users. 

I was one who had < 200 who would now have more, but I do not find it an onorous limit. Sometimes I dip below--depends on if I've recently found a new manga series or not!  I use my RL to keep track of books I want to add. I do keep a careful eye on the books available on my RL.  Sometimes my to-be-wished books (rather than my to-be-debated books) do pop up and I snag them.

Removing books from you WL if you are in the middle of a moving line is counter productive.  It means you are always going to the back of the line.

As for not having bookstores nearby--there is always Amazon.  It's a very large bookstore.  Yes, it's full price, but so would a bookstore be.

I'm with you Kayote. Removing the limit without any of the other changes to control the effect on the site of individuals with massive WLs would not be good.

Barabara - looking at your WL, I see a lot of books that you are the only wisher and the likelihood of the books getting posted is pretty slim. those could easily go on your Reminder List and you could watch for them being posted. Also make sure you don't have things wished for that are not allowed to be posted here, such as The Christmas Pop-up Present. Things that are not books are not allowed on PBS so, by the rules, that wish should never be granted.

Hi Melanie,

Thanks for the reply.  .  If the item I have on my wish list is not acceptable then why would be accepted to my wish list?  If I recall correctly, it was listed and I saw it and thought it would interesting as I love Christmas.  I have removed it from  my wish list.

Thanks.

Also, Via Amazon you can access used books alot of the time that even with shipping are less than a new bookstore.

 If the item I have on my wish list is not acceptable then why would be accepted to my wish list? - There are tons of items in the database that cannot be swapped on PBS (per its rules). The database info is gotten from outside sources so there are many things with ISBNs that get into the listing here, but should not be swapped here. Because the site cannot filter out the ISBNs of stuff they do not want swapped here, they will all be in the list even if the rules prohibit them from being traded here.

I don't really have a problem with a 200 book limit on the wishlist.  It's perfectly fine..... I was just trying to take Barbara's original post into account.  If I had to choose between an unlimited WL and the ranking system, or the 200 book limit with the FIFO system, that's a no brainer.  Leave things the way they are!!!!

Two things that were very good advice for the OP above:

If you have to remove some books, you might want to try to remove the ones where you are the only wisher (if you have some like that).  This has worked for me several times!  You just have to keep an eye on your RL.  No big deal (at least you don't have to do math and stuff just to keep an eye on it :)

And

Also, Via Amazon you can access used books alot of the time that even with shipping are less than a new bookstore. Here's a tip:  Put together a duplicate WL on Amazon!!! Then you can watch the pricing of the used books...... that's what I do.  The used prices fluctuate constantly, depending on how many sellers have that book, and when it gets into your comfort zone, you can snag it.  I've gotten many books for under $2 plus $3.99 shipping.  If you really get lucky, you can get them for as little as a penny, plus shipping.

A no limit WL kind of concerns me as well..  Then people will stick all kinds of books on their WL just to have them on there before they decide if they really want them or not-clogging up the WL lines even more.  But with having to rate them-I know I wont' do that.  But then I don't plan on trying to play the #'s game either.  Any book that I can find easily from Amazon or ebay will be lower rated.  The only books I'll worry about ranking are the htf/oop ones that I want to make sure I work my way up the line.  I don't think I have many of those on my WL and the one series I can think of off hand is being rereleased.

Yep, the WL limit is a good thing. I was one of those who had about 350 books on my WL before the limit was imposed, and I screamed bloody murder at the time. LOL I couldn't (even then) imagine people with 1,000's of books wishlisted, but there were a few! Now I like the limit and most of the time my WL is between 175-190 and I'm fine with that. I've gotten pickier anyway, so am no longer wishing for every darn thing that "looks interesting." I have sooooooooo many books on my TBR that even if I only get 1-2 WL'd books per week, I still have a supply that will last me for years. Sure, sometimes I have to wait a bit longer for some books that I'd like to have, but it's not like I don't have plenty of good books to read!

Barbara, try clicking on the author's name from your WL--sometimes I've found other versions of books that I had WL'd that were already in the system in a different format/different ISBN that way. Some of my WL'd books I only want in HC for my keeper shelf, so I don't bother with those, but other books I don't care about format, I click away--you never know what you're going to find! And yes, definitely use the Reminder List for books where there's only you wishing for a book. I've done that with good success too.

Cheryl

"  Removing the limit - GOOD

Ranking 200+ books - BAD

Leaving the FIFO  and RL in place and removing the limit - PRICELESS   "

^^^^^^Priceless !!!! ^^^^^^

Thanks to those who offered advice.  Some I was unaware of and others I have used a number of times.

Personally, I think a wish list with lots of books that a person "really" wants, is a good thing.  I would think it would encourage those who are capable of going out to booksales and yard sales to really scan the offerings.  I would if I could. :)

Barbara

Yes, I second the Amazon (and B&N) recommendations. I recently got a $20 gift cert to Amazon for doing a survey. For a moment, I considered getting something "useful" - then that was over! I went through and was able to get FIVE of my WL books for exactly $20. Each was 1 penny, plus $3.99 shipping. (Note that this means they come FAST- they're NOT coming media mail!) Yeah, the last thing I need is more books, but some of these WL books weren't moving, and they're in excellent shape, too. B&N always has a good clearance section, and the "used" section on Amazon really can work out!

Heather, how did you use an Amazon GC for used books? I thought you had to pay the Seller  individually?

Also, anyone else can answer, although I'm sure this is a sore subject: I don't get this ranking the WL?

Almost ALL my WL books are rare craft books. (I can get my mainstream mysteries from my library.) The odds of ANY of these craft books coming through here are astronomical. So, say, I've been a member here 2 years. one book is on my wishlist at #25. It was a miracle it came through here at all. But someone who has been here 6 months but ranks the book at #6 on her wishlist will get it before ME? Meanwhile the WL books I've ranked 1-24 never come in, or may not for another 2 years.

So I don't get WL book #25, because I've randomly had to mark it #25 and someone else marked it a lesser number????

How about the fact that I might have 25 credits? Shouldn't ALL 25 books then be ranked equal?

Jan - I have always paid Amazon when I order from their used books through their system no matter who the vendor is.

RE - the WL question. The Help docs do answer most of your questions, but a lot gets lots because there is so much there. If you have a book on your WL for 2 years when the system changes over, you will have the points accrued since you put it on there. You will continue to earn points so your total on that book will continue to go up. Someone coming on here 6 months later will be starting at zero and it will take them some time to surpass you in the line. I will throw the math in:

-on your WL for 2 years gives you 663,570 points when the system changes over and you rank it at 25. In 6 months you will be at 715,765 (earning 285/day @ #25)

New member comes on they are at 0 earning 625 per day, you are at 715,765 earning 286 per day. You will still be ahead of them for 2,111 days (over 5 years). If that book is not posted into the system before the new member would overtake you, the system will warn you in advance that you need to increase your ranking to maintain your spot ahead of them. 

It is a lot of math, but you don't need to do it. The system will help you and notify you if you are losing you place on any books. It also shows that the *new* member will not catch you for a long time.

Yes, you just pay Amazon, who then distributes the money at once to all of the used book sellers you're buying from. It's not like on eBay or something where you pay individually.

Thank you Melanie for taking the time & having the patience to explain the WL ranking system. I didn't know it was in the help files already as it hasn't been instituted yet. I now have to go take an asprin. All that math gave me a headache. LOL.

And thank you Heather & Melanie, both, for explaining paying Amazon's used book sellers. I've been saving up points at Mypoints.com for a GC to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. I didn't know the GCs could be used toward used books. Yay! More books!