Just a positive comment.

I exchange a bit over two books a week.  I expect books in good condition but understand these are used books and may show wear.  But I just had to say, knock on wood, the last seven books I received from seven different members were darn close to being new.  New as in go ahead and put them back on the retail bookstore shelf.

The retail on these 7 books is close to $90-$100 and to get them all for the exchange cost of seven unwanted mailed books, about $15 (or about the cost of one new), is awesome.  BN is starting to seem way overpriced.

Most of the ones I receive are like new also...which I love...

For me the books I receive are about 50/50, but the books I buy at the store and then put up are like new.  I am a very gentle reader.  Sometimes I wish I could put in a note that says "Suprise! I send awesome books".  Fortunate for us all, notes are not allowed in media mail. :D

You just got a string of luck. ;)

I think that's awesome! I love the positive comments - makes me feel like I"m not hording all the good books! lol

I've been on here going on 6 months and swap regularly. I'm pleased to say that I too have received mostly near new books with a smattering of "very good to good" books thrown in. I've received two that weren't PBS standard. No complaints from me!

Most of the books I send out are in excellent shape so it's nice to be able to say I've more or less received the same.

Most of the books I get from PBS are, I have to say, in 'excellent' shape, like maybe 60-70%. A lot of these look virtually brand new and I'd be hard-pressed to prove they'd ever been read before. The other 30-40% have been  good to very good decent used book quality with some normal wear. I've had very few--not even enough to make one percentage point--that have been non-repostable. I read the posts here from people who have received several books in a row water damaged or with food gunk on them or cleaved spines, etc. and I shudder and can't imagine how p*ssed I'd be if that were me.

I've been here for over 2 years now and I'm coming up on 1,000 books received so I have really NO complaints thus far. I keep knocking on wood every time I say that, and so far it's working. Anyone wanna touch the hem of my robe? ROFL!

Cheryl

I've had good luck, too!

I'm in a slightly different position because many of the books I request are old and out-of-print.  It would be a miracle if they were like new!  But, in almost all cases, even these Golden Oldies are in exactly the type of condition PBS envisions -- maybe a little yellow, maybe a few spine creases, but nice, clean, readable, enjoyable books.

Thank you, PBSers!

I have sent out over 1200 books and many of them were purchased new.  The book karma is working because a high percentage of the ones I receive look new or newly new.

Actually Hilary a note like that would be allowed in media mail.

Most of the books I get are in great condition as well.  Most of the ones I send are usually pretty good as well, unless I got it seconhand somewhere, but even then it's in good used condtion most of the time.  If I ever think it's on the questionable side, but still allowed, then I just pm the requester to make sure they want it.

I have to agree -- a majority of books I receive here are in great shape. This week I received a like-new hardback copy of Labryinth and Custom of the Sea -- both WL books I have really been wanting to read! :) And my copy of Boleyn Inheiritance that's waiting for me on the bookshelf to be read next is also from a PBS member and a like-new hardback. And I've also received many paperbacks that were in great shape. My good experiences far outweigh the bad.

And the times when I have received a bad book, the sender has returned my credit with no problems a majority of the time. I've been a member since August 2006. I've received 2 Arcs since I joined -- both people returned my credits immediately with no hassle. One didn't even realize what an Arc was. And I've received, I think, five books that I had to mark "received with a problem.'' Most of them returned my credit. I think only 1 did not.  

Two of those 5 unpostables I've received in the last 2 weeks or so. One was damaged by the post office and not the sender's fault. She returned my credit before I could even PM her, but I buddied it back to her. I'm not going to take a credit back for something that wasn't the sender's fault. The other one, however, was so damaged that there is no way the person did not know it was an unpostable book when it was sent out. I did get my credit back....but I'm just curious why people who are in the wrong get angry so easily???? That never fails to surprise me.

I received two books today that are like new and both were almost $30 books in the bookstore...and both have long wish lists as well.

Juli Labyrinth is great if you mean the one by Kate Mosse! I absolutely loved it and my copy is on my keeper shelf (and autographed). I didn't like her other book, Crucifix Lane, anywhere near as much though.

This was a topic that came up today at the PBS booth at the Sarasota Reading Festival.  Robert (of R&R) was there and we were able to ask him a lot of questions in between telling festival goers about PBS.