Changing rare book sales on the Internet
A HREF='http://www.rarelist.co.uk'>Rare List changes the way rare books are sold on the Internet. Unlike many other rare books sites we do not charge the book seller a commission on the sale nor do we charge on the volume of books listed. All we charge the collector and the seller is a modest membership fee. By doing this, the bookseller can offer a better deal to the collector and, hopefully, both parties will benefit.
Let us have a look at the costs to a bookseller using a site other than Rarelist. Suppose the book is being sold at £100. The bookseller would have to pay typically 8% of the sale price as a commission to the site. Ignoring any monthly rental for listing the books, this means £8 of the sale goes to the Internet site.
Contrast this with the same sale made on the Rarelist site. The seller could sell the same at £96 and both parties would gain. Since we charge no listing fee, the seller gains an additional £4 (less any bank charges) and the buyer gains £3 ( £4 less one months subscription).
Ok, you, as a book collector, may have to pay a membership fee when you buy but as the example illustrates, you should gain on every purchase. If you do not wish to be a monthly subscriber, all you have to do is upgrade to Silver membership and pay a subscription on the month you make a purchase. By reverting to a Standard member, none of your information is lost. The only difference is that there are functions on the Rarelst site you can't use.
We believe that we can make a reasonable return when we have a paid membership of 500 Silver and Gold members. We also believe that most other Internet sites are overcharging booksellers and making what economists call "a supernormal profit". By launching Rarelist, we hope to change the way rare books are sold on the Internet and building an online community for those who collect books.
You can also help us to change the way rare books are sold on the Internet. Tell others of this site (here). Make this site more attractive by submitting articles of interest. Earn credits that will offset your monthly subscription and use the site free. Join with us to create better value for the rare book community here.
About the author: Pete Blue has been a software developer for many years on systems like Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, UNIX and even DOS. www.PJBlue.co.uk
