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Those fascinating room atmosphere we all from the big auction know
We saw in the blogs the past few days that are before the middle and lower bookseller radical changes. By piercing the pus bubble of the absurd astronomical prices for medium and easy title, by the unmasking of ridiculous eggs dance to the fetish of the songs display in the sales data banks indeed a painful level reduction made our stocks, but a revival of sales in unexpected ways .
pardon the comparison: it is a cure to improve our metabolism. The booksellers are invited to the Kurpromonade to Marienbad, terrible constipation be removed, the entire organism is revived, it is then a new person.
This of course applies not our precious and leading booksellers. I am known to look at the illustrious circle of our trade show, auction and Zimelienkollegen with extremely alert criticism and much suspicion. But I have good reasons, which I for the sake of peace may not go into here. In any case, one can only trade in antiques and art, a similar accumulation of malice, spite, greed, hypocrisy, brutality and repression as observed in the peak and circles of our precious Altbuchgewerbes. Sapienti sat.
Anyone who knows me knows that I, the quiet love for simple, low bookseller notwithstanding, my humble bread has always been to earn auction viable product. What one must live, he makes it well, and I'm basically himself a representative of the "top" of the antiquarian goods and working methods forth.
This preface is necessary because there is nothing more embarrassing than a suspicion that because someone writes about something of which he understands nothing. That is with me I hope not, equipped with the appropriate reference library, endowed with the necessary time, I do not trust me to work on their own if necessary mean auctions - which I would certainly never do, because my buyers of this product is au fond unsympathetic. Can we fight against dislikes from a certain age no longer, they sit too deep.
first
If the database-book prices in the middle and lower Antiquarian almost all astronomical prices are assuming that the electronic iterbeule our schwindulösen "book values" must be pierced on a broad front, so that a healing can take place in our markets, then the appropriate adjustments at the level of "auction performance entitled" to make easier. Here, the average value of height does not need to be reduced to a fraction, the average value of the product will remain the same after the treatment in about, possibly even increase - - but a different kind of valuation will be named the rule.
The bookseller in the tip region must, in many ways, learn from Ebay. The prices must be determined by the market. So can this work, it is essential to establish a sales tool, which - is
* known and accepted universally and * rigid demands transparency rules as standard - similar to Ebay.
What I mean is that each user more or less precious accident databases for a Book model immediately clear, and who the network representations of our major auction houses by working closely, does the same:
In almost insane, straw stupid, criminally stupid way the past, the opportunity of the Internet to D PRESENTATION our precious commodity (ie about 100 € and / or popular collection areas) disregarded and stupid . I am such a painful blindness in Internet use for no other matters known. The top bookseller is very thick planks in front of the head, it is endowed with a rare point in this stupid.
Why are we to say otherwise? Courtesy among colleagues is generally harmful, particularly in so intriguing, timid and mutually suspicious Professional groups. Only open words continue.
second
Ebay as a model in two respects.
First, we need better product for exotic forms of representation.
These books can and must each be scanned in a crystal-clear magnification enabled camera circuit, always and without exception. This is of course not (only) meant the cover. The antique dealer knows very well what pages can be instructive for the buyer - he needs only to customers at the fair booth and in the business of looking at the finger. The "first look" and the "check" the account is held somewhat different than that of the antiquary in the acquisition of goods, Such a one must also speak about some (and not protect only as "trade secret"). Clear, magnification enabled photo series to any "better" titles must be made mandatory , again set up my call for use of a fast-A3 scanner is (digital photos only in exceptional cases). They think that these are externals? I want almost all the "pictures" cut the creators in our books portals around the ears. This is necessary to work better in the future!
Prolibri posted on straight, we hear with horror at the human sympathetic in the matter but too conservative colleagues Erlemann another copy his precious goods catalog, ie desert lead to masochistic book collector, throwing on the market. They never learn ...
Nowhere can study the misery of the past practice of the books descriptions better than the Erlemannschen torture chambers. It will not work! do not know what the customer wants, which is shown painfully wide, which he would like to know, however, is concealed from him . Books A description will open up the book ß en, in every respect , they should not bring about secondary literature to draw. But this vast field must be plowed another time.
third What
low and mid-range products only limited or not advisable, namely the Versteigerei, which must in the future for top product (over 100 € and / or from the most popular collecting areas) are the absolute R ule. Top product should be subject to slightly different Ebay rules the laws of the collector market.
ie two different things. Once it is unacceptable to have several or even many nice little Datenbänklein for the auction of top product. Rather, it must be only one, if need be two, because the auction of high-quality goods is only possible and useful when high Marktdurchseuchung (I almost put) is guaranteed. Anyone who in the 1980-1990 period of the experiment Versteigerus, fitted in person at small, relatively unknown auctions, with very good product, was present and was able to witness the terrible achieved there prices, never forget that rule because demands a high level of market penetration as a precondition for the functioning of auctioning .
Second, it means a general attack on the trade of auctioneer. If strict "quality requirements" are applied to the person of the consignor, if a set of rules set minimum standards for picture and description, then the new database, the "Ebay for better bookseller goods" to establish itself in no time. If I auctioneer would I am afraid.
4th
I'm not like the details, because I do not want to do the homework for database professionals. After over 3000 Ebay sales of old books, I naturally experience, especially for expensive titles that certain critically important * * corrections on Ebay system, tailored to better old books suggest.
We looked at the accident Hamburg experiment, the financial newspaper can dig mans so, how to make and certainly it must not. And anyone who uses eBay as a buyer in Altbuchsektor also knows the tail of hardships and mistakes that eBay's system for two reasons can get rid of all because it comes from the U.S., must be compatible in borders with other locations, but mainly because it for all goods and even types of services must remain suitable.
5th
I said above already, that the general Preisniveazu will change by switching to auction in the sale of goods do not tip, on average, but in detail. The change is not the price correction as in the lower and middle Altbuchbereich, but it is intended solely for the production of the * hall atmosphere of the auctioneer on the web.
This is Je-ne-sais-quoi of the auction hall to all of us so well known, voltage, and autonomy, power, and anxiety are important there, especially the human (male?) game engine. The Internet is the ideal platform for this experience of the room atmosphere, even if not being properly organized.
Thanks for the possible use of the photo is the national correspondent of Lower Austria, which owns the image
