The Old Book Shop

Sometimes the urge comes on me, and I desperately need to be among old volumes. The scent of fine aged paper, unopened boxes of new acquisitions, rows of superior bindings and dust jackets, ordinary reading copies that will be passed along to some other biblio, is essential to my mental health.  The spot I rush … Read more

International Shipping: How Long Does It Really Take?

The shipping estimate on the USPS website is lovely, but its not actually guaranteed for most shipping classes.  For First Class mail, estimating when it will ACTUALLY arrive vs when the the USPS says it will can be frustrating.  Having shipped hundreds of packages overseas, here’s how I estimate when the overseas customer should be looking for it. This doesn’t guarantee this is when it will turn up… but it gives a narrower range than the 4-20 the USPS lists.

This is the estimate for First Class.  Priority is usually a little faster, but not guaranteed. Start with one day.    You’ll  add days for where it originates from and where its going TO.  If you don’t immediately recognize the destination, look it up on the internet.  Keep in mind this is BUSINESS DAYS.  Make this clear to the customer as well.  Holidays don’t count as “days” for the estimate!

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How Technology Can Help your Bookstore Grow

a guest post by Jacob Thompson A lot of news organizations love to run stories complaining about how technology and the internet have contributed to the decline of the brick and mortar bookstore. A lot of the technologies on the market today, however, can be used by bookstores to expand their customer base and their … Read more

The Invisible Scarlet O'Neill

I was flabbergasted. I thought I was the only human alive that could possibly know who Scarlet O’Neill was. After all, the book I own was printed during WWII with substandard paper which crumbles to the touch. Each time I turn a page, the corner clips itself off. Even if people had some how heard … Read more

Terrifically Sad News

One of the most erudite, funny, brilliant writers in today’s world of empty sentiments and repetitive story lines, Reginald Hill, has passed away. For those who have not read his work under his real and pen names, you have missed something very special. I was one who almost missed the boat. I attempted to read … Read more

New Printing Techniques For Book Manufacturers

An article passed to me by my husband who works with print production, outlines some new processes book manufacturers are using to help keep up with publish on demand and other books needing quick turnaround. I’m not certain I understand all of what is explained, but I’m sure those who are in the business of … Read more

Inscribed Books–Which Stay? Which Go?

I’m in the midst of a dilemma. Something most books collectors get into sooner or later. Space. It’s not infinite. As much as I want to pretend I can house every book I have in my possession right now, and any that come in hereafter, physics tells me–it’s not possible. I don’t listen to physics … Read more