Several months ago, Amazon.com decided to change some its independent seller policies. What affected me most, was the introduction of their guidelines for selling "Collectible Books". While I understand the need for enhanced descriptive and grading parameters for these specialized items, the rejection of my initial application to sell "Collectible Books" puzzled me and frankly, pissed me off. I could not understand why, as a book restoration specialist and professional used bookseller of 17+ years (not to mention an Amazon Independent Seller for nearly a decade) this designation would be denied me. ME! I was in this business when we poured over bi-weekly print issues of Antiquarian Bookseller with a highlighting pen and had to lick the stamps with which we mailed our offerings, so neatly printed on index cards. Ha! This megolithic dotcom upstart, whose deeply discounted offerings put so many indie bookstores out of business over the years would now dare to refuse a veteran bookseller access to its world wide marketplace. The nerve.
Maybe it was because they only allowed me 376 characters to tell them why I felt I was qualified. Even the reduction of my bookselling C.V. to txt script didn't begin to let them know who I was. The delivery of my rejection via No Reply email, the stark abscence of any phone contact number to register my protest and the maddening labyrinth of the Amazon seller pages left me frustrated and despondent. I resigned myself to my fate and made a mental note to recategorize those items I'd tagged "Collectible", but never actually got around to doing it.
Then, last weekend checking my email while on the road, another reminder to submit my application for "Collectible Bookseller" status with Amazon.com had arrived with the warning that my collectible-tagged inventory would disappear by the Feast of the Epiphany if I wasn't accepted. As resubmission seemed easier than migrating my inventory, I did. I made my case in fewer than 300 characters, with complete sentences, reserving the flourishes for the questions answered in numeric fields.
Lo and Behold! Today I received the very surprising news that I have earned Collectible Seller status and am now bound by all its special requirements. That's OK. It's hunting season, and I'm well armed.
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there's no rhyme or reason to how they do some things over there. It's pretty ironic, too, that some of collectibles that sell for $20 on abebooks are for sale for $400 on amazon. So while they're trying to 'control' who's a collector, they have no idea what people are charging for their books on the site.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I also think Amazon is shouldering its way into this specialized category just because it has the might to do so. This will be an interesting experience, and I'll probably have more to write about on it.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the discrepancy in pricing, it is my belie that it has to do with dealer selling cost recovery more than anything else. If I'm not mistaken, ABEbooks just charges a flat monthly subscription rate for sellers, while Amazon takes a bite of each sale.
Oddly, I now feel a little more empowered to offer on Amazon some items that I've held back. I'll report!
Congratulations! I'd love to see your collectible books, since I know from personal experience what kinds of cool things you discover. Maybe a link is in order...?
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes... now that I'm in I have to figure out how to work the link to my Amazon store. It should be easy, but somehow for me it isn't.
ReplyDelete