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RED Books and Collectibles: Rare & Arcane, Specialty & Obscure Books, First Editions, Book Sets, Audiobooks, Magazines
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An iPhone portrait of me in my library.
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Hi eBayers, Welcome to RED Books and Collectibles! My name is Randy Dossett. I have been selling books and collectibles on eBay since May of 2000. Over these past 8 years I have learned a great deal about the book world as well as the Internet world. First and foremost comes customer service. As the sole proprietor and sole employee of this enterprise I am responsible for the whole shebang! So, if you have any questions or comments, I will be happy to respond. You can email me a red-books@sbcglobal.net. Or, you can call me at 831-420-0361 (Library) or 831-430-6217 (Mobile). I work at Safeway Stores, Inc. as my day job from 3 PM to Midnight. I am available by phone from 10 AM to Midnight daily. If you reach a recording, I will return your call within 24 hours (Much sooner, usually).
My intent has been to procure and sell the most interesting and unique books, magazines, and mostly paper items that I can find. I live in Santa Cruz, California. I find most of what I sell right here in town. We have garage sales, flea market and auctions galore! Santa Cruz is a fabulous melting pot of cultural diversity. I have far more books in stock than I can possibly list for the next ten years.
• Grading Books
Many factors influence the value of a used book. Foremost among these is the condition of the book and its dust jacket. I commonly use six grades and from time to time add a plus (+) or a minus (-) to that grade when appropriate.
• Condition
The authoritative list of descriptive terms for grading used books was first published by Antiquarian Bookman in 1975. Terms used in this reference are as follows:
As New - Is to be used only when the book is in the same immaculate condition in which is was first published. There can be no defects, no missing pages, no library stamps, etc., and the dust jacket must be perfect without any tears.
Fine - Approaches the condition of As New, but without being crisp. For the use of the term Fine there must also be do defects etc. and if the jacket has a small tear, or other defect, or looks worn, this should be noted.
Very Good - Can describe a used book that does show some small signs of wear - but no tears - on either binding or paper. Any defects must be noted.
Good - describes the average used and worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Any defects must be noted.
Fair - is a worn book that has complete text pages but may lack endpapers, half title, etc. Binding, jacket, etc., may also be worn. All defects must be noted.
Poor - describes a book that is sufficiently worn that its only merit is as a reading copy because it does not have the complete text, which must be legible.
Ex-library - copies must always be designated as such no matter what the condition of the book.
Book Club - editions must always be designated as such no matter what the condition of the book.
Abbreviations - F (Fine); NF (Near Fine); VG (Very Good); G (Good); F (Fair); P (Poor); Ex-lib (Ex-library); BCE (Book Club Edition)
• Defects - Must always be noted
Water Staining - Can run the gamut of grades. A single tiny (pin-head) spot, a coin sized spot, a coffee spill affecting a whole page, or dropping the book in a water puddle affecting most or all pages. Stains are one of the worst fates of a book. Be aware that any stain larger than the coin sized one will considerably drop the grade of the book.
Musty smell - A book with this defect is almost unworthy of shelving. It must always be sealed to keep the smell from transferring to adjacent books or the whole library. Avoid these books almost at all costs!
Spotty or Foxed page edges - Reduces the grade from one to two depending on the severity.
Bookplates - drops the value of a book quite a lot if the book is in otherwise Fine condition. At lower grades the drop is not as severe.
Inscriptions - such as a former owner's name or a gift inscription will give the book the same grade as does the Bookplate. Long, rambling inscriptions drop the grade considerably. Inscriptions must always be noted.
Creases - in the book pages will always reduce the grade. Depending on the number and severity of the creases, the book will attain no more than Very Good.
Ripped Pages - Reduces grade to below Very Good depending on the severity.
Removed pages - Will have a grade of no more than Fair.
Hinge tearing - Will almost always result in a grade below Good.
Cracked spine - Will result in a grade of no more than Near Fine.
Book spine sloping - A book stored improperly can slope forward or to the rear. This condition cannot be reversed. Can not rise above Good.
Loosening binding - Naturally occurs with age. Grade drops in reverse order to age, i.e. the newer the book the more the grade drops.
Remainder marks - are used by the publisher for identifying books that are not intended to be sold through retail stores. Marks are USUALLY found on the bottom or top edges and take many forms. Most commonly one will find a single dot. Random House uses its logo as does Simon & Schuster. Doubleday uses a spray. For some, a Remainder Marks is simply unacceptable. For others, it does not affect the grade. Generally, it drops the grade one notch.
Corner or edge bumps - Some books in As New condition will have bumps. However, severe bumping will knock the grade down.
Browning from inlaid paper - Comes from the acid of the inlaid paper affecting the pages of the book. For some it is untidy, however the affect on grade is mostly minimal.
Tape or Tape residue - Tape holding down the jacket will reduce the grade one full step. Tape residue and tape repair are also quite undesirable and will reduce the grade nearly as much.
Price Clipping of the Dust Jacket - Has no effect on the value of the book; The jacket, however, is enormously affected. The price can be one of the determining points of the edition of the book. Depending on the book the grade can drop to almost nothing.
Dust Jacket creases - Depends on the severity of the creases.
Dust Jacket chipping - The severity of the chipping determines the grade. A Near Fine jacket must have very little chipping. Chips the size of a dime at the head or heal of the spine can still rated Very Good-.
Dust Jacket tears - Again severity comes into play. A one eighth inch tear has almost no effect. A tear across the complete panel will get no better than Very Good-.
• The above Grading System was taken from 20TH CENTURY FIRST EDITION MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE: A PRICE AND IDENTIFICATION GUIDE by Thomas Lee.
I learned to describe books from Tom's yearly guides. All the books, magazines and collectibles in my auctions are graded based upon this system.
• COMING SOON: How to identify First Editions.
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Favorite Links
RED Books and Collectibles at Buy It Sell It.Com
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| Listings |
To protect bidder privacy, when the price or highest bid on an item reaches or exceeds a certain level, User IDs will be displayed as anonymous names. For auction items, a bold price means at least one bid has been received.
Note: Anonymous names may appear more than once and may represent different bidders.
Current Auction Listings
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Item
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Price
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Title
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High Bidder/Status
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| 8433250995 |
Jun-12-06 |
Sep-29-08 14:30:10 |
$24.95 |
The Lonely Silver Rain HC/DJ 1985 John D MacDonald |
Available |
| 270109888487 |
Apr-13-07 |
Oct-04-08 16:50:05 |
$59.98 |
The Golden Gate Birthday Book PB 1914 H M Bland |
Available |
| 270110098758 |
Apr-14-07 |
Oct-05-08 12:06:26 |
$74.98 |
The Wind in the Willows HC/DJ 1980 Signed by Hague |
Available |
| 270110395746 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 12:07:06 |
$498.00 |
Tales of the South Pacific HC 1950 Signed Michener |
Available |
| 270110395749 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 12:07:06 |
$98.00 |
The Wishmaster HC/DJ Limited 1st Edition Peter Atkins |
Available |
| 270110395750 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 12:07:07 |
$24.98 |
Astaire & Rogers 3 VHS Tapes Boxed Set |
Available |
| 270110395792 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 12:07:09 |
$24.98 |
Kitty in the City Mind Your Manners, Sil Vous Plait HC |
Available |
| 270110395794 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 12:07:09 |
$24.98 |
A Historical Sketch of the St. Louis Cathedral PB 1950 |
Available |
| 270110395803 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 12:07:10 |
$24.98 |
Painting with Acrylics HC/DJ 1st Illus 1986 Rodwell |
Available |
| 270110395804 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 12:07:10 |
$24.98 |
Pony Tracks HC/DJ 1982 Illustrated Frederic Remington |
Available |
| 270110395808 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 12:07:10 |
$39.98 |
Narrow Gauge Railways in America HC/DJ 1949 Fleming |
Available |
| 270110458905 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 15:06:41 |
$49.98 |
dElements Decoratifs PB 1921 15 Plates Auguste Vincent |
Available |
| 270110458907 |
Apr-15-07 |
Sep-06-08 15:06:42 |
$49.98 |
Psalms and Canticles 1942 PB The Order of the Cross |
Available |
| 270110801573 |
Apr-16-07 |
Sep-07-08 15:02:39 |
$24.98 |
Christmas at the Cratchits PB 1941 Dickens |
Available |
| 270110801581 |
Apr-16-07 |
Sep-07-08 15:02:40 |
$39.98 |
I Was a Transvestite Vampire PB 1st 1990 Eric Peterson |
Available |
| 270111081300 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:23 |
$225.98 |
Saturn 2003 Signed 1st Easton Press Ben Bova |
Available |
| 270111081303 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:24 |
$225.98 |
Omega 2003 Signed 1st Easton Press Jack McDevitt |
Available |
| 270111081309 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:24 |
$129.98 |
Other Worlds Than Ours HC Leather Richard Proctor |
Available |
| 270111081311 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:24 |
$129.98 |
Other Worlds Than Ours HC Leather Richard Proctor |
Available |
| 270111081365 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:26 |
$225.98 |
Swift Thoughts 2002 Signed 1st Easton Press Zebrowski |
Available |
| 270111081381 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:27 |
$24.98 |
Parnassus Magazine November 1939 Thomas Eakins &c |
Available |
| 270111081393 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:27 |
$24.98 |
Parnassus Magazine October 1938 Prendergasts, Daumier |
Available |
| 270111081417 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:28 |
$39.98 |
A Dash for the Timber by Anne Transue McGrory 165/950 |
Available |
| 270111081440 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:29 |
$198.00 |
Moments in Time HC/DJ 1st Edition Robert L. Wallis |
Available |
| 270111081454 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:30 |
$49.98 |
The Locator HC 6 Cassettes 1992 Klunder & Dunn |
Available |
| 270111081502 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:32 |
$98.00 |
The Lure of the Vampire PB 1st Ed 1983 Martin Riccardo |
Available |
| 270111081508 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:32 |
$49.98 |
A Child's Garden of Vampires PB 1980 Youngson |
Available |
| 270111081512 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:32 |
$98.00 |
The Count Dracula Chicken Cookbook PB 1979 Youngson |
Available |
| 270111081520 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:32 |
$98.00 |
A Mystery of the Campagna PB 1st Edition 1983 von Rabe |
Available |
| 270111081522 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:33 |
$49.98 |
The Count Dracula Book of Classic Vampire Tales PB 1981 |
Available |
| 270111081530 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:33 |
$149.98 |
Breakthrough HC/DJ/CD/ Card Deck 1998 Debbe Kennedy |
Available |
| 270111081539 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:33 |
$39.98 |
Radar Alert HC/DJ 1st HC Edition 1968 Karl Zeigfried |
Available |
| 270111081541 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:34 |
$149.98 |
Freak Show Vampire & The Hungry Grass PB 1st 1981 |
Available |
| 270111081553 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 12:04:34 |
$49.98 |
The Object of Performance HC/DJ 1st Illus 1989 Sayre |
Available |
| 270111104913 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:22 |
$49.98 |
Mickey Mouse The First 50 Years 1978 Walt Disney |
Available |
| 270111104916 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:23 |
$49.98 |
Country, Conscience and Caviar HC/DJ Signed1st Jenkins |
Available |
| 270111104919 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:23 |
$39.98 |
American Needlework by the Editors of Womans Day |
Available |
| 270111104928 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:24 |
$59.98 |
Westward Ho HCLeather Tower House Edition1899 Kingsley |
Available |
| 270111104929 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:24 |
$289.98 |
Mutant Monkees HC/DJ 1st 1992 Jones & Green Signed |
Available |
| 270111104931 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:25 |
$49.98 |
An Island Garden HC/SC Illus Hassam 1988 Thaxter |
Available |
| 270111104934 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:25 |
$98.00 |
Kendall Shaw A Lifes Journey in Art 1999 Marsh Gallery |
Available |
| 270111104941 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:25 |
$98.00 |
Stepping Stones to Japanese Floral Art HC Carr Signed |
Available |
| 270111104947 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:26 |
$179.98 |
Sketches in Southwest Seasons PB Signed 1982 Wagner |
Available |
| 270111104949 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:26 |
$89.98 |
A World Awash with Fascism & Fear 1971 Ferlinghetti |
Available |
| 270111104957 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:06:27 |
$49.80 |
Sole Survivor HC/DJ Signed 1985 Ruthanne Lum McCunn |
Available |
| 270111113623 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:34:12 |
$24.98 |
Porcelain & Pottery Tea Tiles PB Illus Price Guide 1994 |
Available |
| 270111113624 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:34:13 |
$24.98 |
Dragon Magazine 2 Issues 1989 with Posters AD&D |
Available |
| 270111113631 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:34:13 |
$39.98 |
The Bolsey Guide PB B2 Camera 1953 Abel & Tydings |
Available |
| 270111113638 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:34:14 |
$39.98 |
Building a Medical Vocabulary PB/CD-ROM 2001 Leonard |
Available |
| 270111113643 |
Apr-17-07 |
Sep-08-08 13:34:14 |
$24.98 |
The Perry Magazine for School and Home June 1899 |
Available |
Go see all current items for sale by this member.
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| FeedBacks |
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Praise: Excellent transaction, as described, happy customer. |
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Praise: Fine transaction; Quality merchandise; A+ all the way!! |
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Praise: Super fast shipping! Pleasure to deal with. |
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Praise: Nice easy transaction and a fair postage rate. 5 stars |
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Praise: Wow! You're fast. I like the cigar box you sent it in . You could have left one |
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Praise: "QUICK SHIP". A REAL GENTLEMAN. HIGHLY RECOMMEND !!! |
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Praise: SUPER FAST DELIVERY a pleasure to ebay with recommeded ebayer nice transaction |
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Praise: Honest and accurate and fast. Thank you. |
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