The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-02-21
PAPeR.CovEREp NOVELS.
A Dealer Makes both Ends OF the Business
Paw Cheap Reading In Demand.

A Dealer Makes both Ends OF the Business
Pav-Chesp Reading In Demand.
There are good profits TO lie made
by dealing in second hand books in o
city like New York, and one dealer
has found out how TO 'eat his cake
and have IL too" which careful
mothers tell the children cannot be
done. This dealer, with an eye TO
the pennies will take parer-covered
novel, published at 80 cents, but
which he has bought for 80. and sell
IL for 30 cents, with the understand.
ing that the buyer is to return II
when read. When the book comes
back he pays 90 cen for IL, and puts
IL for sale again at 30 cents The
second buyer returns the book and
receives IL cents, and for third
time the book Is on the shelves, this
time marked 20 cents. Again IL
comes back, the reader takes 10 cents,
and the book, II by careful patching
IL can he kept In decent condition,
will change owners half dozen
times, leaving to the dealer a profit
OF "a nickel every time II comes to the
store. Books have often, through
careful handling, plid 200 per cent.
on the original investment and at
the end found their way back to the
shelves OF the dealer, who has the
profits and the book.
Another system then comes into
play. Books will be sold on the "two.
for.one" plan. In this scheme buyer
will take two books at, say, 30 cents
each, paying 40 cents in cash. when
these have been read they a.e return.
able. and the dealer will give any 20.
cent book in the place for the two
brought back. When this 2C.cent
book is returned lO-cent volume
may be taken in exchange, ard when
this last comes back nickel and the,
book will bring out another lO-ccnt
book This process may be kept up
as long as the buyer sees ilt The
thrifty dealer is always ready for
trade
or course, IL sometimes happens
that a buyer in the first instance will
keep the book, but as the store caters
TO class OF customers who can hard
ly be termed collectors, but who like
highly seasoned literature, the chance
Of diminution in profits in this way
Is exceedingly slight In this par.
ticular branch OF the secondhand
book business the demand for love
stories and ''blood and d-thundern
literature is large and steady. Hux-
ley, Tyndall, Emerson, or Swineburne
find little favor among the readers
and scant ceremony on the shelves,
but "Old Cap Collier" is a stanch
favorite, while Gaboriau, Fergus
Hume, Conan Doyle, Iola, A. &. Gun.
ter, and Sylvanus Cobb always COM
mand respectful hearing from the
men and boys, The girls, and there
are lots OF them who are ready GUS
toners, favor "The Duchess"
"Ouida," Mrs Southworth, and
Laura Jean Libbey.
Once in "A while some of the yel-
low covered "Beadle's Dime Novels"
OF thirty years ago stray into the
place, but they stay there only
short time, as "Snaky Snodgrass. the
Sorrowful Scout" and painted
Pete, the Pottawatomie Prisoner"
are quickly dragged away to tighten
the gloom OF winters night and TO
form the basis Of many a castle in
Spain inhabited by maidens in dis.
tress surrounded by a hldeous crew
of yelling "varmints" or redskins" "
Common, everyday Indians were
never good enough for the yellow.
novel heroes to kill.
An idea Of the magnitude OF this
out-of-the-way branch OF trade may
be gathered from the fact that on the
shelves OF one Of the two 'stores"
run by this enterprising tradesman
are no less than 5000 pape covered
novels, and in addition to this they
are piled away In corners, stacked
against the walls. and one room in
the rear OF the place is practically
given over to them for a repair shop