New-York tribune., 1910-06-19
A PROFIT OF $500.

"One New York dealer in second hand vol
umes of old and comparatively new books
said that he recently purchased subscrlp-
ton set Of books for 800 from man VINO
paid $500 for them, and he sold them iof
s125, very fair price for them, ACCORDING
to his judgment, and very little more imam
they were worth when they were flrst puI-
chased. He said that 1t could not nave
cost the man who originally got out the
set more than 800 to produce them, anu
yet he made profit OF nearly sStV- Sci
dom, he said, does the agent OF sucn DOORS
pay more than 10 per cent OF the price thal
he charges and the profits of these men
range from s20o 900 to $4,000 year Yet 10
the uninitieted some Of these books seem
worth the price asked. The original auto
graph letter edition. makes strong ap-
neal to buyers who desire to enr1ch their
libraries, and these editions do contain
original letters by the authors OF the DOCKS
Themselves "But." says another dealer.
tthese letters do not cost more than 500 or
$50 each In most cases, and sometimes not
so much as that. It Is the new covers III
which they are bound and the oiled talk OF
the salesman that make the $500 set worth
G. ooo or the 5000 set worth S25,O 600 or $4,000
And even the man who wants to wait until
he can find out more about the EDITIONS
doesn't always find what he wants TO, Tor
a real Judge OF books he does not always
know, and frequently he falls under the
advice of confederate of the agent, VINO
IS skilfully introduced by an outsider and
gladly gives the information when asked,
that the boks which he is hesitating about
t11ving are well worth several hundred dol
lars a copy more than the agent is asking
him"
Thus the game is worked on the innocent
and the ignorant alike. AS a general thing
it Is difficult for those to find out with any
degree OF certainty whether the volumes
before them are really as good as they
seem or whether they are worth tenth OF
what they are asked to pay. The reputa Die
dealer. who in some cases follows out the
ideas of bindings and originals much as DO
these sharrs. refers the prospective pur-
chaser to authorities or gives him an op-
portunity TO look carefully into the set be-
fore he buys, and a publisher OF pronll-
nent firm in this city said the other DAY
that the average publishing house dlon
make as much out of cid editions ana hne
s,,bscription sets is it did out Of the equiv
alent in popular novels. 1t is the pr1nciple
of a mans milking moro profit out Of a, 81
pair OF SHOES rnan ne EoSe cciitk7t Ii' Oi' :
out Of an IS pair. The reason is that the
trustworthy dealer wants TO sell again to
customer and. moreover. desires to sustain
the reputation OF his house for square deaf
Ing. The other man seldom expects 10
make more than one killing out or one
customer, so he makes up in one deal what
he otherwise might get out of twenty.
This rare edition extortion is going on
right along with the sucker class said
dealer at the conclusion Of his talk about
the methods of interruptions agents. ue-
spite the fact that people are continually
being warned against It. and 1t is my belief
that. in spite of what may be said ana
written about it, Just so long as men con-
tinue TO expect to get something for moth
ing and believe that agents are in the book
business for the ptrpose of obliging others
rather than enriching themselves Will these
large profits continue TO roll III to fatten the
nurses of the class who grow rich by prey
ing on the credulity OF the creduous."