Pricing - What makes up our price?

Thanks for stopping by, as you know there isn't a shortage of online booksellers--so we are always appreciative of everyone who takes time to visit us.

These days there is very little barrier to entry into the world of bookselling; that is to say if you have a box of books, and a computer-- or even just a mobile phone with a camera you can start selling books through many outlets online.

Not to mention, in addition, a quick search on google, or any number of websites, and you will find the going price for just about any book you can find out in the wilds of the Internet.

That being said we think there are mainly two major approaches that many online booksellers take in selling pre-owned books:

1. Rare & Specialized: The R&S booksellers are the high end booksellers that cater to collectors. archives, museums,. etc. They are the best in the business, and are usually certified in grading books. They acquire and sell the high-end, valuable books. Within their business model the R&S booksellers can keep the lights on by selling a few really valuable books, or several moderately valuable books. 

2. Everything Goes: These booksellers are the sellers who list just about every book they come across. Conditions and grading, and sometimes even shipping the right book can be problematic for their customers because there is such a huge volume of books that they must move at minimal prices those details often are overlooked. With their business model the Everything Goes booksellers keep the lights on by selling lots and lots of books with minimal markup.

As alluded to, there are advantages to dealing with either:

With "R&S" bookshops you will usually (there are always exceptions to the rule of course)  get expert, reputable knowledge about the book(s) you may be looking to purchase.

Whereas, with an "EG" bookshop, on the other hand, you can get a great deal on a great many books...and since they turnover a lot of inventory there is almost always something new to be found.

All other booksellers from bookstores to individual sellers exist, for the most part somewhere between these two models... for some it is a full-time job and for others it is a hobby to make a few bucks on the side while downsizing their collections, etc.

The Darling Bookshop is a hybrid itself; and while we do not carry books or items worth thousands of dollars, in general, we do try and sell nice collectable copies of many titles across many genres and formats that book lovers will love.

At the same time we are always bringing in preowned and sometimes new books that we feel are great reads that our customers may or may not be familiar with. At the end of the day if your order from us excites you, then we are happy.

Pricing

We share the above information with you because that has everything to do with our pricing. 

We personally select every title you see in our shop based upon our guidelines to try and ensure you will be confident with every title we have and the condition it is in, regardless of its price. 

 

We do this in hopes to provide, at least in a small sense, the familiarity that comes with walking into an old brick and mortar bookstore...

One of those bookstores were one feels called to immerse themselves in uninterrupted browsing, were one can get lost in the stacks, and in that way make those serendipitous finds that--in the moment you lay eyes on them... they feel like a warm blanket on a chilly weekend morning set against the backdrop of a crackling fire that promises not burn down for at least the first few chapters.

 

It is an intense labor of love to make sure books are cataloged and reported as accurately as possible to make sure you will be happy, even thrilled, with your purchase. When we do this it absolutely ensures your book will be in the condition you believed it to be or we will make it right.  

However, please understand this investment in time and energy sometimes results in prices that, sometimes, may be a little higher than other copies of the same title on large "mega" or "everything goes" websites. 

What we will tell you though is that as passionate booksellers, and fictional characters who came from a book ourselves, we believe in books, the power of stories, and the beauty of the written word to make people feel wonderful things and take them to wonderful places.

If you find that experience with us-- GREAT, if you find it though somebody else... that is GREAT too-- just as long as you find it.

We just want you to know what is behind a Darling price.

Happy Reading!

Your Friends in Books,

The Darling Bookshop Staff