Detectice Comics 30 - What's going on?

[JohnBull]

I wanted to bid but the guy refused to ship outside of the US and had that stupid "I'll double the price to any non-US winner" garbage in his listing.

 

Gary, there are lots of ways to deal with stupid xenophobe dumb-[#@$%!!!] like this, assuming you're still willing to buy from them as a matter of principle. Easiest way is to get a friend or someone you trust in the US to take initial shipment for you and then re-ship to you overseas. Alternatively, if you're on good terms with a dealer, have it sent to them and they do the re-shipping. It's a pain, and you have to pay for US shipping as well as international shipping, but it's a method I've used in one instance where my desire for a book overrode my disdain for the stupidity of the seller.

 

And have I mentioned that sellers who refuse to ship overseas are stupid useless lazy parochial anti-capitalist [#@$%!!!]-heads?

 

If the book had been cheaper I'd have tried to do something, but the potential complications around a four-figure book and a guy who doesn't want your business put me off. Having seen the final outcome, it looks like I was right. A great shame as I'd cheerfully send the guy 2 grand for it (if I thought I wasn't going to have to extend my signature line 2 months down the road).

[AllTop8Me]

And have I mentioned that sellers who refuse to ship overseas are stupid useless lazy parochial anti-capitalist [#@$%!!!]-heads?

 

Why? Many people selling on EBay are not professional dealers, and selling overseas involves filling out a customs form, which means the books can't just be dropped off in a mailbox or deposited with your office mailroom for delivery. Having to make a special trip to a post office during the hours that they're open, and wait on line to be served, is a major hassle for many people. I'd be willing to do it when selling big ticket books - an extra 5% may justify the hassle - but not otherwise.

[JohnBull]

If you turn down foreign sales, you'll frequently turn down an extra 25%. Remember, if the book is going to go abroad, the winning bid has to completely bust what the underbidder was prepared to pay. The pound is so strong in comparison with the dollar now that buying from the US is very attractive. Also, the general availability of material in England (and elsewhere) is very low when compared with that within the US. This disparity in availability is particularly marked in pre-1960 books. If you were to pick out some random, non-key, book from the 1940's or 1950's, it's quite likely that the number of copies in this country could be in single figures, which means it's pretty much unavailable unless you're incredibly lucky. All of this means that UK buyers are frequently prepared to pay a healthy premium over US buyers.