43 Toy Stores with Punny, Cute, and Allusive Names

I was cataloging some collectible toy magazines from the 1990s when I noticed a lot of ads for toy stores with incredibly silly, punny, or allusive names. So of course I had to make a list.

These toy magazines came from the collection of my dad, Peter H. Foss, who is letting me sell off a large chunk his book and ephemera collection. (My brother John is helping him sell off some of his toy collection.)

My dad is fairly well known among toy car collectors as the founder of at least three clubs for collectors: Toy Car Collectors Club, Model Car Collectors Association, Michigan Model Car Collectors. And, along with Herb Jackson, who owned a toy and hobby store in Farmington Hills, Michigan, my dad was co-founder of the biggest and longest-running series of toy shows in the Detroit area. Well, Dad's retired from running shows now but he still occasionally acquires a new toy.

Some of these toy shops may have changed their names, or moved, or gone out of business. I don't know. I just think they have interesting names.

The Allusive Names

1. Acme Rocket Company : Tempe AZ
2. Amok Time Toys : East Meadow NY
3. Emerald City Comics & Collectibles : Seminole FL
4. Buy Buy Birdie : Miami FL
5. Go Figure! : Lancaster NY
6. Monolith Toys : Newhall CA
7. Puff N' Stuff : Jeannette PA
8. Soitenly Stooges : Skokie IL
9. Toon Town : Champaign IL
10. Trekibles : Plainfield IN
11. Valhalla Collectibles : Stony Plain, Alberta
12. Wayback Machine : Hope RI

The Bad Puns

13. Fun Damental : Bloomingdale IN
14. Grafik XS : Clifton NJ
15. Kimono My House : Emeryville CA
16. Land of Ooh's and Oz : Farmingdale NY
17. # Won Collectibles : Somerville NJ
18. Oh! Zone : Lancaster PA
19. Playing Mantis : Cassopolis MI
20. Witcraft : Glen Ellyn IL

The Gawd-Awful Rhymes

21. Funk and Junk for All Generations : Alexandria VA
22. Joy Toy Man : Wilmington NC
23. Mad Stasher's Delectable Collectables : Belfast NY
24. Spastic over Plastic : Clifton NJ

The Monstrous Names

25. Fantasmagorical : Los Angeles CA
26. Halloween Queen : Winchester NH
27. House of Horror : Chandler AZ
28. Monsters in Motion : Anaheim CA
29. Rotten Corpse : Upland CA
30. Toys from the Crypt : Garland TX

Seriously, Would You Go Into This Store?

31. Atomic Candy : Boston MA
32. Freakie Magnet : Arlington VA
33. Village Idiot : Billings MT
34. W.A.F. : Kingston NY ("We Are Fun")
35. Whatsits Galore : Yatesville PA
36. Whiz Bang! : Casselberry FL

Torturing the English Language

37. Boomerbilia : Lambertville NJ
38. Comitoyz : Lindenwold NJ
39. Ifitzgot Wheels : Mc Kinney TX
40. Imajico : Jenkintown PA
41. Toiz-N-Morr : Dyersville IA
42. Toyrareum : Ocean City NJ
43. Toyzlvania Collectibles : Anaheim CA

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Browse the stacks at TomFolio.com

Books on Toy cars

Books and ephemera on Automotive history

All of my dad's books for sale

Dad's toys for sale

Visit my website for used books on all topics.

Thanks for stopping by.

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10 Reasons why Shopping at TomFolio.com is Better than Shopping at Amazon

. . . I am speaking to those on the internet who are looking for reputable used bookdealers. Those of you who are looking for a place to purchase groceries, stuffed animals, auto parts or such, this list is not for you.

1. TomFolio.com is The Bookstore at the Center of the Universe. It is owned and operated by a cooperative of independent bookdealers (click here for more on our history) and has remained true to its goal to be a simple website where booklovers and bookdealers can come together and conduct business the old fashioned way.

2. Talk to a real person before you buy. Our dealers may be contacted by phone, email, or even snail mail. No need to go through a third party to get your questions answered.

3. Dedicated to books. TomFolio.com is for used books, periodicals, paper ephemera and related media. That's what we know and love. We do not sell washing machines, car insurance, scented candles or anything like that.

4. No gimmicks. Just good old-fashioned bookselling.

5. Serious specialists. Many of our dealers are experts in their fields. Pick their brains!

6. Less expensive books. Amazon charges its bookdealers commissions, monthly fees, variable closing fees, etc., and many of their vendors raise their prices on that site to compensate. Often you can find the same book listed at TomFolio.com for a much lower price.

7. Independence. Because TomFolio.com is dealer owned and operated, you always know who you're dealing with. We are not subject to mergers, buyouts, or corporate shenanigans. If you are one of the growing number of consumers who are committed to buying from independent stores and mom-and-pop shops, TomFolio.com is the place for you.

8. No stock photos. Amazon displays images of books which may be new or used, top condition or poor condition, and may even show a different edition than what is listed for sale. TomFolio.com does not allow stock photos so you know exactly what you're getting before you buy.

9. No fake books; no mega-listers. Some so-called bookdealers list thousands, even millions of titles but have no actual books in stock. After you order, they scramble to find something to ship to you. Sometimes you get what you ordered, sometimes you get something different, and sometimes you don't get anything at all (click here for more information on mega-listers). We at TomFolio.com believe this is fraud. We do not allow fake books or mega-listers on our site.

10. High ethical standards. If you run into an unscrupulous dealer on Amazon, there is, of course, a system in place there through which you can get a refund. We here at TomFolio.com go one better: we thoroughly screen applicants before they're allowed to join. All our dealers guarantee 100% customer satisfaction and stand by it every day. We have a complaint rate so small it is hardly measurable.

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Browse the Author Biographies at TomFolio.com

Browse the Wonderous Category System at TomFolio.com

Help a starving bookdealer

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Busy Busy Busy

Hi all, haven't been able to blog much lately because I keep buying more books. Books have to be catalogued, and then people tend to buy them, then orders have to be filled and books have to be wrapped up and shipped. It's a never ending grind.

Oh, of course, sometimes I read one of the books before I sell it. Yesterday I read Anti-Slavery, by Dwight Lowell Dumond. Well, okay, I didn't read the entire book, but I read large chunks of it while I catalogued it. Very in-depth history, just the way I like it.

Before that I read Great Sayings by Great Lawyers, by G. J. Clark. The author was obviously a lawyer first and a historian second, but still, he compiled quite a lively book. This one was published in 1922 and is full of little-known facts and nuggets.

Today I made a nice purchase of about 30 more books. I have to get them catalogued as soon as possible so I'm signing off for now.

Cheers,
Book Doctor Gwen

One of the friendly dealers at TomFolio.com

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20 New Quotes about Books (and other topics) from Used Bookdealers

. . . Collected here and there over the past few years.

A curse for underhanded bookdealers:
1. "Let them have a copious variety of urgent, but fraudulent, book orders and increasingly tempting Nigerian schemes richly laden with ornate subordinate clauses, Victorian circumlocutions of cloying sweetness, and semi-plausible misspellings. Furthermore, let their own spellchecker be seeded with random malapropisms." David Anderson

2. "People who haggle over a five dollar book were never going to buy anything anyway." Brian Cassidy, 2008

3. "Creamsicle. My only reason for living as a child. Well, that and the library." Michelle Palmer, 2003

4. "All the scrapbook stores seem to have dogs, and all the bookstores seem to have cats." bookdealer and scrapbooker Marilyn Brownjohn

5. "I am a firm believer that a computer needs a Microsoft operating system the way a dog needs bricks tied to its head." Ian J. Kahn

6. "I don't know why they call it Victoria's secret. Everybody already knows about all that stuff." Victoria, 8-year old granddaughter of bookdealer Jim Hart

7. "Sometimes being born without the shopping gene means I feel like a foreigner in my own economy." Charmaine Taylor, 2003

8. "My acquaintances who are very rich insist that the less advantaged dealers exist to be exploited. The only people who truly count, whose needs and desires should be considered, are the members of the investor class. They all chuckle when I point out they are scum." unnamed bookdealer quoted by Renee Magriel Roberts

9. "I believe most booksellers are, by nature, hoarders." Rock Toews

10. "Incipient fascism is still thought to be curable. When presented with a sufferer of the common bureaucratic malady called cranio-rectal inversion, immediate prophylaxis is indicated." Andris Danielsons

11. "The difference between liberals and right-wing nuts is that right-wing nuts believe that *They* are better than *We and You*, whereas liberals believe that *We and You and They* should be treated equally under the law." Jessie Munro

12. "Specializing in Non-Moveable Type books. Some haven't moved in 17 years." Joe Oprisch

13. "The only effective protection from lies is the developement of critical thinking. Keeping kids in a kind of intellectual padded cell, fed only what their parents believe is true, is a guarantee that they will grow up gullible." Marc de Piolenc, in reply to a news story on parents stealing books from school libraries 'to protect them from lies'

14. "I'm not anti-religion -- I'm anti people who claim religion and practice cruelty." Shirley Bryant

15. "[Vice President Dick] Cheney is a white cat and an eye patch away from being a Bond Villain." Joyce Godsey, 2008

16. "Pricing [antiquarian and collectible books] is an acquired skill, an art, as long-time antiquarian specialists can attest. The presence or lack of a single mark on a single page can triple the price. No algorithm will ever take that into account." -- anonymous, quoted by Chris Hartmann, 2003

17. "Some of those books are too old to have first editions." comment by customer to bookdealer Doreen Steinbeck

18. "People with white carpeting never have good books. I think it's because they care more about appearances than brains." Jessie Munro, only half sarcastically, on how to judge the book potential at an estate sale by the decor in the front room, 2007

19. "These days if I find a mistake that could have been corrected by an editor, I fling the book across the room with great force. Who am I kidding? I stopped reading modern books when I ran out of spackle back in '02." Joyce Godsey, 2008

20. "Learn something new every day, if I'm not careful." Christopher Crockett

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Celebrating the ninth anniversary of the all-bookdealer-owned, all-bookdealer-run TomFolio.com!

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9 Stupid Customer Stories

. . . Sent in by your cheerful, anonymous used-book dealers from around the world.


1. Customer ordered via Amazon. Spelled his own last name two different ways. Gave the wrong city in his address. Gave the wrong phone number. Title of book ordered: The Story of Stupidity.

2. I was in a friend's bookshop one day when a customer came in and asked for a specific title, which was available, brand new, for £3 or some such. The customer exuded great delight and said he had been looking for that book for years, but that he would buy it next time round.

3. From the chief of sales at a music publishing company: "I had a customer once who wanted some flute parts, but wasn't sure to what. So she suggested that I read off our entire catalog one at a time for her to then decide if she wanted that title or not. I was flabbergasted and responded that we had over 10,000 titles."

4. Customer wrote to say, "So far I have not received the book. I guess it is still within 14 day window. But it ranks as one of the slower shipments from an Amazon bookseller. I bought a book last Thursday night that was shipped on Friday. I got the book on Tuesday from Florida." Oh, by the way, the book he ordered was Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life. I hope it helps.

5. Customer ordered a book, received it, returned it and said it was "the wrong book." This customer had all the following initials after his name, which he put on his order form: M.S., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A., M.S.B.S. The book he ordered by mistake: Scientific Blunders: A Brief History of How Wrong Scientists Can Sometimes Be.

6. Customer in India, ordered the book to be sent from the US by Economy Rate Shipping (via the slow boat, known to take from 1 to 3 months or longer). After seven days, he emailed anxiously: "I ordered my book on 9/7. When is my book due to arrive?????????" Title ordered: Behavior Modification: What It Is and How to Do It. Think he needs that book?

7. Dealer joked: "We are thinking about putting in a link to Literacy Volunteers for those people who seem to be unable to read our data entries. The latest example is 'a 1/2" x 2" light brown stain on the front free endpaper.' The question is, 'How large is the stain?'"

8. I had a field guide to butterflies returned because the customer complained the pictures were too small. Only problem, all the butterflies were pictured life-size.

9. Customer on Amazon, left 2 out of 5 feedback for the dealer, saying, "My order was for a hard cover I received a soft cover." The dealer replied: "You may still return an item for any reason to [address deleted]. This buyer did neither, and wants both the book and the refund. It is somewhat entertaining, as the book's subject is 'forgiveness.'"

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Browse used books, periodicals and paper ephemera from reputable, independent dealers at TomFolio.com

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23 Handy Substitutes for Old Used Book Terms that are Not Correctly Handled by Modern Search Engines and Might Not be Understood by the General Public Either

. . . Since the used book business went out onto the internet, some dealers have discarded some treasured old bits of jargon due to their embarrassing sound, their potentially misunderstood meaning, or their tendency to get flagged by search engines for the wrong reasons. Here's a small collection. (Please note: In places where a color would generally be indicated I have used blue as an example.)

Old Term > New Term

1. appendices > appendixes

2. bastard title > half title
Some books have both a bastard title and a half title, but the term bastard title is often avoided, for obvious reasons.

3. cocked > slanted or askew

4. cutline > caption
The old term cutline literally means caption, but since it could be taken to mean the book has been cut up, it is often avoided.

5. first or 1st

Any use of the word "first," in any context, will be flagged as a "first edition" and will be returned in a search for a first edition. Thus, where the dealer needs to use the word "first," a number of workarounds have been invented. Examples:

index of first lines > index of f*rst lines

first volume in series > volume one in series

author's first book > author's inaugural book

facsimile reprint of first edition > facsimile reprint of original edition

textbook for first-year chemistry students > textbook for freshman chemistry students

The word "first" should never be used in the description of any used book unless the copy in hand is a true first edition.

6. foxed > spotted or discolored
The term "foxed" or "foxing" is still in wide use but may not always be understood.

7. half bound > cloth over spine, blue boards
"Half bound" will be understood by serious book collectors but the general public will be completely in the dark.

8. indices > indexes

9. inscription > gift note or penned note
Any use of the word "inscription" or "inscribed," in any context, will be flagged as a "signed book" and will be returned in a search for a signed edition. Therefore the word should never be used in the online description of any used book unless it is in fact signed by the author or by a notable person.

10. paste-on > label or overlay
Having a paste-on generally indicates quality workmanship, but you don't want the buyer thinking the book has been abused by a six-year-old with too much time on their hands.

11. quarter bound > leather over spine, blue boards
"Quarter bound" will be understood by serious book collectors but the general public will be completely in the dark.

12. rag paper > cotton paper
Rag paper was common in the 1700s and 1800s but was pushed out of the market by high-acid wood-pulp paper. Rag paper is much more durable than paper made of wood pulp, does not normally turn brown like wood-pulp paper, and does not become brittle over time. However, the term rag paper can potentially evoke an image of a book printed on dirty rags.

13. recto > front
No comment.

14. saddle stitch > fold-and-staple binding or stapleback binding
This term could easily be misunderstood as some kind of fancy binding when in fact it is one of the cheapest.

15. stabbed or side stitched > side stapled
Saying a book has been stabbed or stitched when in fact it has been stapled (bound with staples near the folded edge) will be misunderstood by a large portion of the general public.

16. suede > brushed leather
Let's face it, "brushed leather" just sounds a whole lot fancier than "suede."

17. three-quarter bound or 3/4 bound > leather spine and tips
Refers to a binding in which the spine is covered in leather, and there is also leather over the corners of the boards, usually placed diagonally, and also that the central parts of the boards are covered in cloth or paper.

18. thumb index > thumb notch

19. topstain, as in:
blue topstain > top edge blue
Some books have colored top edges, with the most common colors being black, blue, or red. The correct term is topstain, but this word can be mistaken as a description of an accidental stain.

20. unfoliated or unpaginated > unnumbered pages
Seriously, who but a bookdealer knows that foliation refers to page numbers?

21. verso > back

22. vicesimo-quarto or 24mo > [size given in centimeters]
There are a number of wacky old terms for book sizes, although, technically, these terms do not refer to sizes but to the number of times the original paper stock was folded during the process of printing and manufacturing the book. In any case, the modern method of indicating size is simply to give the height of the book in centimeters, rounded up. Click here for a detailed list of these old size terms.

23. wraps, wrappers, paperwraps or stiffwraps > paperback or softcover
Few today understand the old term "wraps" and its variants.

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Check out a complete Glossary of arcane terms for new, used and antiquarian books

Browse used books, periodicals and paper ephemera for sale at TomFolio.com, an international cooperative of reputable independent dealers

Visit my humble online used-book store and thanks for stopping by!

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30 Terms for Packing Peanuts

. . . Ghost poop is the term I grew up on. Here's a whole bunch more.

1. anti-static packing peanuts

2. biodegradable peanuts

3. bio-peanuts

4. cellulose packing peanuts

5. cornstarch peanuts, cornstarch packing peanuts (made of biodegradable material, safe for pets to eat)

6. eco-fill

7. elephant poo

8. fill, filler

9. foam cushioning

10. foam peanuts

11. ghost poop, ghost poo

12. ghost turds

13. loose fill, loosefill

14. nerdlies, styrofoam nerdlies

15. packing peanuts, packaging peanuts

16. peanuts

17. penauts (sic)

18. plastic loosefill

19. polystyrene-based packing peanuts

20. polystyrene filler

21. popcorn, polystyrene popcorn

22. Puffy Stuff (brand name)

23. shipping peanuts

24. starch-based peanuts, starch-based foam peanuts

25. starch packing peanuts

26. styro snow (term for broken bits that fly around the room)

27. styro-demons (so named due to their propensity of sticking to everything)

28. styrofoam filler

29. styrofoam popcorn

30. void fill

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Running low on packing peanuts? Order a stack of used books!

Browse my online bookstore

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104 Ridiculous Condition Grades Invented by Amateur Booksellers

. . . There are standard terms for describing the condition of used books, dust jackets, and other paper ephemera, and then there are these. These are not standard terms. They are just some of the hundreds of ridiculous terms invented by hapless amateurs selling used books on amazon, ebay, and other giant websites. I have collected a countless assortment of these and selected just 104 of the worst. They are grouped below according to what I think they are supposed to mean. My comments are in [brackets].

Correct Term: As New

Incorrect Terms:

1. New++
[You simply cannot qualify "new" with plus signs.]

2. New - Unsold

3. New & Unread

4. Factory New
[Yes, books are manufactured, but we call the place a printer or a bindery, not a factory, thank you very much.]

5. Mint
[Books are not minted. Metal objects, like coins and toy cars, are minted.]

6. Pristine

7. Perfect

8. Can't be in better shape

9. Gift quality

10. Same-as-new

11. Excellent

12. Exceptional

13. Brand Spanking New
[Ooooh, baby!]

14. Flawless

15. Absolutely Georgous

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Correct Term: Fine

Incorrect Terms:

16. Fine++

17. Fine+

18. Fine-
[If it's not Fine, don't say it's Fine. The minus mark is not helping.]

19. Near New

20. About Like New

21. Near As New

22. Near Like New

23. Virtually As New

24. Great-Close to New-Condition
[Please learn the difference between a dash and a hyphen.]

25. Never Used Almost New

26. Very Good Fine

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Correct Term: Near Fine

Incorrect Terms:

27. Near Fine+++

28. Very Near Fine

29. Near Very Fine

30. Close to Fine

31. Almost Fine

32. About Fine

33. Just About Fine

34. Almost Near Fine

35. Nearly Fine

36. Slightly Better than Very Good

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Correct Term: Very Good

Incorrect Terms:

37. Very Good Almost Like New

38. Over All Very Good++++ or Excellent Condition
[Don't even talk to me until you stop using more than one plus sign.]

39. Very Good+++
[See above.]

40. Near Very Good

41. Very good gently enjoyed

42. Very Good condition for being all paper and old

43. Certainly not bad

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Correct Term: Good

Incorrect Terms:

44. Good Solid Copy

45. Good or Better Condition

46. Good+++
[What did I say about using too many plus signs?]

47. Good and Used

48. Perfectly usable

49. Much Better than Good

50. Pretty Good

51. About Good

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Correct Term: Fair

Incorrect Terms:

52. Fair+
["Fair Plus" is Good. If it's not Good, grade it Fair.]

53. Fair-
["Fair Minus" is Poor. End of story.]

54. Fair Copy

55. Fairly Good

56. Old and beat up
[I kind of like this one. It's honest.]

57. Completely Readable

58. Reasonable Condition

59. Not in Bad Shape

60. Survived Well
[Wait a minute. Survived what, exactly?]

61. Very Acceptable

62. Acceptable+

63. Average+
[For Pete's sake, stop adding pluses to words that can't be qualified!]

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Correct Term: Reading Copy

Incorrect Terms:

64. Excellent reading copy
[Oxymoron.]

65. Near Fine reading copy

66. Very Good reading copy

67. Good Solid reading copy

68. Great reading copy

69. Research Copy

70. Reader copy

71. Very loved

72. Used - less than standard

73. Usable

74. An OK Copy

75. Child’s copy

76. Bathtub copy
[One of my favorites. Really gets the point across.]

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Correct Term: Poor

Incorrect Terms:

77. Poor+++
[How many pluses till it gets up to "Fair?"]

78. Poor++

79. Poor+

80. Very Poor

81. Very Poor-
[Hell's, bells, just throw it out.] [I mean recycle it.]

82. Near Poor

83. Extremely Poor

84. Not in the Best of Condition

85. Not That Good

86. Rough

87. Very rough

88. Incomplete

89. Marginal

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Finally, a short list of amusing condition descriptions that make the book sound really great but don’t really indicate its actual condition:

90. Museum Quality

91. Display Quality

92. Hand Picked with Care

93. Never Been Read

94. Read Once Condition

95. Gently Used

96. Ultra Clean

97. Super Clean

98. Whistle Clean
[Seriously, you can say it's clean, but is it sunned, bumped, torn, water damaged, missing pages? Tell me something about the condition of the book!]

99. Clean Usable Book

100. Nice Book

101. Very Nice for its Age
[Unfortunately "for its age" is a very commonly used but completely incorrect qualifier. Old books don't get special dispensation for being old. Grade them the same way you would grade any other used book.]

102. Very Nice Clean Copy

103. Decent+
[A qualifier on "Decent?" ROFL!]

104. Very God
[Might be the cutest typo I've spotted yet.]

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Please browse my bookstore http://www.gwenfoss.com/

And visit my reputable colleagues http://www.tomfolio.com/

Or check out my collection of Authors with Apt Names for their Books http://tomfolio.pbworks.com/AuthorAptronyms

END

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Chronology of Used Book Portals on the Internet

I present below a comprehensive list of the many used-book websites that have come and gone since the early days of the internet. That's right, some of these are gone. In other words, there are some dead websites on this list.

Anyway, this list focuses on portals: websites where many used-book dealers list their books in one big database, and where members of the general public can search for and purchase them.

As one who has been selling books on the internet since 1997, I find myself continuously marvelling at how fast these websites spring up, change, grow or die, and all too often get taken over by major corporations that shut them down or transform them from friendly places into venues that I would not even recommend to someone I don't like.

Each portal is listed in chronological order under the year they were launched, revamped, or closed. Under each year the sites are listed alphabetically.

Please note: The earliest multi-dealer used-book portals listed below were not websites as such, since the used-book business on the world wide web (the commercial part of the internet) did not really take off until about 1994.

Also please note: This is an ongoing collection. A few portals are missing from this list. If I do not have the year in which a portal was launched, revamped, or folded, it is not listed here. Further information will be gratefully accepted and added to this page, so please email me if you have it.

See the bottom for definitions.

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1988

ADI (Antiquarian Databases International, bulletin-board-based service, launched, folded soon after)

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1989

booknet (fax-based service, launched and folded)

bookquest (launched)

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1991

muze (launched, description-generating software)

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1992

bookbytes (bulletin-board-based service, based in US, launched, folded soon after)

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1993

bookquest (bought out and shut down by interloc)

interloc (launched, pre-web dealer-to-dealer service only, based in US) Interloc, from interlocutor (middleman) was the first major successful portal. It is now called Alibris.

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1994

gemm.com (Global E-commerce Mega Marketplace, launched) Gemm began as a charming portal for sellers of used and collectible LPs, CDs, 45s; now it has no charm and sells everything.

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1995

amazon.com (launched)

ebay.com (launched)

virtualbookshop.com (launched, folded by 2002)

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1996

abebooks (Advanced Book Exchange, based in Canada, launched)

antiqbook.com (based in Netherlands, launched)

bibliocity.com (based in Australia, launched)

bibliofind.com (based in US, launched) Bibliofind was the best engineered site. Its all-word search was an invaluable tool for research and selling.

biblioworld.com (launched)

bookmatch.com (launched and folded)

collectorz.com (description-generating software, launched)

interloc.com (launched their first truly web-based service)

maremagnum.com (based in Italy, launched)

virtualbooks.com (launched, folded by 2002)

zvab.com (Zentrales Verzeichnis Antiquarischer Buecher, Central Catalog of Antiquarian Books, based in Germany, launched)

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1997

In 1997, Abebooks and Bibliofind vied for supremacy as the top two used-book portals on the internet; Interloc was a close third.

booklovers.co.uk (based in UK, launched)

buy.com (launched, selling everything including books)

half.com (launched, selling everything including books)

mxbf.com (based in US, first meta-search of used bookstore portals, launched, name soon changed to bookfinder)

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1998

addall.com (launched, meta-search of used bookstore portals)

antikvariat.net (launched, based in Scandinavia)

bookfinder.com (formerly mxbf, revamped with new name)

bn.com (Barnes and Noble website launched, new books only, with a used-book search engine that searched only abe)

exchange.com (launched)

half.com (bought out by ebay, but continued to operate separately)

popula.com (auction portal, similar to ebay but independent and fairly run)

rarebooknet.com (launched, folded by 2002)

usedbooks.com (launched)

x.com (payment transfer service, soon to be revamped as paypal)

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1999

abaa.org (Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America, website launched)

backissuefinder.com (used periodicals only, launched)

bibliocity.com (bought out and shut down by alibris)

bibliofind.com (bought out by exchange)

bibliophile.net (based in Switzerland, launched)

biblioworld.com (revamped as 21northmain)

bookavenue.com (based in US, launched)

bookgraveyard.com (based in US, launched)

bookopoly.com (launched)

bookradar.com (meta-search of used bookstore portals, launched)

digibib (Digital Bibliophile Community, based in US, launched, folded soon after)

exchange.com (bought out and shut down by amazon)

gbmbooks.com (Global Book Mart, based in US, launched)

iberlibro.com (based in Spain, launched)

justbooks.de (based in Germany, launched)

paypal.com (formerly x, revamped with new name)

21northmain.com (revamped, formerly biblioworld)

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2000

Amazon Marketplace (seller platform for isbn books, launched)

Amazon zShops (seller platform for pre-isbn and antiquarian books, launched)

biblio.com (launched)

bibliofind.com (bought out and shut down by amazon)

biblion.com (launched)

bibliopoly.com (based in UK, launched)

biblioz.com (based in Australia, launched)

ephemeranet.com (based in US, launched)

eurobuch.com (meta-search of used bookstore portals, based in Austria, launched)

half.com (merged into ebay)

ibooknet.co.uk (based in UK, cooperatively owned, launched)

muze.com (now being used by half and ebay to generate product descriptions)

tomfolio.com (based in US, cooperatively owned, launched)

wantedbooks.com (revamped, formerly bookquarters)

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2001

abebooks.com (bought out by justbooks, but kept the name)

bibliology.com (based in UK, launched)

bookradar.com (folded)

booksandcollectibles.com.au (based in Australia, launched)

borders.com (revamped, made into a redirect to amazon)

classicforum.com (formerly clik-books.com, bought out and shut down by alibris)

gbmbooks.com (folded but was revived in 2002)

ioba.org (Independent Online Booksellers Association, booksearch launched, linked to abe)

searchbiblio.com (launched, meta-search of used bookstore portals, now a redirect to biblio)

titlesdirect.com (launched, soon revamped as myownbookshop)

21northmain (folded)

usedbookcentral.com (launched)

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2002

Amazon Seller Central (selling platform launched for large retailers, launched)

bibliodirect.com (announced, possibly never launched)

bookgraveyard.com (revamped as bookquarters)

bookopoly.com (bought out by biblio)

bookquarters.com (formerly bookgraveyard, revamped as wantedbooks)

choosebooks.com (launched)

fetchbook.info (meta-search of used bookstore portals, launched)

gbmbooks.com (revived but folded in 2006)

giaq.de (Genossenschaft der Internet-Antiquariate, Cooperative of Internet Antiquarian Booksellers, based in Germany, launched)

half.com (feedback system merged into ebay feedback system)

interloc.com (bought out and revamped as alibris)

goindaba.com (description-generating software, launched)

librarybooksales.org (portal for nonprofit friends-of-the-library sellers only, launched)

liquidatedirect.com (description-generating software, launched)

monsoonworks.com (description-generating software, launched)

myownbookshop.com (formerly titlesdirect) MyOwnBookshop was launched by an independent bookdealer and had the best search engine hands down. For example, a search for first editions returned only true firsts, and a search excluding book clubs actually excluded book clubs.

paypal.com (bought out by ebay)

Pondview Books (cover name used by alibris to sell on bn) This is only one example of a corporate-owned portal selling through another corporate-owned portal, thus setting up multiple layers between bookseller and bookbuyer. They apparently dropped this name when it became public knowledge.

usedbooks.com (folded)

wantedbooks.com (launched, formerly bookquarters)

Yahoo Warehouse (selling platform, folded)

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2003

abebooks.com (bought out by Hubert Burda Media, based in Germany)

backissuefinder.com (folded)

bookopoly.com (bought out by biblio)

FillZ.com (launched, description-generating software)

iobabooks.com (formerly ioba.org, formerly hosted by abe, now hosted by choosebooks)

previouslypublished.com (meta-search, launched)

worldbookdealers.com (folded)

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2004

bookpursuit.com (based in Netherlands, launched)

booksatpbfa.com (based in UK, launched)

booksku.com (description-generating software, launched)

choosebooks.com (bought out by zvab)

findbookprices.com (meta-search, launched)

half.com (nearly shut down by ebay, then they decided to keep it)

iberlibro.com (bought out by abe)

myownbookshop.com (folded)

myremainders.com (meta-search for remainder sellers only, launched)

worldbookmarket.com (based in Australia, launched)

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2005

abbookmart.com (launched and folded)

bibliology.com (folded)

bookfinder.com (bought out by abe, but kept in operation)

ilab-lila.com (International League of Antiquarian Booksellers / Ligue Internationale de la Librarie Ancienne, portal launched)

iobabooks.com (formerly hosted by choosebooks, now hosted by biblio)

theartofbooks.com (description-generating and order management software, launched)

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2006

FillZ.com (bought out by abe)

Amazon zShops (folded)

bn.com (portal for used-book dealers, launched)

biblion.com (bought out by biblio)

bookavenue.com (folded)

gbmbooks.com (folded)

myremainders.com (folded)

vialibri.net (meta-search of used bookstore portals, launched)

wantedbooks.com (folded)

yahoo.com (selling platform, partnered with ebay)

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2007

booklovers.co.uk (bought out by worldbookmarket)

marelibri.com (meta-search / meta-portal formed by five European portals -- antiqbook, livre-rare-book, maremagnum, prolibri, and uniliber -- each portal is owned by professional, independent, new and antiquarian bookdealers)

Yahoo Auctions (selling platform, folded)

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2008

abebooks.com (bought out by amazon, but kept in operation)

gojaba.com (aimed at buyers in Sweden, Russia, Brazil, Poland, owned by abe, launched)

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2009

marelibri.com (new members joined: antikvariat, booksatpbfa, biblio)

usedbookcentral.com (folded)

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Definitions

portal. A website where many bookdealers list and sell their books. Every entity listed above is a portal unless otherwise stated.

antiquarian. General term for old, rare, high-end used books.

description-generating software. A software product that supplies ready-made data, and sometimes also stock photos, for sellers of books, CDs, DVDs, video games, etc, based on International Standard Book Numbers.

launched. The year in which the entity began operation online.

meta-search. A website that searches several portals at once; the meta-search website itself sells no books.

redirect. A website that does nothing but take you to another website. (Example: searchbiblio.com is just a redirect to biblio.com) Redirects result when a website buys out another website but wants to keep the name to gather in customers.

remainders. General term for new books that have not sold fast enough and have been drastically reduced in price by the publisher or distributor. Some bookstores sell only remainders.

selling platform. A term used by website owners to refer to a system whereby independent dealers can join the website and sell through it. Some websites have more than one selling platform; for example, ebay has auctions and stores.

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Visit my bookstore www.gwenfoss.com

Check out the cooperatively-owned bookdealers' portal www.tomfolio.com

Marvel at the largest glossary of used-book terminology on the web http://tomfolio.pbworks.com/glossary

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The Demming List

. . . 22 aliases used by the notorious internet scammer Margaret Demming, 191 27th Ave, Brooklyn NY 11214, between 2002 to 2006.

Her ploy was simple. She would contact a used bookdealer, be very friendly and chatty, tell the bookdealer all about herself and her many children, order a few inexpensive books and send cash in the mail. Soon she would contact the same bookdealer again, order a few more inexpensive books and again send cash. Then she would place a large order, sometimes for as many as 20 or 30 books, but never send payment. Often she would still get the books because of a longstanding tradition among used bookdealers of sending the books immediately, rather than waiting for the money to arrive, if the customer is known to the dealer.

Online bookdealers began privately sharing this scammer's address and her multiple false names some time prior to January 2005. An intrepid bookdealer reported her to the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office in early 2005 but, as far as I know, no action was taken to prosecute her. In April 2006 she was banned from ordering through Abebooks, and the security division of Abe even sent out a general alert about her. I have not heard about her trying to scam any used bookstores since July 2006.

So, without further ado, the 22 fake names (plus fake emails and fake charities) she invented to scam innocent used bookdealers, as seen by me or reported by other bookdealers:

1. Margaret Demming or Deming

2. brooklynkid7@juno.com, brooklynkid14@juno.com

3. Margrette Delning

4. astroaquarious7@hotmail.com

5. ConeyIslandRules@netscape.net

6. Mellfantler FM, Library and Tutoring Advisor, Avis Teaching, propergander714@yahoo.com

7. E. Douing, Assistant of Department for Elder Care, WindWood Hospice Home for Elder Care

8. E. Douing, Library Assistant

9. Margaret Melander or M.F. Melander, Director, Brooklyn Study Center, silenceofmind7@yahoo.com

10. Sister Margretta Dewing, Hospice Home Care for the Aged

11. Miranda Mecklander, Fairpoint Rehabilation Care Center, Brooklyn, dewung77@yahoo.com (note the misspelling of Rehabilitation)

12. Miranda Mergrander, Mercy Cares Charity of Brooklyn

13. Michael Cervisio, Veteran's Advisor, Harway Veterans Group

14. Dewung

15. Donning

16. Meadlaner

17. Meadlender

18. Mejarnder

19. Melrandra

20. Melwandler

21. Merklender

22. Nermandler

END

My bookstore http://www.gwenfoss.com/

My colleagues http://www.tomfolio.com/

My collection of Dumb Questions Too Often Asked in Used Book Stores http://tomfolio.pbworks.com/Dumb-Questions

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70 Idiotic Used-Book Descriptions found on Amazon and Other Portals

. . . I sell used books online through several separate websites. Sometimes customers find me via Amazon, where I function as one of their "third-party" vendors. Amazon's encouragement to amateurs to become used books sellers may sound noble but some of the used books being offered online are truly horrific, to put it politely. Most of these descriptive gems were found on Amazon, but a few are from eBay or other venues.

One should be aware: Most professional used book dealers employ standard grading terms and definitions. In order from best to worst, and with an equivalent number grade on a scale of 10 to 1, these terms are:

• 10. As New
• 9. Fine
• 8. Near Fine
• 7. Very Good
• 6. Good
• 5. Fair or "reading copy"
• 4. Poor
• 3. (anything lower than a 4, just get rid of it)

Any book that is so damaged that it cannot be graded as at least "Poor" should be tossed or its parts recycled. Such books include: books with missing text pages, moldy or encrusted books, books with stains that make pages unreadable, books with pages stuck together due to water damage, etc.

Amateur sellers, in most cases, do not bother to learn these terms and so make up their own. For example, they often use "Fine" on a book with so many flaws it should be graded as "Poor." Makes me wonder how they could even read a book without having any brains.

An assortment from my never-to-be-complete collection of these creative names for condition grades, in approximate order of quality, will be given here soon.

Thanks to bookdealers Norman Riger, Joseph Oprisch, Andy Gutterman, and probably others, for collecting and sharing some of these outlandish terms and descriptions.

[My comments are in brackets.]


Turns a Flaw into a Feature

1. "This book would be trash if it weren't for all the interesting pictures."

2. "90% of pages are clean and unmarked."
[Meaning 10% of the book is completely ruined.]

3. "Book has underlining & comments in pencil for quicker & more interesting read."

4. "A good reading copy with critical areas already noted by previous owner."

5. "Jacket a little grubby but easily removed!!"
[Seller a little stupid but easily ignored!]

6. "The paper has that lovely yellowing color of old books."

7. "Dust jacket is made from pieces of dust jacket pasted to color stock -- looks good."

8. "The book contains soft easily handled paper."
[Translation: book was dropped in a puddle.]

9. "The boards and spine are well-preserved, and there is a light, musty odor."

10. "Somebody else read this book. If you need it, it will be there for you."


Completely Contradictory Conditions

11. "Very Good+; New. A bit shop worn. Gift quality."
[Four different condition grades in one book. It's magic!]

12. "Highlighting and notes in the margin make this very clean book YOUR bargain!"

13. "Extensive marking in the first part of the book. Prior owner's address label on front fly page. Otherwise LIKE NEW."

14. "Very good condition WONDERFUL CONDITION. A few 'excellent notes & important highlights' inside (for those of you pressed for time while doing research....) Book is in SUPERB condition//book was babied--looks like a 'brand new paperback.'"

15. "1978 First Edition Hard Cover Book Club Edition."

16. "Unknown Binding. Clean ex-library in reinforced binding. Trade paperback."
[The seller thus invokes all three of Amazon's binding types: hardcover, paperback, and "unknown"]

17. "Textbook is in mint condition with mild highlighting"

18. "Might have damage to the cover/binding but goodness Certainly intact."
[Goodness certainly you've never touched or examined this book.]

19. "Excellent Condition! Small bite in corner! (from my puppy)"

20. "Fine. Smudges & scuff marks. Some outside wear. Been in smoking environment."

21. "Penguin Putnam, children’s HC Paperback, Used - Good, Grosset, 1972, Hardcover."

22. "MINT condition with absolutely NO flaws except some pages loose from binding -- SUPER FAST shipper!"

23. "A couple of Kool-Aid stains and lite ware otherwise Very Fine++. I can't find the dustjacket."


Scrupulously Honest or Just Unintentionally Humorous?

24. "Not pretty but totally functional."

25. "Horrible copy strictly for the desperate."

26. "An extremely worn-out copy that has seen its last gasp."

27. "Book cover has issues, wants to separate from book."
[Book psychology 101]

28. "Book in very poor condition. There is no cover, and there are tears on the front and back pages. The binding still holds the book together, but does not look good cosmetically. Find this book a home at just 75 cents!"

29. "Not a perfect copy but indubitably a signed first edition."

30. "The finest copy in the world. Must have belonged to some kid that hated to read and never did."

31. "A bit doggy, but acceptable."

32. "Good minus, almost poor, guaranteed to be complete. Very weak at hinges, covers very stained. Pages wavy. Appears to be cloth covers but may be boards. Paste-on title. Wavy pages. If you can find another copy get it."


What the Heck Is It?

33. "Assume book is in good or better condition unless otherwise stated."

34. "Nth printing F/- uvo."

35. "Used-Like New Hardcover ART - CH-904--2029 Picture shown may not match actual book."

36. "Book is slightly whoppered."

37. "Clean with light shelf wear, top front & back descretely closed shelf wear tear and pressure point."

38. "Pretty good condition for the condition it's in."

39. "Good condition. It is a paperback!!!!!!!!!!"
[Translation: book has already been purchased and returned twice by two different buyers who expected a hardcover]

40. "I have been collecting books and music for over 35 years and have amassed an enormous collection. I do not subscribe to 'grading' as it is so subjective and most of the 'graders' truly have no clue! Therefore I'll simply describe things in normal English!"

41. "Other vendors charge $15.00 and up, but our copy is only $6.99! That's less than half price!"

42. "V.G. or better - email for details. Binding is 191."

43. "Book in condition, dust jacket."

44. "The hardcover is near LIKE NEAR."

45. "DJ IS NICELY PRESERVED IN A BRA."
[No comment.]

46. "This is a romance novel. Fourteen years ago which Hubert Silvis first novel last winter brought raclette appeared Allison Ginsburg said it exploded like a rusty hellish bombshell over America. Sell these new novel goes even further and the gutwrenching story of two young man and a beautiful woman is desperate dreams take on a horrifying dimension. Copyrighted his paperback book in fair to good condition's 1978."

47. "Back of DJ was hevily scravished at edges."
[I kind of like this new word, scravished. Lewis Carroll must be selling this one.]


Just an Overpriced Wreck

48. "About like new except it's mildewed for about an inch in from the edge of every page and also for an inch or two in from the edge on the front and rear."

49. "Bottom half of the book looks like it sat in coffee on the edge of the book but really is in new condition never read!"

50. "Whart a scarce find! I found one, and cut the price. The corners are bumped. But there is no writings, names, marring, etc. Stored very well. You won’t be sorry, I guarantee you that."

51. "Slight mold infestation but overall a great reading copy."


Seller is Insane

52. "Pages 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17-38, 42-44, 48-52, 56-58, 70-72 are missing, but everything else is perfect."
[Plonk! The sound of my jaw hitting the floor.]

53. "Hello! This book is in very good condition. There are minor scuff marks and creases on the cover. There is some writing in the book. Thanks for looking!"
[Hello! This is not a chat room!]

54. "You will not be disappointed in this book. It is a FIRST EDITION! Originally published in 1988 by (name deleted), working in cooperation with the Air Force Historical Foundation. This special Reprint Edition was published in March 2000 by (name deleted)."
[I could post a hundred examples of sellers who are clueless about first edition identification.]

55. [List of keywords found on a description of Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea]: "childrens junvenile fiction non-fiction sports military sex science math cooking classics rare"

56. "VG slight dj wear, fast I am not sure if this is the correct file format. I just got started on (website name deleted) yesterday. Thanks."

57. "THE BOOK HAS VG KARMA AT A COMPETITIVE PRICE. I AM A VERY RELIABLE SELLER."
[Hey, all my books have Very Good+++ karma, so there!]


It's All in the Details

58. "Printed in Germany: NY: Locust Valley."

59. "May have a small tear and remember mark."

60. "No sun no damp no ink."

61. "No dust marks throughout."

62. "Dustjacket has a small sip on one corner."

63. [Found on description of book supposedly printed in 1539]: "The book is considered one which was printed before actual printing was invented."

64. Published by "Charles Scrinber And Sons"

65. Published by "Charles Scibner’s Sons"

66. Published by "Batman Books"
[Bantam Books, presumably. It's sad to see booksellers who can't type or spell or construct complete sentences or use correct syntax or link two words together.]

67. "We Ship Anywhere! Absolutely no shipping to prisons!!"

68. Seller located in "Louisvile" Kentucky

69. Seller "has severed thousands of customers accross the world."

70. "dippy book plate"
[I had a mighty struggle with myself to not order this one just to see how dippy the bookplate was]

END

Please visit my bookstore http://www.gwenfoss.com/

Or search the inventories of my reputable colleagues at http://www.tomfolio.com/

Thanks!

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