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[tassie48]

Hi crew I see ABE BOOKS have a copy of USS ENGLAND  by AL Ross for sale as I haven't purchased from them before  my question is are they any good service etc have any off you guys purchased from them tassie48

[Tug Fanatic]

I have purchsed books from Abe Books.co.uk and both the books and the service were fine.
One word of caution. Abe Books is not, I think, one supplier but a grouping of suppliers under one advertising name. Whilst my experience has been great but I cannot comment on suppliers that I have not tried.

[Baldrick]

As TF says , never had any problems with Abe always good , although they are an umbrella service.

[Colin Bishop]

Agree with the others, never had a problem ordering through them.
Colin

[tonyH]

Agreed, no problem over the last umpteen years. They come across as a co-operative of small publishers, second-hand bookshops etc. and one of the best parts is the supply of reprints of early naval textbooks etc. from India at remarkably good prices. 

[Geoff]

I've also uses Abe books on occasion and never had any problem. If my understanding is correct its basically a trading platform set up by independent small second hand book sellers so potential customers can search in one place which naturally improves their sales and benefits the customer because you may not even know of the existence of a particular individual book shop (who may have the book you are looking for) hidden away in a remote town.


I seem to remember there are two parts - Abe books UK and Abe books worldwide.


Personally I think its a great idea and thank you for reminding me!


Cheers


Geoff

[tassie48]

Thanks crew good to no especially when they are at the other end of the world I will go ahead and place my order with them tassie48

[mrlownotes]

I have used Abe Books.
Very good service.
When they examined a S/H book before despatch its condition was a little poorer than originally advertised. 
They offered a discount if I was still interested and the purchase was completed.
If the price is sensible for the book required I wouldn't hesitate to purchase from them.

[ballastanksian]

I ordered an architecture book from them absolute eons ago (probaby twenty years) it was in America, I telephoned the bookshop and the lady and I had a lovely if expensive conflab about books and life, so the ordering and personal interaction with them was first rate.


The book was called 'Architecture without Architects' and was a book addition to a photographic exhibition held in the late eighties.

[Steve40]

Tassie


Its an Amazon owned trading platform for independent booksellers. I just searched for the title and found two copies - one in the UK and one in Tasmania - the copy from Tassie was half the price of the UK listed one so it pays to shop around.


Steve

[Colin Bishop]

Bit of a surprise today. I was browsing Abe Books for a present from my Wife for my forthcoming birthday. I found a couple of good titles which reflect my interest in WW1 Royal Navy subjects.

While on the site I browsed the titles from D K Brown the well known Naval Constructor. I already have several of his excellent books but I was very surprised to see that his book titled 'A Century of Naval Construction' is selling for £100 - £150 in used condition. It is of course a very interesting book.

I bought a signed copy some years back at a local bookshop for just £7.50!

Not a bad investment it would seem!

Colin

[raflaunches]

It’s surprising how much certain books can be priced at. Some of the anatomy of the ship books (from the original series) can go for a pretty penny especially the Gambier Bay book. I know that the Coastal Forces books by John Lambert/Al Ross/Les Brown used to sell for double their original price before the revised editions came out last year.

[Baldrick]

Yes I too was surprised at prices and their variations. I have a pristine copy of Oscar Parkes "British Battleships 1860-1950 a 700 page tome that weighs a ton.  Out of curiosity I googled the web to get a guide on its price thinking I might sell it . Prices came back varying from £50 to over £400. . Think I will have to contact Abe as I have a collection that I must think about disposing of before my heirs get the job.


  PS> also my 1967 American edition of Architectura Navalis Mercatoria 1768 , F H Chapman (Tabloid/  Ledger size ) .   I just like to get this out of its folder  occasionally and just smell it

[Jonty]

     I suspect that a lot of booksellers these days rely on an algorithm rather than their own experience. This probably works on the number of books on the market rather than what a buyer is prepared to pay.