Rating: 
Summary: OK for the beginner - but even then not that great
Review: I was given this book for free by the owner of a bookstore when I told him that that I was starting a bookstore.
I learned maybe, oh, 5 or 6 things that were slightly important.
I especially learned how radically the bookmarket has changed in such a short period of time, and how mired in the past this book is (even with it's new chapter on the Internet).
In any business, there will always be a middle man- but the face of the middleman in the book business is so changed that it is tough to write a book that stays current.
For the young bucks starting in the industry, do subject and content searches of discussion boards hosted by the big bookselling pages: amazon.com (most useful), and abe.com. Getting a part time job doing grunt work (shelving, cleaning) at a local used bookstore will provide you with more practical education in a day than this book will.
Rating: 
Summary: Quite simply, I recommend this book.
Review: I'm impressed with the level of honesty the author, whose life-long career is in books, used, collectible, etc etc..., shares with the reader. He's not afraid to tell secrets of the trade. He's not afraid of sharing the excitement that he evidently feels about the trade. But most importantly, he also faces describes candidly the tedious nature of making a living from book buying-trading.... It sobered me up very fast... It didn't make me want to plunge into a new hobby without the proper warnings.
Additionally, I found the information regarding procuring and properly identifying a "1st edition" book highly useful in terms of its clarifying certain ambiguous and confusing terminology... WIth this information, I am prepared against book sellers who profit from ignorance. I would recommend this book to anyone before venturing to purchase their favorite author's first editions...
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic for beginners!
Review: I've been collecting modern first editions for quite sometimes but have just now started to learn what I'm doing! This book has been amazingly helpful and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Limited value
Review: I've inherited a whole library full of antiquarian books, and I purchased BOOK FINDS through Amazon hoping to learn what to do with them. You'd think a book with the subtitle "How to Find, Buy, and Sell Used and Rare Books" would be helpful in that regard, but when Ellis says "rare" he means "first edition of modern books". There is only a hint of discussion on antiquarian books, and that is primarily to say that he's not going to discuss them. I was completely disappointed for my purposes, and had I seen the book in a brick-and-mortar shop, I would not have bought it.That said, there is a fair amount of information on used and modern first edition books. Especially good is the material on what a used bookseller is going to be looking for in the material you bring him. As others have said, what is absent is information on bookselling over the internet and through companies like Amazon Marketplace. In my own experience, I've done MUCH better though Amazon Marketplace than through selling to any used bookstore. I can set my own prices, sell more merchandise (including much that a used bookstore would not take) and cut out the middleman almost entirely. (Although Amazon takes a bite, it's not nearly as big as the one taken by my local bookseller; on the minus side, going to him in person costs little in transportation and nothing in postage and handling.) Ellis would have you believe that an annotated book cannot be sold, but at Amazon Marketplace you can fully disclose the condition of the book to the buyer and still have people interested. There is valuable information in the book, especially the guide to the most collectable books. This is important, as just because a book is a first edition doesn't mean there's a market for it. Demand sets the price, and where there's no demand, any claimed value is artificial. I've had a first edition that I was told was worth $100; I couldn't sell it at $15 because it was an obscure poet who no one cares much about. Buyer beware, and Seller beware, too.
Rating:
Summary: Limited value
Review: I've inherited a whole library full of antiquarian books, and I purchased BOOK FINDS through Amazon hoping to learn what to do with them. You'd think a book with the subtitle "How to Find, Buy, and Sell Used and Rare Books" would be helpful in that regard, but when Ellis says "rare" he means "first edition of modern books". There is only a hint of discussion on antiquarian books, and that is primarily to say that he's not going to discuss them. I was completely disappointed for my purposes, and had I seen the book in a brick-and-mortar shop, I would not have bought it. That said, there is a fair amount of information on used and modern first edition books. Especially good is the material on what a used bookseller is going to be looking for in the material you bring him. As others have said, what is absent is information on bookselling over the internet and through companies like Amazon Marketplace. In my own experience, I've done MUCH better though Amazon Marketplace than through selling to any used bookstore. I can set my own prices, sell more merchandise (including much that a used bookstore would not take) and cut out the middleman almost entirely. (Although Amazon takes a bite, it's not nearly as big as the one taken by my local bookseller; on the minus side, going to him in person costs little in transportation and nothing in postage and handling.) Ellis would have you believe that an annotated book cannot be sold, but at Amazon Marketplace you can fully disclose the condition of the book to the buyer and still have people interested. There is valuable information in the book, especially the guide to the most collectable books. This is important, as just because a book is a first edition doesn't mean there's a market for it. Demand sets the price, and where there's no demand, any claimed value is artificial. I've had a first edition that I was told was worth $100; I couldn't sell it at $15 because it was an obscure poet who no one cares much about. Buyer beware, and Seller beware, too.
Rating:
Summary: a masterpiece of a guide
Review: Ian Ellis a writer of considerable talent - fusing an abundance of information on a many book subjects into a simple form, straight-forward down to earth language. You get a feeling he is right there on the front lines with you with his "pull that dust jacket off and look..."simple approach rather than a teacher/student stinted kind of instruction. And the wide variety of do's, don'ts and watch-out-fors he simply reduces to a logical, methodical approach with his little cautions thrown in where he knows you might fall into a trap are nearly intrigueing. He writes not one-on-one but one-with-one as he takes you with him pinning down tricky subjects like FIRST EDITIONS, buying and selling and so much more. Even what the other guy is probably thinking. What a trip this ELLIS is. You can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve --to make you a more enlightened buyer, seller whatever your designs are. Top-shelf, down to earth and a gutsy performance worth a lot more than you paid for. Don't miss this one.
Rating:
Summary: Get a Good Basis in the Used Book Business
Review: Ian Ellis has twenty years experience in the field of used book buying and selling, and it shows. Packed full of hints and good advice, this book is extremely helpful for the starting used book dealer. You learn how to work with dealers (being fair to them while making money), how to price your titles, how to find the good titles, and lots of other practical advice. This new edition also includes a chapter about selling books online. This book is definite must have for someone serious about getting into the used books trade.
Rating:
Summary: Get a Good Basis in the Used Book Business
Review: Ian Ellis has twenty years experience in the field of used book buying and selling, and it shows. Packed full of hints and good advice, this book is extremely helpful for the starting used book dealer. You learn how to work with dealers (being fair to them while making money), how to price your titles, how to find the good titles, and lots of other practical advice. This new edition also includes a chapter about selling books online. This book is definite must have for someone serious about getting into the used books trade.
Rating:
Summary: Reader friendly guide to book selling and collecting!
Review: Ian Ellis scores a hit with Book Finds - How to Find, Buy and Sell Used and Rare Books. Many book collecting books tend to be hard reads like encyclopedias. Not so "Book Finds". Ian has a very reader friendly way of writing as he explores the world of collectible books. He explains how to recognize first editions. How to recognize valuable books. Mistakes to avoid. The secrets of professional book scouts. How to care for books and more! The books focus is on modern first editions. He also has a section on purchasing books over the internet. Though I learned a lot from this book there are a few points I disagree with. One is his suggestion that you will get the books you want before others if you sign up with large internet used bookstores to be notified when the books come in. In my experience, by the time you get the notification, the book has usually been sold. If you want a certain book, you must constantly search for it. He also recommends using rubber cement on a sticker on a shiny bookjacket to remove it. A simpler way to remove stickers from shiny dustjackets is an inexpensive product you can purchase at the drugstore called, "Goo Gone". Rub a little on the book. Wipe and sticker is gone - no mess or fuss. He includes a list of authors that will most likely increase in value but does not include book values as they become dated quickly. Though I understand this, a few more examples of how books can rapidly increase in value by giving price information would have been interesting. Overall, I feel the book is an outstanding find for those interested in buying and selling. Well worth the moderate price tag!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: If one is new to collecting books of any kind, this is the book to start off with. It takes the reader on a wonderful journey of what a book actually is comprised of and the history of books in general. This book gives a great foundation while all the time the reader is learning apt and required terminology to continue the journey into actually identifying and buying good collectible books, and then how to repair and care for them, ultimately storing or selling them.
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