Rating: 
Summary: great Place to Start
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.
Rating: 
Summary: If you are a biblioholic, this one is for you!
Review: If you are interested in buying, trading, selling, or collecting books for fun or profit,
I would strongly recommend that this should be the first book that you pick up! Mr. Ellis
is very knowledgeable in the field of book collecting and willingly shares that knowledge
with the reader. He also names over 1000 titles that would be worthwhile investments....
if you can find them. There are also terrific tips about caring for your books and thus,
your investments.
This book is written with a sense of humor and wonder that every biliophile can enjoy.
It also makes poking around in new and used bookstores (and Amazon.com) more fun.
Rating:
Summary: Do You Have A Fortune Sitting On Your Bookshelf?
Review: If you love to buy and collect new or used books, then chances are you have some very collectible books just lying around. Some may be worth a fortune. A book doesn't have to be old or a first edition Hemingway to be worth money. There are thousands of highly collectible modern first editions. It's easy to find them, too . . . often at prices far below market value. The secret: Learn which books are in demand (many are more common than you may think), and then try to find them in first editions. Some may be sitting on your shelf right now. Often, publishers state "First Edition" on a title page, but far from always. And even if you know you have a first edition, how do you know if it's collectible? Ellis gives detailed information on how to identify first editions and books worth collecting. You'll learn about how later editions can be collectible, too. There's tons of solid, money making advice on how to become a book collector, even if you're on a limited budget, including tips on "avoiding costly mistakes that many beginners make." Bonus: A section that lists "Over 1,000 Most Collectible Books and Authors." Best of all: It's fun. You'll learn how to scout for books at major book stores, used book sales, remainder bins, tag sales and more. If you already enjoy buying books, why not turn it into a hobby that pays?
Rating:
Summary: Scouting for used and rare books
Review: Not 'Turn Books Into Gold', but at least it's in print. Not as much about used bookstore operations, but about nomadically scouting them, trading books from interest to interest as they are displayed by used books establishments and customers. A book scout manual, also pre internet, but many things apply. It deals with exploiting the interests, both strengths and weaknesses, of established booksellers, and spotting and capitalizing on their likes and dislikes, as a nomadic used book scout and trend speculator. Got mine at the library. Just read it. Good first editions publishers criteria and 1001 collectible authors (circa '96) sections at the end. Also, repairs and ethics info.
Rating:
Summary: Thinking about becoming a booktrader? Buy this!
Review: The ABC's of becoming a traditional booktrader. Booktrading on the internet is barely given a mention but traditional identification, publishing, grading, scouting, and selling are covered. If possible, it makes being a booklover even more fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Was good but too out of date
Review: The book is well written and interesting. It gives a lot of valuable information about how to act as a dealer or scout for books (1st editions primarily) with plenty of pitfalls to avoid type advice. However, it was published in 1996 and the world has moved on rapidly. For example, there is no mention of the internet in the book - but there are now many sources of books on the net. A further example - his comment on "AB Weekly" : 'If you're serious about making any sort of living with used books, you need to subscribe to AB Weekly'. In the Maine Antique Digest there is an article stating the demise of AB Weekly and makes the following comment "The Internet may have done in the AB Weekly. Traffic on such sites as Bibliofind, which lists books for sale from member dealers, and the general auction sites that offer books, such as eBay, has seen huge increases during the last few years. It's hard fora print medium to compete with a service that lets you find a book you wanton the very day you want it, make the deal or leave a bid, and return to work, all within 20 minutes". If the author produces an edition updated for the internet it will likely be a 4 or 5.
Rating:
Summary: Was good but too out of date
Review: The book is well written and interesting. It gives a lot of valuable information about how to act as a dealer or scout for books (1st editions primarily) with plenty of pitfalls to avoid type advice. However, it was published in 1996 and the world has moved on rapidly. For example, there is no mention of the internet in the book - but there are now many sources of books on the net. A further example - his comment on "AB Weekly" : 'If you're serious about making any sort of living with used books, you need to subscribe to AB Weekly'. In the Maine Antique Digest there is an article stating the demise of AB Weekly and makes the following comment "The Internet may have done in the AB Weekly. Traffic on such sites as Bibliofind, which lists books for sale from member dealers, and the general auction sites that offer books, such as eBay, has seen huge increases during the last few years. It's hard fora print medium to compete with a service that lets you find a book you wanton the very day you want it, make the deal or leave a bid, and return to work, all within 20 minutes". If the author produces an edition updated for the internet it will likely be a 4 or 5.
Rating:
Summary: Now I'm a bookseller!
Review: This book definitely got me from just thinking about selling used books as a hobby, to actually doing it. Ellis provides great tips on what, where and how to scout for books to resell, and 1,000 titles to look for. The book is written in an enjoyable style.
Rating:
Summary: Invaluable Resource
Review: This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in books and book collecting both for buying them and selling them. The author presents the art of book collecting as something that anyone can learn and the passion that he himself has for the hobby / profession is obvious. It is ideal for anyone who has given thought to beginning a collection of books. The author gives us the wheres, hows and even the whys on book collecting. You find that you get the urge to rush off to the nearest used bookstore in your lunch break to begin your search. I think the Chapter listing 1,001 Collectible Books is a great idea and, as well as providing valuable suggestions on what to collect, is a handy reading list when it comes to the finest works in each genre.
Rating: 
Summary: Out of Date
Review: This book is completely out-of-date because it doesn't mention the Internet, which has revolutionized bookselling. If you have have access to the Internet and want to be a book dealer, this is NOT the book for you. If you are computer-less and have no concept of the Internet, then you are fighting an "uphill" battle and will only loose money being a bookdealer in this day and age.
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