Saturday, November 14, 2009

Any Montreal romance readers? aka Trip to the UBS part II

Hmmm, so I'm back home after quite a long day. Like I said in my other post, I went to the UBS... but I also stopped at three other bookstores - another UBS (same franchise) and two regular bookstores (Chapters and Indigo - they had their 25%off sale).

Of course, that means I got some new treasures... which I'll share tomorrow or during the week.

Right now, I want to discuss UBS and books... So Kristie had this post about Keeper Books vs Keeping Books. Not long ago, Wendy had a post about your buying books habits... well now, I have questions about your purging books habits :)

How often do you purge your books? Once a year? Once in a while? Once every season?

What do you do with them? UBS? Paperswap? Charity?

If you bring them to the UBS, how much to you get for them?

I'm being curious and noisy, but I can't help it. See, I purge my books... at least once a year, usually when I re-shelve them. However, I don't really know what to do with them. I've been contemplating the options (limited) and none were too appealing. I considered charity (the McGill bookfair)... but then, yesterday, I thought if I could get some money out of them, I should right? So I brought my books to the UBS today.

The good news? I brought 144 books and they only rejected 2. I was a bit worried they wouldn't take any because I had a lot... and then, the lady told me they were very picky. Turns out they were picky about conditions... and a lot of them were pristine, I mean, like new - actually, many haven't been read. So I'm 142 books lighter! Not bad right?

The bad news? Euh, I got 50$ for 142 books... and there were a couple of hardcovers in that mix. So yeah, if you do quick calculations, I got 0.35$/book. Seriously?!? That's simply ridiculous and seriously, not worth it. I know, money is not everything and hey, I wasn't expecting much... but I bought 15 books at the UBS and I ended up owning them 20$. So let see, I sold 142 books for 50$ --> 0.35$/book and bought 15 books for 70$ --> 4.66$/book. I think someone's getting cheated/screwed/taken advantage of. Or someone else is making some profit. Or is it me?

When I went to the UBS in London, Ontario... Kristie told me they bought books at 25% cover price and sold books at 50% cover price. That actually makes a lot of sense to me. Ah well.

So yeah, I just don't it's really worth it ^_^; So I'm thinking of finding another option for the next purge... Any suggestion? I was thinking the best would be finding someone in Montreal and just outright exchanging books... and I didn't really consider the Internation Paperswap (can't remember how it's called), but now, it looks really attractive.

So that's it for now...


  1. I find it incredibly difficult to purge my bookshelves. Last time I did so I got rid of about 10 books. I gave them to my sister, and within a few months all but two of them had made their way back to me, so I wouldn't exactly call it a successful purge.

  2. I do Paperback Swap for those that I'm pretty ure people might want, I send them to friends, and I donate to the library at least 4 times a year. But I have very little room, so I really need to purge frequently. I also have bags of books in the garage that I haven't gotten around to doing anything with yet...

  3. Nath, I used to do the same when I had a UBS available (closed now), & the same thing happened to me. But, now I just swap my books with friends.

    Two yrs ago I found a buddy (now a friend) in Canada, with whom I swap most of my books :). Then, this year I purged ALL my PNRs & shipped them to another friend in California who loves PNR and who couldn't buy books for a while (out of work for a long time & gong nuts, lol) -- I only kept the couple of series I'm reading.

    My friend in Canada & I swap historical/romance books & some contemps. We choose a few new ones for the month we both want to read, I buy them, read them & send them to her (unless they are "Keepers"). She in turn, sends me "old" books I hunt for -- backlist books that she either has in her extensive book pile or she can get her hands on (she's also purging). She's retired & doesn't buy as much as she used to, so she gets to read new releases & I get those great older books I've missed out on -- we both win. :)

    The leftover books I send to my daughter's co-worker who reads romance/chick lit & suspense/ rom. I do that once every 6 mos or so. :)

    But now that I have an eReader, I suspect I won't be getting rid of so many books. I'm only buying the books I want to swap w/my friend & the ones I want keep in my shelf in print. The rest I'm basically buying electronically when I can at this point. :)

  4. That just doesn't make sense does it?? You hand in that many books and STILL have to pay????
    I contacted Paperback Swap awhile back and they don't have it in Canada and the guy also said they don't plan on moving into Canada in the near future. I was really bummed at that news. I don't know if they have the equivalent or not here. If they do, that's the route I would go. So until I find some alternative, the UBS is the best alternative. I did ask at one of the UBS's about money back for books and it's only half of what you get for taking credit, so I don't go that route either.
    And I asked one time about taking them to the library - and maybe it was that particular person, but they were less then enthusiastic about taking them - which kind of annoyed me as their romance section could really use more books!
    Of course, it's a moot point really since I haven't done a book cull in about 3 years!!!

  5. I can't believe they only give you $50 for nearly 150 books. I think you got cheated!

    I only just started purging some of my books this year. It's really hard to decide what to let go because there's always this niggling feeling that I may want to read the book some day. In the end, I gave some to friends and maybe 30 or so I sold to a UBS. The UBS I go to give 25% off of cover price for each book traded in and 50% sold.

    If you could, look for a different UBS to trade in your books.

  6. I constantly rotate books out. When I put my books on my spreadsheet each month I have a "Keep/Trade" column. I note this because it saves time when I'm looking for a book on my bookshelves (even though they are shelved by author in alpha order) because the books are two rows deep. If it says 'trade' then I know i don't have to look for it.

    In addition to taking the books to the UBS about every other month once and sometimes twice a year I go through my shelves and do another purge. This is a space issue but also sometimes books I thought I couldn't live without I find, over time, I can let go.

    My UBS gives credit, no cash. I've never run across one in my area where we get actual money. I'm philosophical about it though. I had bought the book with the expectation of enjoying it. If I pass it along even at a discount and someone else gets a chance to read it all the better.

    Finally, since this is so obnoxiously long, how many things do you buy that you can take some place and trade/swap them for more of the same thing? I think it's a great deal for everyone.

  7. Rosie brought up something I forget to mention-- I only get trade credit for the books I bring in and I can't use all my credits during one purchase either. This means that regardless of how much credits I have on account I still need to shell out some cash. Btw, did they explain how they calculated the books you brought in?

  8. I need to get rid of some of my books - I did a clean-out some time back and have a couple of boxes sitting around, except I never have time to actually get them out of the house!

    I don't have a UBS around, I wish I did. I did ask my local library if they wanted book donations and they said no! I will probably lug them to a charity shop one of these days.

    And if they're buying books at $0.35 and selling them for more than 12x more, gosh, that's a rather good business model!

  9. Look into - which is a service like PaperbackSwap, BUT it's open internationally. That may be an option for you.

    I used to trade in at the UBS a lot - which was for store credit - but these days I'm mostly posting things on PBS or swapping with friends.

    I purge as I read, but every once in a while I'll do a big weed in the TBR. Most of the time it's to cull out my backlog of Harlequins - getting rid of authors or plot devices that I've discovered no longer work for me. It's been a while since I've done one of these. Although earlier this year I did weed out quite a bit of paranormal romance from the TBR. Time to make room, especially since my burn out on that particular sub genre isn't showing any signs of letting up.

  10. I frequently get rid of books. I get rid of books I've read but don't want to re-read, books I couldn't finish and books from the TBR pile that I'm no longer interested in reading (especially the ones that have been there for 2 years or longer, because if it's been there that long I figure I'm most likely not going to read it).

    I mostly use PaperBackSwap to unload my books. It's an easy and convenient way to get rid of books and get books in return. Before PBS, I used to sell on Ebay/ I rarely go the used book store because my local one is too high priced, in my opinion, and you can only get store credit, anyway. Every now and then I donate to the library, but for the most part I use PaperBackSwap. I would definitely check out if I were you, or if you're looking to get better money for your books, then perhaps try selling on Amazon or Ebay.

  11. And, um, you are going to have a Part three right - where you let us know what books you got? I showed mine so you have to show yours!!

  12. The UBS I used to go to takes all my books but they only give store credit. And i forget what the % is. I haven't been there in a while. Lately I've been putting them on the bookshelf at work. Mainly cause I'm lazy and the UBS is a bit out of my way. As for how often, depends on if I run out of room on my shelf. lol. I used to be part of... damn.. i forget what i's called. Bookcrossing?

    But you put the book in a public place with a label. Then you go on the website and enter in. Whoever wants it or is in that area, will grab the book.

  13. I have a horrible time with purging. It doesn't happen often and I get teary eyed when I start. Once I get rolling though books start flying. I have discovered only a few books that I wish I had kept over time.

    Used to have UBS that gave credit and you used the credits to buy from them. I think they still run that way.

    I have a different philosophy when it comes to books. If anyone will give me even a dime for a book then I'm ahead. Afterall, you just bought new books that you haven't read and might be keepers with a simple exchange of books you no longer want.

    I have tried to sell used books and it's not easy. I often say to Bob that it's so odd to pay 10 dollars for something and have it worth 0 dollars the minute it's out of the store (unless you return it).

    For the most part, if I know no one wants the books I have I will donate them to some place - last time it was to my BF's MIL elder building where they welcomed books for free.


  14. Marg - To me, I have to be truthful, it isn't that hard to purge. My problem is that if I liked 1 book from the other, I'm most likely going to keep them all ^_^;

    and LOL, 2 of them made their ways back to you? :)

    Lori - I wished we had Paperback Swap in Canada... I guess I'll have to look into the international one. I mean, it cannot be as bad as the UBS right?

    LOL, you know what? I'm thinking of overtaking the basement in my house. It's been offered to me a couple of time by my parents, so why not? :) I could get a room like Kristie and in that case, no more need to purge! LOL :)

    but really, I was thinking of exchanging with friends... but then, on blogland, it seems we all end up with the same books ^_^; So it's hard to exchange...

    Hilcia - It's good you have a friend with whom you can exchange book. I was thinking of finding such a buddy, but the thing is, like I told Lori, it seems that all my blog buddies all end up with the same books as me... so how to exchange?

    Kristie - I KNOW!!! But what was I going to do? Say no and take back all 142 books?!? Well at least, I know for next time.

    I contacted Paperback Swap also a few years back. It's a bummer to find out that it doesn't work in Canada... but I guess we could start one? Do you think people would be willing to pay the shipping?

    A couple weeks ago, I sent Ames about 15 books... and it cost me about 20$ and it was in a box. That's not bad really...

    Did you ever look into Book Mooch? That's the international version... but I'm not convinced... and shipping overseas can be quite expensive. (I mean, you'd have to send lots of books to make it worth)

    I actually haven't asked my library if they would take donations... I guess I should, cos yeah, they could really use them too. Although I'm not sure how much people would borrow books in English ^_^; Such a dilemma right?

    And yes, I'll be doing a post with my new precious :)

    Tabitha - Sigh, I know, I know.

    I wouldn't mind them paying me with credit. I think that the rule your UBS has is quite fair. I mean, after all you get 25% of cover price.

    No, they haven't explained and that's my fault I guess. I should have asked before... but then, there aren't that many UBS in Montreal, especially English and romance... so I'm very limited :( I think I'll really have to look for a different alternative.

  15. *Hmmm, I've never had blogger tell me my comments were too long, LOL :)

    Rosie - Ah, smart of you! LOL :) Personally, a lot of books I can't decide if it's a keeper or a trader. Especially if they are part of series or debut books. I mean, what if the next one is better? That's one of the problem I face - I'm a back list collector LOL :)

    True, true. Not everything you buy can be traded... but still. I don't mind trading 4 books to get 1 back. But hey, in this case, I trade what, 10 books to get 1 back? That's pretty insane, especially since you know the books are tradable.

    LOL, space issues... did you ever consider taking over Beanie's room? :)

    Li - Hmmm, I don't get why libraries don't take donations? I mean, they could at least keep the one that are in good condition. ah well.

    The solution is really to keep all the books you buy! LOL :)

    Wendy - Thanks Wendy. I've looked into it... but I guess I'll have to look more closely. Thing is, international shipping can be very costly ^_^;

    I've been thinking of being more selective when I buy my books. Especially with authors and plotlines that I know don't work for me... but I'm weak in will ^_^; LOL.

    DC - I don't really want to get money out of my oldies... I'm perfectly happy to trade or sometimes, do giveaways. I'm not too interested in selling on ebay/ I'm not that reliable, LOL :) and also, I find the money transactions a bit of a hassle. But thanks for sharing DC :) And it's been a while! What have you been up to?

    Isabel - Hmmm, interesting concept, Bookcrossing. i think I've heard of it before. That wouldn't be a bad idea if you don't want to meet ppl face to face :D

    What happens when you put them on the bookshelf at work? People take them to read?

    Cindy - LOL, I think you you have space for another bookroom in your house Cindy, so you don't have to purge :D

    See, I was considering donating... and I will probably do that next time, if I don't find a better solution :)

  16. Wow - that's not a very good rate of exchange. I would ask them how they calculate the amount. The UBS where I go give 25% of retail price for books brought in and charge 50% of retail for books they sell. Another UBS that also sells DVDs, video games and accessories only gives cash, no credit. They give 25% of retail price too. In my experience you can count on a 2 for 1 rate of exchange at UBS.

    I need to get my TBR pile down so I can do a purge. Paperbackswap is good for finding what I can't find at UBS. When I'm getting ready to go to the UBS I'll do a mini-purge. What I really need to do is go through all my books. Sort and organize better than how they are. Still need another book case, just need to find room.

  17. Leslie - Not good indeed ^_^; I'll ask next time, but it doesn't matter - not planning to bring any books back ^_^;

    Do you have a basement?

  18. No basement but there is room under the kids beds. LOL I could store my keepers there. :) I still want another bookcase, just a small one really...

  19. Leslie - That's actually a good idea, Leslie :D You buy a nice box or trunk and store the books under their beds. That way, when they clean their room, you're sure they cleaned it and not just put everything under the bed :P

    the corner shelf I got is quite small. Look into it. It was 35$ I think.