ardbealach Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 I am aware of a model railway club that, I presume, still has on its premises a large library of railway books. Its members appear to prefer to do their research on the internet however and many books have lain unopened for many many years. Maybe we should have a section on RMweb with books available for swaps / for sale / to be give away etc. Someone out there might have that elusive title you require for your researches or specialist interest? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Goodness me. £4.99 for individual copies of Modern Railways? I'm rich!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Book pricing fascinates me! Books are far cheaper now than in the halycon days when the first rolling stock books were being produced - look at the original price of a Russell book (and especially the first tiny Atkins et al GWR wagons which came in two volumes) and then do the math using a conversion to todays money. Eye watering! On the other hand these were remaindered very quickly - no book clubs then to sell off the surplus to a known public - and there isn't now either. Now, many new books are immediately a third off via the internet bookshops (Amazon usually being more expensive - but good value if you are signed up for free postage). And then we don't know the print runs of the main publishers, but I am aware of a Society publisher whose present day runs equate to the over-runs of earlier times! I would suggest if there is a technical/historical book one wants then purchase sooner rather than later is preferable. Paul 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plarailfan Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 A few years ago, I was made redundant and while looking for work, I had a secondhand stall at Huddersfield market (Tuesdays & Saturdays) I soon found the hardest books to sell, were the "Railway world" annuals and such like, which have a mixture of UK steam & Diesel and continental / US articles. I did have some Eric Treacy books and even those took many weeks to clear, which was disappointing as they were extremely popular when first published. There is a somewhat cheerful side to all this, in that I have accumulated a nice collection of "Somerset & Dorset" railway books (Ivo Peters, etc) and the whole lot only ended up costing me about £10 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianusa Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Barter Books in Alnwick seem to take railway books and give reasonable credit notes, miles away from you though! Might be worth contacting them to see if they would be interested, not sure how you would get them up here as they'll be heavy to post though. This is another problem I have living miles away from any likely UK outlet. One book that might be of any value for an example is the OPC Russell's Great Western Engines bought ages OK but immaculate. Books are heavy and to send this one or anything similar back home, would be prohibitive with todays high postage rates. Nobody over here is interested; even if they were USPS rates are equally exorbitant so its fate is just about sealed along with the rest! Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium OnTheBranchline Posted January 7, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 7, 2018 This is another problem I have living miles away from any likely UK outlet. One book that might be of any value for an example is the OPC Russell's Great Western Engines bought ages OK but immaculate. Books are heavy and to send this one or anything similar back home, would be prohibitive with todays high postage rates. Nobody over here is interested; even if they were USPS rates are equally exorbitant so its fate is just about sealed along with the rest! Brian. I am interested. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevblokey Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 Put a few of the Middleton Press books on EBay, no interest as of yet. No great surprise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Put a few of the Middleton Press books on EBay, no interest as of yet. No great surprise. The trouble is finding the right person at the right time, that is why they sell so cheaply. Good for the buyer not so good for the seller. It pained me to see all my railway modellers go to the tip for recycling, on the other hand I have a large amount of plans. Just need to sort them out into those I wish to keep, the others will be put into lots and sold on eBay Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shovelto Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Just looking on the Linda Tinker books website which says “.........HOWEVER, AT THE MOMENT, WE ARE UNLIKELY TO BUY ANY UK RAILWAY BOOKS, due to our shelves being full, and due to the glut of these titles reaching the market. In 2016, we had well over 300 requests to buy books, and only bought 12 collections. “ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevblokey Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 The trouble is finding the right person at the right time, that is why they sell so cheaply. Good for the buyer not so good for the seller. It pained me to see all my railway modellers go to the tip for recycling, on the other hand I have a large amount of plans. Just need to sort them out into those I wish to keep, the others will be put into lots and sold on eBay I done much the same, kept the pages I needed/wanted and tipped the rest Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted January 9, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 9, 2018 I am a part time dealer and also work in Oxfam Books sorting and pricing, and specialise in transport titles. Prices have really dropped of late, and I have even had to cull some titles off the shelf unsold - mainly the generic titles, like British Steam Locomotives and the like. Some of these appear im many guises, and normally go for about a pound if at all - as a dealer I won't touch them. One of my main outlets is car boot sales, where I do manage to shift quite a few books at a (small) profit. It's worth a try. But beware dealers trying to rip you off - at the end of last season, one such approached my wife and offered to take all of the stock for £20 - I had about 40 books on the stall at the time - no way. You can get ideas of what prices that books are being offered for on bookfinder at https://www.bookfinder.com/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 I am a part time dealer and also work in Oxfam Books sorting and pricing, and specialise in transport titles. Prices have really dropped of late, and I have even had to cull some titles off the shelf unsold - mainly the generic titles, like British Steam Locomotives and the like. Some of these appear im many guises, and normally go for about a pound if at all - as a dealer I won't touch them. One of my main outlets is car boot sales, where I do manage to shift quite a few books at a (small) profit. It's worth a try. But beware dealers trying to rip you off - at the end of last season, one such approached my wife and offered to take all of the stock for £20 - I had about 40 books on the stall at the time - no way. You can get ideas of what prices that books are being offered for on bookfinder at https://www.bookfinder.com/ I am no book seller or enthusiast, but buy books either for plans or they are abut the subject I am interested in. For example I am thinking about building a model on Bodmin General Station, so books either on the line of other West Country branch lines. I bought 3 books s/h from Bodmin Generals bookshop for under £8 and another 3 from either Amazon and eBay all of which were only two or 3 £'s each, only a couple of years ago these would have cost 3 or 4 times the amount I have a relative who dabbles in old books, he made me laugh when he stated book collections are sold in weight and sold as shelf fillers. I must have upwards of 100 books, a few are junk titles, most others are only of interest to a small selection of those who are interested in railway books, only a few (10/15) would have any real value, which looking at prices has halved over the past couple of years 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shovelto Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Seeking a book I am Looking for a copy of “Lesser Railways of the Yorkshire Dales” if anyone has a copy going at a sensible price Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tomparryharry Posted January 11, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 11, 2018 It irks me terribly to see books going to tip. I love books, and taught to appreciate them. But, what can you do? You can't keep them all. The late Kim Chalkley at Havenstreet used to run a bookshop for some 30 years in an old Chatham coach. Pleased to report that his coach now has a new frame, restored, and looks a picture. Very much a phoenix from the ashes. Ian. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 (edited) Seeking a book I am Looking for a copy of “Lesser Railways of the Yorkshire Dales” if anyone has a copy going at a sensible price https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lesser-Railways-Yorkshire-Dales-Builders/dp/1871980097/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515656995&sr=1-1&keywords=lesser+railways+of+the+yorkshire+dales https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781871980097/Lesser-Railways-Yorkshire-Dales-Dam-1871980097/plp Edited January 11, 2018 by bike2steam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfield Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 any one getting rid of any early Ian Rice books? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted January 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2018 The problem with Ebay is that postage is a killer for books. Unless the book is very special/desirable it often isn't worth the trouble. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 24, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2018 A friend of ours who passed away a few years ago had a large collection of books. No one was interested apart from the local preserved railway where I believe his relatives eventually donated them. I need to have a clear out of books and may just do the same. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 any one getting rid of any early Ian Rice books? No, but which ones as they do come up quite often, when listed in the book section of eBay they sell for much less than if listed in model railways section eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XIain+Rice.TRS0&_nkw=Iain+Rice&_sacat=0 Some cheap others very dear Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_pg_3?rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3AIain+Rice&page=3&d=1&keywords=Iain+Rice&ie=UTF8&qid=1516782063 Most very expensive, but some reasonable Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted January 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2018 I tried shifting a few surplus books last year through EBay and what I eventually got for them didn't even cover the postage. I now donate surplus railway books and mags to the bookcase in the Quiet Mess Room at work where at least they do get read from time to time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pteremy Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Funny how its the books that I want that still seem to command a premium! But it is sad to see the value of books, on all sorts of subjects, reduced to landfill. My wife tried to donate some children's books to a hospital a few years ago and was told that it is against health and safety rules to accept used books. My strategy (for eBay) is to only try to sell a book if I think I should get £5 or more for it, and ask for appropriate postage. Anything else is given away to an appropriate good cause. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Funny how its the books that I want that still seem to command a premium! But it is sad to see the value of books, on all sorts of subjects, reduced to landfill. My wife tried to donate some children's books to a hospital a few years ago and was told that it is against health and safety rules to accept used books. My strategy (for eBay) is to only try to sell a book if I think I should get £5 or more for it, and ask for appropriate postage. Anything else is given away to an appropriate good cause. I agree with you its sad to see them go to a land fill, saying that at my local reclamation site there was a chap with a van full of books going through those at the site picking those he wanted, perhaps some are bought to be resold ? I do agree I would rather give then away rather than dispose of them via the local tip 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold unravelled Posted January 24, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2018 If you have a local freecycle (or similar), group, it might be worth putting a few lots on there. It will at least save them from the dump. I've got rid of some magazines that way in the past. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted January 24, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2018 But it is sad to see the value of books, on all sorts of subjects, reduced to landfill. I agree with you its sad to see them go to a land fill, Books and paper don't go to landfill they're pulped for re-use. Books that are taken into charity shops end up there if they already have copies as it gives them instant income. We have a depot in Bedford that pays for old clothes, books and ornaments by the kilo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted January 24, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2018 Good Luck..... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iain-Rice-Etched-Loco-Construction/dp/B00NBKK34Y/ref=sr_1_40?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516796261&sr=1-40&keywords=Iain+Rice Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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