Bargain Books : White Sale : Bid List : Hurts : Terms of Sale : Other Bookfairs
The common element among the diverse range of exhibitors represented at CIROBE is that all of them are selling their product at a discount off the full retail price or at value / bargain prices. CIROBE is a marketplace, and how much is sold depends heavily on the selling price.
It may come as a surprise to some that often books have a very different market in the bargain book world. There are many skilled bargain book buyers with a feel for a book's intrinsic value, which may have absolutely nothing at all to do with its original retail price. Timing is very important in the bargain book world as well. Some subjects or titles may be very hot one year and not-so-hot the next. Others sell out the first time that they are offered and are never seen again.
Thus, in pricing books (whether for remainder or as a produced bargain piece) the companies who exhibit at CIROBE must balance their own knowledge of what a book may be worth with the quantity they have on hand and the desire from the buyers for truly good deals. It is really important for exhibitors to price their books to sell, particuarly with white sales.
This is the suggested retail price at which a book was or is sold on the "new" market. New bookstores selling new books get a standard discount (typically 40%) off this price, that is what comprises their margin. The discount varies from publisher to publisher, and some new books are offered at a "short" discount, which is any discount less than 20%. Most "new" publishers will accept returns for "new" books (within time limits and in re-salable condition.)
These prices reflect a different marketing strategy than a traditional "full price" book. Often, publishers of these types of books are aiming to produce a book for a particular price point (be it $1.98 or $49.98) that they know consumers will find to be a good value. Often, bookstores are offered a 50% discount from the suggested retail price. Thus, bookstores often find that their margin is better on "value" priced books. However, value priced books may have minimum order requirements and may be non-returnable.
Bargain book companies typically list books with a suggested retail price (for instance: $4.98) Depending on the individual companies discount schedule, the actual cost to the bookseller/retailer may be a percentage of that suggested retail price (i.e.: 50% off or $2.49 for our example.) Often, a minimum order must be met to qualify for the discount, and often the books are not returnable. Although the suggested retail price and the discount schedule determine the cost to the bookseller/retailer, it is only a guideline for the bookstores' selling price.
Another way bargain books are sold to retail bookstores is with net pricing. Net pricing means the listed price (for instance: $1 or 50¢) is what the bookseller actually pays for the book. The bookseller may then price the book as he/she likes, be it $2.98 or $10.
Because the prices on bargain books are so low, bargain book companies often set minimum orders, either dollar amounts (for instance: $50 or $200,) quantity minimums (i.e. 50 books,) or per title quantity minimums (i.e. 3 per titles or full case quantities only,) or a combination there of.
Net filled minimum order means that the requirements must be met by the cost to the bookstore and by books actually available to ship to the bookstore. This is an important distinction in this industry, where quantities are finite.
An assortment is a mixed batch of books offered for sale as a quantity (i.e. 250 books) not on a title by title basis. These are often offered by format (hardcover, paperback, audio, etc.) or by publisher or subject. Sometimes the option is given to specify the maximum number of copies per title included in the mix (i.e. not more than 2, 5, etc.)
Hurts are publishers returns, and are often offered in assortments or by having a customer actually come pick out individual books. Other companies may offer lists of titles. When buying hurts in assortments, sometimes one can specify the maximum or minimum quantity of a particular title.
Other book fairs attended by the bargain book industry -->
Copyright 1997-2003 Chicago International Remainder and Overstock Book Exposition