Dave Richey OUTDOORS

It was a fishing title, but he couldn't remember the book's name or its author. That narrowed the field down to one topic out of thousands of book topics. Did he have a date of publication? No.

He couldn't even remember if it was about bass fishing, muskie, panfish, pike, trout, walleyes or other fish species. Was it oriented toward general fish or was it about fly fishing? He had no clue.

More Information was needed but wasn't available.

I enjoy helping people, and I really enjoy it when they buy a book or books from my extensive listing on Scoop's Books. I wanted to lend this guy a hand, but after trading several emails, the whole exercise was doomed to frustration for both of us.

I have a fairly large number of titles for sale. I'm always willing to do a book search for a client, but I need at least two reference points to achieve any chance of success. The author's name and the title of the book are two criteria I need. Sometimes I can find the book from just a name or part of a book title, but having name and title work.

Several clients send me a list of book titles they want to buy, and I begin the search. Most are ultimately successful but some are not. It's a hunt and not all searches end well. Some books are very scarce, and may only be seen once in an active bookseller's life.

One client already has a copy of a book his heart desires. Sadly, the book doesn't have a dust jacket. He wants a copy of this extremely scarce title in better condition than his copy but it must have a spiffy dust jacket. Such animals are very difficult to find, and a person may search for many years for such a copy with a nice dust jacket without success. Or … the book may be prohibitively expensive.

Some clients deal only in certain game fish species such as bass, muskie, trout or walleye titles. Others favor the generalist approach where the book will feature quite a bit about all kinds of fishing.

Other book collectors are completists. They want a copy of every book that was written by Jack O'Connor, the famous gun writer for Outdoor Life magazine years ago. They want his hunting, rifle and shotgun books, and his novels, Boomtown and Conquest, which I've had for sale but they are now gone. Other people look for O'Connor's Horse & Buggy West, a semi-biographical account of his young life. I have it. Looking  for Bob Btunner muskie books? I buy and sell them

Bob Brunner (right) & a muskie he caught. I buy muskie books.

Some people collect only limited editions of fishing or hunting books, and I just had to turn down a customer who wanted a self-published title about hunting in Africa. I studied a list put out by a friend who deals in Africana more than I do, and he didn't have one nor did he know where to find one. For many people, finding the right book means spending a bunch of time searching for it. Some books are like the proverbial needle in a haystack.

On the other hand, people come to my site because 90 percent of my books are in Fine condition or better. There are several categories of book condition ranging upward from Reading Copy, Fair, Good, Very Good, Fine, Very Fine and Mint or As New. I accurately grade the books I sell, and there are establish criteria for each grade.

A man offered me nearly a dozen books a week ago. He wanted to know how much I would pay for them. Buying a book or many books without first seeing them can be a major mistake.

I asked if he would buy a car from someone without seeing the vehicle. He said no, but books and cars were different. I agreed that there is a difference but the principle still applies: no one buys items sight unseen unless they are very wealthy or very stupid.

It's sad to say but there are scam artists that deal in books and old outdoor magazines. I am not one of them, and anyone who has followed my lengthy career of writing books, internet stories on my personal website, magazines or newspaper articles should know enough about me to know I have plenty of books and have no need to steal one from another person.

One of Bob Brunner's scarce muskie titles.

He wasn't interested in letting me look at them ahead of time, and I wasn't interested in pursuing the issue any further. They were titles I wanted to buy, but he wouldn't let me take a peek. He lost, I lost, and down the line, a customer lost as well.

Some people want a book dealer to establish a price they will pay, and then buy them for that price without seeing the merchandise. It's very difficult for a bookseller to be both the buyer and seller. Some negotiation is almost always possible, but there isn't a bookseller I know that will pay full retail for any book or buy without looking.

So … I'm in the market to buy good books in very nice condition. Most of the books I wind up buying are in Fine to Mint condition. Most people who buy books want to buy the best condition they can afford. Condition doesn't mean much if the selling price is  $5-10, but it is very meaningful and important when the price tag goes to $100 or more.

Send me a list of fishing or hunting books  you have, and describe them and any flaws each one may have. I may ask to see them if they are of interest, and if not, I'll gracefully decline. However I can't and won't buy books sight unseen unless I know the seller.

I'd love to hear from you this winter. Digging through your books will give you something to do, and it will help me out. I buy all kinds of fishing and hunting books, but muskie fishing, trout fishing and turkey hunting titles are what really turn my wheels.

I also have a huge collection of Outdoor Life and other outdoor magazines from the 1920s through the 1940s. Ninety-nine percent are in Fine or better condition, and such magazines are vert scarce because most people threw them away after they were read.

John Walker's books are always popular.

The son of a famous wildlife artist from the 1920-1940s contacted me two weeks ago, looking for some of his father's work. I spent a full day sorting through those magazines, and found about 40 illustrated by his father. He was trying to put together three collections for his children. I had the magazines, and he began  bickering, saying they were too expensive, and left me hanging. A full day of work for a man who backed away without a word has left me griping and complaining. A few people think it's great fun creating work for a bookseller. I can usually pinpoint such people, but I missed the mark on this guy.

Let's see if you can make my wheels spin. Oh, I'm also looking for a hardcover copy, with dust jacket, of Robert Ruark's The Old Man & The Boy in Fine or better condition. Touch base at <dave@daverichey.com> and let me know what you have, and let's communicate.

I need your books and perhaps you need my money. Let's hear from you and we'll see what happens.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors