FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
We get a lot of questions, many time the same question from multiple customers, so as we get them we are going to start listing them here to maybe help those that were afraid to ask.
Tony and Kim
1. Why don't you list the condition of your books on your webpage?
Good Question - The simple answer "Unless the description lists a defect or the condition of a book, the book is new or as new." We deal mostly in signed limited editions, most never get read, so even "used" books coming to us are as new (honestly we avoid those that are not), in fact most of our inventory is new from the publisher, yes even 25 year old titles. If we find any condition issues, even of new books from the publisher (and yes it does happen) we list them, so if the description is silent as to condition rest assured it is new or as new. Books are checked when they arrive, when they are mylared, when they are ordered and when they are packed and shipped!
2. What is a "PC" copy?
Sometimes referred to as "Publisher's Copy" or "Presentation Copy" - A numbered or lettered copy which is identical in every way to a numbered or lettered copy of the same title, but has the letters "PC" in the limitation line, the "PC" denotes "Publisher's Copy" or "Presentation Copy" and is one of a very few copies produced for use by the Publisher, usually for contributors. Please note: PC copies do not generally come with "rights" to the next book in a series or author, if they do it will be noted in the description.
3. "Rights" - When purchasing some books from us, especially in series, gives you first right of refusal for the following book in the series, typcially at publilshed price. This benefits the purchaser as you don't have to worry when a new book is announced about getting your matching number or letter from the publisher, we are usually allocated a number block or a letter and, with many publishers, are are guaranteed those numbers/letters for the series. If you have any questions as to whether a book includes any "rights" please ask.
4. What is meant by Bill’s Copy or Stuff or Tim's Copy or Stuff? - We are selling the collections of Bill and Tim, the owners of Subterranean Press, because their collections are so large and because their stuff duplicates many of the titles we have in stock we designate them as “Bill’s Copies” or "Bill’s Stuff,” or “Tim’s Copies” or "Tim’s Stuff,” so we can separate their collections from our inventory. As with all of our inventory, if a description as to condition is not listed in the listing, the book is new or as new from the publisher. This is also a good place to note that Tim has marked his lettered copies as "Founder's Copy," it is not Lettered or marked PC, each book is bound as a lettered book and housed in a lettered slipcase or traycase (if any) BUT the limitation line is designated "Founder's Copy". There is only one copy of anytitle so designated, no other books or sets were designated in this manner, when you see a copy so listed, it is your only chance to own the rarest and most unique Lettered State of Subterranean Press' books.
5. Why are some titles listed as "Overstock?" - When we want to run a sale on a title, we list the quanity of copies we want to sell at a special price as "Overstock" if there is anything wrong with them we will note it in the description, but typically (99.9%) of the time they are new books we simply have too many of.
6. "In Shrinkwrap" - With few exceptions we open shrinkwrapped books to check them. We found that we were opening titles sometimes years after they went out of print to inspect them before shipping and found defects, we have since began opening everything upon receipt from the publisher so that if there are defects we can get them replaced. In rare occasions, such as some King titles, we know collectors what them in the original shrinkwrap, if a title is listed "In Shrinkwrap" and that is the way you want it, if you later open it and there is a defect, we cannot replace it (replacements have to come back to us in the same condition as received, if a shrinkwrapped book is open it is no longer in the same conditon as when we shipped it.
7. Why are some new hard to get titles, previously shown as being sold out on our site, now listed on your site as "Consignment" at a much higher than published price? - When the publisher tells us how many copies of a new title we are getting we list them on the site at published price, hot titles sell out quickly - Fast Forward - the book is published, we contact the people who pre-ordered the book and some seeing what the secondary market is doing choose to pay us published price and leave the book in house to sell for them on consignment. By way of example, Centipede Press' Dune - Published price was somewhere in the $500 range, honestly i don't remember, but what i do remember is they were selling on the secondary market for $2500 to $3000, two or three customers had us sell their copies, even paying our commission they netted a pretty penny. Anyway, this is in fact something that happens pretty often.
8. We don't negotiate prices! More of a statement than a question, so I guess the question is, WHY? I get most people believe small businesses, book dealers in particular will negotiate price, that we start high as we expect our customers to ask for a discount. That has never been our style. We believe some of our pricing is low, most fair (in print at published price, out of print somewhere between published price and the prevailing secondary market price), and yes, some of our prices are high. Higher priced books generally mean it is really in short supply and a much sought after title or it is the last copy or set we have and because we don't need the cash, we are in no hurry to sell it. Our reasoning? In the case of hard to get titles or our last copy we are literally looking for the customer who is specifically looking for this book or set, want it now, and is willing to pay a little extra for it. Bottom line is, we can get a larger return on our investment by sitting on these titles than putting the money in the bank, since i don't believe in investing in the stock market, and this policy has made us very comfortable financially, there is no reason to stray from it. On top of that, it is all we can do to pack the sales we do have, while at the same time unpacking the daily delivery of new books, checking them, contacting customers for pre-orders, updating the website, which consistently is behind hundreds of titles that need to have their inventory updated, and dealing with the legitimate questions and phone calls. We will literally never get caught up in our lifetime, so when our boys get the books, they may be the ones to negotiate with, since neither of them want to be book dealers! Now, if we are lucky we will get to a point where we are caught up and need and want to move more books, when and if that situation arises this policy may change, but in all honestly I just don't see that happening! So when asked for a better price, our general response is and will be "Thank you for the offer, but we will pass!"