Independent book buyers can be big holiday spenders.
Between Thanksgiving and Dec. 9, AbeBooks.com, No. 70 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, sold dozens of rare and out-of-print books with a price tag over $1,000.
The top holiday seller for $7,031 thus far is “Two Stories” by Salman Rushdie, which is two books combined into one and only one of 12 privately published copies autographed by the author. “Two Stories” was followed by a first edition “Winnie the Pooh” for $5,500; “A Guide to Modern Cookery” for $5,124; “Thelema” for $4,655; “David Thompson’s Narrative of His Explorations in North America 1784-1812” for $4,250; an autographed copy of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” signed by author J.K. Rowling at the July book launch for $3,600; and “On Liberty” for $3,500.
“Throughout November and the first half of December, we’ve been merchandising a wide variety of books -- not just typical stocking stuffers but also rare and expensive books that make incredible presents during the holidays,” says an Abebooks.com spokesman. “We’ve sold more than 200 books priced over $1,000 since the start of December, so the big spenders are out there.”
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