Here are some frequently asked questions and answers we get at Phoenix Books.
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- What Types of Books Do You Buy? We buy books of all types. We are a general used book store with books in all categories. and are always interested in looking at good books. Of special interest to us are books on local history, books on California, Water Issues, Magic, Horses, Cooking, Railroading, and the oddball titles. We do not typically buy ex-library books.
- What Makes a Book Collectible? A book is a collectible because of its age, its condition, the subject matter, or the desirability of the author. One factor alone make not make a book collectible (as in age) but all of these things are areas we consider when evaluating a book.
- Are Family Bibles Considered Collectibles? Unfortunately most family bibles are not collectible. Most families have had bibles kept in the family so the most collectible would be Pre-Civil War era, have ornate details and/or color plates, chromolithographs, or be hand guilded.
- Do You Take Donations? Yes, we do but reserve the right to dispose of them if they don’t fit in with our needs at time of donation. We are happy to purchase or trade for any books that we feel have a resale value. We are not a non-profit organization. That said, for the most part, books that do not fit in are donated to local church sales, library sales, etc.
- Why Do Books Need a Dust Jacket? In most case readers and collectors prefer books in as close to the original condition as possible. The more common or available the books, the more selective the customer. In rare cases, if the book is scarce and hard to get, the condition requirements can be more flexible.
- Can I Leave My Books For You to go Through and Come Back Another Time? We don’t require appointments so we are unable to keep books for longer than it takes us to go through them. While we will attempt to do them when you drop them off, sometimes we can not, so customers can browse or leave to run a quick errand while we go through the books. If we have to keep them a day or so, failure to return within a day of our calling you will result in forfeit of your books and any payment you were expecting to receive.