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<b>Bonhams:</b> MANDELSHTAM, OSIP. 1891-1938. Autograph Manuscript, 2 pp, [Petersburg,] January 1913, entitled

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In The News: An eBay Boycott, Mold in the Library - By Michael Stillman Sellers boycott eBay. By Michael Stillman The latest eBay strike has come and gone, and the results were predictable. The strikers may have claimed a moral victory, but the actual victory, as always, went to eBay. It was never in doubt. This was not Obama vs. Clinton, but Obama vs. Kucinich, Ali vs. Chuck Wepner, Google vs. Altavista, the Patriots vs. the Giants (okay, scratch that comparison), or Anybody vs. the Knicks. The outcome was determined before the event occurred. Statistics compiled by Medved.net indicated a drop of nearly 18% in listings during the first three days of the boycott. Medved is an independent site that adds up and posts the number of listings it finds on eBay. However, listings had already been declining before the strike as items expired from a free listing day a few days earlier. After the first three strike days, listings again began to rise. Ebay claimed the strike had no impact on their business, and while that is unlikely to be entirely correct, it is probably true that it had no important impact. It was well within the easy-to-ignore range. To use the ultimate measuring tool, eBay's before and after the boycott stock price was virtually the same. The market knows when there is a problem for a company. It found none. Naturally, no one likes a price increase, and eBay's new formula, which reduces listing fees but increases commissions, is a negative for some sellers. Many others dislike eBay's decision to no longer allow sellers to give negative feedback to buyers, the way buyers can with sellers. A negative feedback or two, possibly unjust, could relegate a seller's items to the bottom of the listings, almost invisible. Some smaller sellers also found provisions which provide better terms for the large seller versus the smalltime amateur. However, eBay made the call, and fair or not, eBay calls the shots. This is not a democracy. This is a take-it-or-leave-it option. Therein lies the rub. Boycott is not either of those two available options. Sellers will only be able to affect eBay's choices by choosing the “leave it” option. However, that is only going to come about when other viable choices are present, and eBay no longer makes money for them. The new deal may not be quite as good, but it is still profitable for most, and no other comparable options are available. So, another boycott comes and goes, sellers get to vent some of their frustration, and reality marches on. Someday it may be different. Someday, an option superior to eBay may come along. It probably won't be just another website, but something that represents a leap forward in technology, just as eBay was a decade ago. That new technology may be more profitable for eBay sellers, and off they will go, like K-Mart shoppers flocking to Wal-Mart. At that point it won't matter whether those sellers love eBay or hate it. They will go where the money is to be made, just as they logically should. Until then, they will grumble and complain, perhaps rightfully so, and a few may actually leave, but the love-hate relationship will go on.
In The News: An eBay Boycott, Mold in the Library - By Michael Stillman none In other news, the scourge of libraries has hit the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois – mold. The Library noted that it will be shut down from February 25 until May 5 while the books are cleaned up and an upgrade is performed on the HVAC system. The problem resulted from inadequate control of humidity in the storage area. Mold in the library is no unimportant item as the value of the collection is said to be in the billion dollar range. Fortunately, the library reported, the mold has not yet caused any irreparable damage. The University of Illinois will undoubtedly be able to do whatever is necessary to protect its important and valuable collection. However, it does point to an issue many smaller libraries have had to face, and will continue to confront in the future. Many such libraries, perhaps attached to small colleges or religious organizations, were given rare books as gifts or bequests years ago. In time, these books have become extremely valuable. However, these libraries have limited budgets and may lack the funds necessary to maintain the ideal climate control necessary to best preserve these antiquarian works. Both installing the ideal climate systems, and paying the ongoing costs of maintaining perfect humidity levels and cool temperatures, can be prohibitive, especially now with skyrocketing energy costs. Such libraries in the past have, and in the future surely will be forced to sell part of their collections out of financial necessity. AbeBooks released its list of the ten most expensive sales on its website for January. The prices ranged from $3,602 to $12,874. Wouldn't you know Harry Potter would be at the top, a blow to antiquarians. This was a first edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Meanwhile, a 1928 first edition, first impression of another children's classic, The House at Pooh Corner, brought in a more modest $3,924. One wonders whether years from now Harry will still be that much more desirable than Winnie. A close second in value was Specimens of British minerals selected from the cabinet of Philip Rashleigh by Philip Rashleigh, the early mineral collector - $12,754. Next came another recent item, Collector's Edition by Peter Beard, a 2006 signed limited edition by the photographer for $10,808. After that it was Sexual Inversion by John Addington and Havelock Ellis Symonds, an early (1897) study of homosexuality that considered it a way of being as opposed to a disease - $7,500. The best deal must be Recueil général des anciennes lois françaises by Jourdan, Decrusy & Isambert. This set of ancient French and German laws was published from 1821-1833. It cost $4,664, but for that the buyer got 29 volumes.

In The News: An eBay Boycott, Mold in the Library

- By Michael Stillman

Sellers boycott eBay.

By Michael Stillman

The latest eBay strike has come and gone, and the results were predictable. The strikers may have claimed a moral victory, but the actual victory, as always, went to eBay. It was never in doubt. This was not Obama vs. Clinton, but Obama vs. Kucinich, Ali vs. Chuck Wepner, Google vs. Altavista, the Patriots vs. the Giants (okay, scratch that comparison), or Anybody vs. the Knicks. The outcome was determined before the event occurred.

Statistics compiled by Medved.net indicated a drop of nearly 18% in listings during the first three days of the boycott. Medved is an independent site that adds up and posts the number of listings it finds on eBay. However, listings had already been declining before the strike as items expired from a free listing day a few days earlier. After the first three strike days, listings again began to rise. Ebay claimed the strike had no impact on their business, and while that is unlikely to be entirely correct, it is probably true that it had no important impact. It was well within the easy-to-ignore range.

To use the ultimate measuring tool, eBay's before and after the boycott stock price was virtually the same. The market knows when there is a problem for a company. It found none.

Naturally, no one likes a price increase, and eBay's new formula, which reduces listing fees but increases commissions, is a negative for some sellers. Many others dislike eBay's decision to no longer allow sellers to give negative feedback to buyers, the way buyers can with sellers. A negative feedback or two, possibly unjust, could relegate a seller's items to the bottom of the listings, almost invisible. Some smaller sellers also found provisions which provide better terms for the large seller versus the smalltime amateur. However, eBay made the call, and fair or not, eBay calls the shots. This is not a democracy. This is a take-it-or-leave-it option. Therein lies the rub. Boycott is not either of those two available options.

Sellers will only be able to affect eBay's choices by choosing the “leave it” option. However, that is only going to come about when other viable choices are present, and eBay no longer makes money for them. The new deal may not be quite as good, but it is still profitable for most, and no other comparable options are available. So, another boycott comes and goes, sellers get to vent some of their frustration, and reality marches on. Someday it may be different. Someday, an option superior to eBay may come along. It probably won't be just another website, but something that represents a leap forward in technology, just as eBay was a decade ago. That new technology may be more profitable for eBay sellers, and off they will go, like K-Mart shoppers flocking to Wal-Mart. At that point it won't matter whether those sellers love eBay or hate it. They will go where the money is to be made, just as they logically should. Until then, they will grumble and complain, perhaps rightfully so, and a few may actually leave, but the love-hate relationship will go on.

In The News: An eBay Boycott, Mold in the Library

- By Michael Stillman

none

In other news, the scourge of libraries has hit the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois – mold. The Library noted that it will be shut down from February 25 until May 5 while the books are cleaned up and an upgrade is performed on the HVAC system. The problem resulted from inadequate control of humidity in the storage area. Mold in the library is no unimportant item as the value of the collection is said to be in the billion dollar range. Fortunately, the library reported, the mold has not yet caused any irreparable damage.

The University of Illinois will undoubtedly be able to do whatever is necessary to protect its important and valuable collection. However, it does point to an issue many smaller libraries have had to face, and will continue to confront in the future. Many such libraries, perhaps attached to small colleges or religious organizations, were given rare books as gifts or bequests years ago. In time, these books have become extremely valuable. However, these libraries have limited budgets and may lack the funds necessary to maintain the ideal climate control necessary to best preserve these antiquarian works. Both installing the ideal climate systems, and paying the ongoing costs of maintaining perfect humidity levels and cool temperatures, can be prohibitive, especially now with skyrocketing energy costs. Such libraries in the past have, and in the future surely will be forced to sell part of their collections out of financial necessity.

AbeBooks released its list of the ten most expensive sales on its website for January. The prices ranged from $3,602 to $12,874. Wouldn't you know Harry Potter would be at the top, a blow to antiquarians. This was a first edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Meanwhile, a 1928 first edition, first impression of another children's classic, The House at Pooh Corner, brought in a more modest $3,924. One wonders whether years from now Harry will still be that much more desirable than Winnie. A close second in value was Specimens of British minerals selected from the cabinet of Philip Rashleigh by Philip Rashleigh, the early mineral collector - $12,754. Next came another recent item, Collector's Edition by Peter Beard, a 2006 signed limited edition by the photographer for $10,808. After that it was Sexual Inversion by John Addington and Havelock Ellis Symonds, an early (1897) study of homosexuality that considered it a way of being as opposed to a disease - $7,500. The best deal must be Recueil général des anciennes lois françaises by Jourdan, Decrusy & Isambert. This set of ancient French and German laws was published from 1821-1833. It cost $4,664, but for that the buyer got 29 volumes.