I Spent £6,000 On Books And Made £______

Here's a different video, where I take you behind the scenes for a week in my life as an antiquarian bookseller. I'll show you the rare books I buy and sell throughout the week, and we will see if I can sell more than I buy!

[@karimshawagfeh3630]

We definitely want more of this! Such insight into what you get onto apart from your really enjoyable little shorts about interesting books you've acquired. More! Please!

[@klaire74]

Very interesting and nice to see in detail how is done. The admin work is daunting. And yes, would be nice to see more vlogs like this, bookfairs, auctions maybe. Thank you for sharing your time with us!

[@SquirrellyNerdyJess]

As a book dealer in the UK myself, it’s fun to see a glimpse of other book dealer’s lives. The shop I manage does sell rare books but we’re more broadly a secondhand shop with 82,000 in stock currently, with around 30 orders a day on average. It’s intriguing to see the similarities and differences to rare book specialists like you (aside from simple quantity differences). The buying, whether auctions or elsewhere, collating and describing each book is all very familiar, but it seems like more work goes into promoting your stock and creating a customer base whereas we sell on the major online marketplaces and don’t need to self-promote. My main curiosity is how you go about pricing, especially if there are no other comparable copies on the market at the time. Maybe a future video? I often notice rare book specialists price higher than I would in my shop - perhaps because of reputation and building that customer base?

[@tomwayling]

Good to meet you! I think your questions are best answered in a longer video, but the short form answers are: I price books based on historic market data, sometimes stretching back over 100 years, based on comparable copies and examples I have personally handled, and based copies that are either currently on the market or that have recently sold. With some books and manuscripts there are no recognisable comps and a more holistic approach is needed. Re: selling, I try to work closely with collectors and institutions as they build and develop their collections, so much of what I buy is directly for them and can be offered straight to them. Other material either gets added to my website, or is offered in catalogues. ☺️📜

[@peterlawson8563]

As a dyed in the wool Tolkien fan, I hadn’t realised that my early editions of the Silmarillion, unfinished tales etc. would be considered rare. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and because of our population and distance from the centre of gravity that is Europe, we have remarkably few antiquarian booksellers for a city of more than 5 million. I know of only one in the centre of the city - Kay Craddocks, which has often been a refuge to browse in. I too would like to see this sort of video every once in awhile, a fascinating insight into the mechanisms of an antiquarian bookseller

[@michaelwain58]

More of this please. I found it absolutely fascinating to see your day-to-day life. Thank you!

[@moi1310]

Fun to watch and get an insight into the work!

[@Banquet...]

Very interesting! I recently started buying original paintings from auctions - almost all for under £100 and many dating back over 100 years. I find that fascinating and choosing where to hang them in the house. Now I've stumbled upon your wonderful channel I feel tempted to get into books as well. In the case of books though, I wouldn't have a clue what value they would have.

[@kathilisi3019]

My grandfather collected old fairy tales and had about 800 books on his collection when he died. My father started collecting books by G.K. Chesterton in the 1980s. I once accompanied him on a book hunt in Hay-on-Wye. I'd never seen so many antiquarian bookshops in one town before. When he retired, he moved to a new house and had a library custom-built, with moving shelves to fit more books. He's now stopped acquiring more books and is looking into selling his collection, because he would like to pass it on to someone who is as enthusiastic about these books as himself. I love his library, but I'm not the collector that he is. I know this may seem quite off-topic to your video, but the bookshelves and talking about antiquarian books reminded me of my dad's library and book hunts. I'm feeling quite nostalgic. I love your enthusiasm.

[@linnulman5883]

Don't think I could see enough of watching your work and your knowledge and passion at work. More, please!

[@benjoconnor]

Amazing video idea!! Great work Tom.

[@tomwayling]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Keeping_IT_Simple]

Wonderful video .. Would love to see more like this .... Hope green soon exceeds red !

[@tomwayling]

I’ll try to! It’s difficult to remember to film everything I’m doing for a video like this, but if people enjoy I can definitely try and get better at it!

[@RossParker1877]

Tom, the highlight of a Sunday

[@tomwayling]

Glad you like it!

[@angelawesneski5029]

This is such a fun peek behind the curtain. I'd love more like this!

[@timalley3906]

It was so cool being able to get a "behind the scenes" look at your work. Keep it up! This is great content 👍

[@PatGilliland]

Nice to know that the Unfinished Tales I picked off of a remainder shelf is worth something. Unfortunately that is offset by the realization that Poems and Stories exists in a deluxe edition.

[@punipunistuff]

Yes please, I'd like more behind the scenes videos like this one :) Very interesting

[@tomwayling]

More to come!

[@kayak1981]

Oh I really liked this video. Getting to see how much you spend against earnings is fascinating. I cheer you on the whole way! I hope all your books sell!

[@tomwayling]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it

[@dlh369]

Excellent video. Enjoyed the 'day in the life' aspect. Bravo!

[@aadamtx]

Very cool. Just returned from Dallas on a non-rare book buying mission for our used bookstore, but I didn't find anything extraordinary this time. That bookstore you visited on your trip is on my "to-do" list, but I won't have time to head over there on my trip to London and Oxford next month. But best of luck on ending up in the black with the new purchases, and let's see more behind-the-scenes videos when you get the time.

[@Liberal.Linda.]

I love behind-the-scenes videos, so please do keep making them! Very enjoyable. Thank you.

[@retrogamedreamer8761]

Just found this channel by pure chance and enjoying it immensely.

[@jackieking1522]

Our local bookfair have just called their twice yearly effort to a halt as the council have kicked them out of their storage space. So 20,000 + assorted volumes have gone by skip to the landfill. ( Council wouldn't even give them a hall hire to do a come and take what you want. )

[@mtg1887]

Tom, these day-in-the-life videos are always a joy to watch! Curious to know how important social media is when selling books or generating interest for them. Also, I would love to know the biggest difference between going solo and working in an established bookstore.

[@tomwayling]

Good questions! To be honest it’s really hard to measure the impact of things like social media, but it definitely helps, and even if it didn’t I would still make content to share the world of rare books with a wider audience! Both forms of working with books have their perks! I might do a Q&A if I hit 100k subscribers and I can go into more detail on these questions then!

[@KiwiExpressCream]

@@tomwayling 100k subscribers? Not long to go!!!

[@robertdiamond2830]

Loved your video and I have to add, what a fantastic life you lead. As a book lover myself, i do so much envy your life with books. brilliant.

[@svadai2548]

Honestly I loved this video, please make some more in this style in the future.

[@tomwayling]

I’ll try to! It’s been hard to figure out the sort of content to share, but people seemed to enjoy this format!

[@Bluegoespewpewpew]

What an incredible journey, thanks for taking us along :)

[@mariadange06]

Yes enjoyed this breakdown of your trading in books. You look so young yet so knowledgeable, it would be interesting regarding your journey into the rare books world. You have a nice speaking voice and think you could do audio books - if you found the time in your busy schedule.

[@MBHpowers]

Ahhh I belive I have found my new comfort channel

[@jjose99889]

I love this type of video Tom. We definitely need more in the future!

[@fuizenfred]

Thank you for sharing a “behind the scenes” perspective. One of my collecting passions years ago was miniature Bibles. I was told that they were sometimes put in coat pockets along with the owner’s hands on the way to church in horse-drawn buggies. Winters in the Northeast USA can be very cold.

[@ThreeLetterChop]

I'm sure it's work to vlog in this way, but the earnest mix of business done with enthusiasm and your general excitement to share your knowledge is very watchable. Also, I have absolutely missed out on that Quran, I'm miffed I was too slow to see it because that is such an incredible object. I've been looking for a copy of the India paper version of the lord of the rings you mentioned in a previous video as well. I cannot get over the fineness of the paper and how tidy and small they are comparatively. It's too cool.

[@user-re1hy6if7d]

I enjoyed this post very much and hope you share more of them. On my few visits to the UK so far, I've always visited bookshops, especially used and antiquarian, and never come away without books I could not possibly find in the US. I'm more a voracious reader (including of old books!) than a true collector....most people who see the book covered walls in our house insist I have "too many" books (no such thing is possible!!) If I ever have another chance to visit the UK, I hope to find where you are and visit your shop.

[@rosettiwrites]

Loved the quick look inside the bookshop, I could spend a week in there!

[@tomwayling]

It’s worth a visit if you’re ever in the area!

[@jonathan99399]

Yes! More please! So peaceful.

[@archiecollins3714]

Great video. Please do more of this. Maybe as a weekly behind the scenes series?

[@aureaphilos]

Your Kipling purchase caught my attention because Rudyard Kipling’s home in southern Vermont, "Naulakha", is only about an hour from my home. A nice little Venn overlap!

[@MoonsRareBooks]

Fascinating. Well done.

[@tomwayling]

Thank you Reid!

[@orzelgryf]

This is giving me a feeling of all those auction tv programs, just better, cause I know it's real. 😆 I will gladly see more of this, even if I'm definetely not a potential customer - my library contains about 1500 mass printed books, you wouldn't even consider touching 😂

[@KenDay]

Really enjoyed this Tom. so interesting to see some of the back office work!

[@maryannec.moravec6289]

Bravo! Amazing video. I enjoy the behind the scenes glimpse into your world

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

I'm curious as to whether you've ever had the Lord of the Rings Danish edition illustrated by the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II. Apparently she was very interested in the books and in archaeology, and Tolkien was very interested in Bronze Age Eastern Jutland, and they even became friends over it! I've been looking for a copy (first edition is desirable, but quite rare), but they come up so rarely these days...😓

[@iainroebuck6742]

What fabulous post, Tom. I wish I had known about the Arabic poetry gem you had fir sale. I live in Riyadh and slowly building up my collection of regional books and maps.

[@tomwayling]

Thank you! And do join up to my mailing list as I deal in plenty of similar books

[@iainroebuck6742]

@@tomwayling certainly will. I assume I sign up via your website.

[@Carl_DenTandt]

Very good video and very informative in what you do. Thank you for bringing us along

[@Bunkerhillburning]

Tom, fascinating behind the scenes video - really hope we see more of these from you. A question for you: are you seeing younger people at the book fairs? I'm in my late 50s and when attending book fairs, antiquarian paper shows, antique shows etc. I try to see who is in attendance. I see a lot of older people but always hope to see younger people who have interest as without them the future for antique books and antiques in general isn't bright.

[@KeiPalace]

Thanks so much Tom!

[@tomwayling]

My pleasure!

[@cdanderly1]

Very interesting video, and I hope to see more content like this!

[@Gordo3958]

Brilliant. Absolutely fascinating.

[@MrJoaquin14]

Great video.

[@kevjg4889]

Have you ever been to Wigtown (scotlands book town)? Would love to see a vlog of you visiting there!

[@shaneskaalerud3371]

4:24 that is a heck of a lot of money. Just to buy books. Of course they're very old. And decent condition. So I suppose yes. First time learning this.

[@scjs99]

Really interesting video Tom!

[@KristineMaitland]

Interesting video, Tom. Seeing The Silmarillion made me smile as Canadian Guy Gavriel Kay assisted in the editing of the book. I've been crossing paths with Guy since the 1995 when I interviewed him for an article (grin - the things one does for a free book, in this case The Lions of Al-Rassan ). Looking forward to future videos. More on your career as an antiquarian bookseller would be lovely. Cheers from Toronto, Canada.

[@TerryMarsh2024]

Yes, I would very much like to see more videos like this in the future. Tom

[@Why_Contain_lt]

would love to see more of you sourcing books

[@roadrunnercrazy]

This was so interesting! Would love to see more behind the scenes content.

[@puddlejumper021]

Wonderful video!

[@tomwayling]

Thank you very much!

[@Ozgipsy]

Outstanding. I’m going to enjoy this.

[@WeirdWonderful]

Would absolutely love to see more videos like this !

[@tomwayling]

I’ll do it again then!

[@oevilone]

I really enjoyed this!!

[@Dave_S]

I really enjoyed this video. Thanks.

[@sp4rtavus244]

Oh yes, I would love to see more of this content.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Now this is how social media is rightfully used for business and I hope you'll have the financial success and the best recognition that you deserve for this industry. Also, don't push yourself too much and do get some rest and sleep.

[@willardroad]

What fun to follow your journey and process! I appreciate all the other books, but you had me at P. G. Wodehouse - I'm a huge fan. What I would like, if you haven't done it already, is a video about how you handle, rate, and grade books that have some damage. A few books you showed us have spots and blotches, and I wonder what you do in those cases. If you have already done this, perhaps you could share a link?

[@michaelcarney6103]

This was really great! I would love to see more behind-the-scenes on book purchasing! I'm new to collecting. Any tips for keeping up with book selling events in the London area?

[@harbard_berserkr2952]

Very nice score. The only version of the Hobbit I have is the gold 50th anniversary edition still in the plastic. It has never been opened. It's not the most valuable but I can't bring myself to unwrap it.

[@tomwayling]

Maybe the answer is to find a second copy that somebody else has opened already!

[@harbard_berserkr2952]

@@tomwayling haven't seen one anywhere, say for eBay. I remember reading it before watching the old cartoon movie back in elementary school.

[@RoulinBrooks]

Have you got a copy of Landor's Imaginary Conversations? I think there are several volumes. I want the one with the Greek conversations. If it contains a dialogue between Aesop and Rhodope, that will be the volume I want.

[@PaulShearn-de3px]

Liked the video,can you keep as updated on the sales.

[@tomwayling]

That's the plan!

[@LuftpolsterManu]

i love it, please more this kind of content

[@tomwayling]

Will try to!

[@LuftpolsterManu]

@@tomwayling I would also be interested how long it takes you to check one book?!

[@nicky_bee]

Hi Tom, great content. It would help if you add a link to your website in the description box 😊

[@lynnemaclean7201]

Great video 😊 Very interesting. I would like to see more. I really enjoy your channel. Thank you. As an afterthought, anything about children’s books?

[@davidsault9698]

Years ago I found a small book biography of Cardinal Mazaran of France in french in our small local library. It was over 100 years old and had never been read. I knew that because the pages had never been cut and it would have been impossible to read the book like that.

[@Dracke1769]

Tom, your videos are truly wonderful, it makes me want to purchase old books for my collection. like, get more expensive book then whzt i usually find in flea markets

[@robertawalsh2995]

You may be surprised what you can find in flea markets if you know what to look for. 0:56 Too many people who sell books (not proper book dealers) don't perform this step. I have more than one book in my collection that I was delighted to find had been signed by the author although the seller hadn't noticed.

[@Dracke1769]

@@robertawalsh2995 as a matter of fact, something similar had happened to me. Not in a flea market, per se, but in a second hand book store, i had purchased nice comic book that I realized was signed by the author with a really nice drawing of the main character

[@guyburgwin5675]

I recently found out Goodwill sells more books than just about anybody in America. I was wondering how they could sell so cheap. Free inventory, no tax.

[@kittymervine6115]

perhaps you have shown how to clean books, or should you clean them? I just use a super soft brush, but should I even be doing that. What would one do to clean a stain that might truly need to be cleaned?

[@DigitalDiggingNet]

Thanks for the Adam Smyth clip - I've now ordered it - sounds fascinating.

[@tomwayling]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@darger3]

Loved that

[@mrstephenpariah]

Yes, more of this please. I'd be interested to know more about trends and speculation. You could possibly ease up on the background music a bit.

[@Bourne1984]

One of your best. I’m so tempted by the TY Hobbit, I have a first ed. deluxe of the hobbit. Could make a great shelf buddy.

[@tomwayling]

Drop me an email and I’ll do you a deal ☺️

[@Bourne1984]

@@tomwayling I’ll sleep on it. Thanks. Love the content and congratulations on flying solo.

[@Elentirion]

Loved seeing this! Are there any books that you've found yourself not wishing to part with given their personal appeal to you?

[@terryl858]

Thanking you

[@yogibear6363]

Interesting auction process. Can you go into detail about your routing number and account numbers? And maybe your passwords? HE HE HE j/k Very interesting video.

[@lebronzejames]

More please!

[@kurjan1]

Fantastic video thank you. I would love to see a video where you discuss the contrast between a book collector and a book seller. I'm not convinced the two can co-exist?

[@tomwayling]

I have a very, very niche private collection that isn’t for sale. That vast majority of books I handle I sell

[@carolinepierson6776]

Great watch. Really enjoyed it. The only thing that concerns me is your exhaustion and do you ever get to see your spouse?

[@tomwayling]

It's tiring work and long hours, but it's what I need to do to get the business going and providing for our family. Luckily I work at home so my wife and daughter are always close at hand

[@kieranwade1340]

The world of book antiquarianism is so fascinating

[@thundermorphine]

Keep the videos coming! And please don't feel like a sell-out if you accept any sponsorship to finance this channel.

[@meursault7030]

Man, I think you're actually doing the one job in the world that I'd actively enjoy. Also, it was quite jarring to see you drive a normal, sensible car and not some kind of coal-powered vaulted carriage.

[@tomwayling]

I had to lend my horse-drawn cart to a local wizard 🧙‍♂️

[@meursault7030]

@@tomwayling 😂

[@movingpicutres99]

For hands-free cataloguing you might like dictation software.

[@thomaslesser9708]

Watching from the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina USA. Like the "behind the scenes video." Perhaps it is difficult to estimate, but approximately how long does a book stay in your inventory.

[@alexkerridge]

Oh my god! I second guess myself when I buy second hand books on eBay for £38!!

[@meggriffen1]

This was intense, slightly scary but very interesting!

[@marcgoulding5230]

Really interesting look at what you do. I always really enjoy your videos. I've got a few questions that I hope are not too invasive or ignorant. 1] How do you price a given book? 2] What books do you keep in your own collection, and do not sell? 3] How many languages do you read? Again, appreciations for your posts.

[@tomwayling]

Great questions! I price books based on historic data that goes back over 100 years, based on other or similar items I have handled, and based on current market comparables or ones that have recently sold. I keep a small private collection of books about the town of St Andrews in Scotland. Everything else I buy to sell. I’m not a very talented linguist. I can get by decoding (rather than reading comfortably), French, German, and Turkish, but am very slow. I’m not conversationally fluent in any language though

[@marcgoulding5230]

@@tomwayling Thanks so much! I expected that there is some industry-standard set of metrics for the pricing that I wasn't aware of. I have been to Scotland, but not to St. Andrews - this was in 1989, so much change I expect. I asked about language in part because I've mentally committed to reading a recent novel in French, but I'm terribly rusty so I predict it'll be a slog. Thanks again for your thoughtful answer!

[@stuartwiner7920]

That was a lopsided week. I hope next week has a bit more in the green column.

[@tomwayling]

It’s how it goes sometimes, and I actually had some more sales come in after I finished editing the video which rebalance affairs a bit. That said I did go out this morning and buy more books 😂

[@JayeCole]

I would absolutely love to own a copy of Tove Jansson’s Hobbit. ❤️🇸🇪 Jag pratar svenska men jag kan bara hitta den boken på finska (modern kopia). Thanks for the BTS - always fun to see behind the curtain!

[@tomwayling]

It’s so beautiful! Hard to do it justice in a video

[@camiloruizcastellar4740]

how do you get rid of the dust inside books? I have an aggressive allergy to dust, Sometimes it prevents me from reading my older books, I stuff them on boxes with probably does not help, I guess I'll buy shelves when I have my own place, or just leave then in piles on the middle of the living room

[@matweb8195]

Just come back from 'Firsts', some a m a z i n g odds 'n ends for sale. Look forward to next year!

[@tomwayling]

It’s such a great fair! Hopefully I’ll be exhibiting there next year ☺️

[@bluegoose7832]

I've only just started watching your videos so maybe you're fine with this or you're filming from a shop or something, but you showed a map on your phone with houses behind you, which could give away where you live if someone is dedicated enough... if your collection is at home, I'd imagine that it'd be devastating if someone tried to break in. Just thought that might be a bit risky since your collection looks very expensive.

[@tomwayling]

I’m conscious of this - I moved the starting point on the map away from where I actually was

[@aslannouveau]

Just bought Adam Smyth's book off the back of this video haha.

[@GuyIncognito575]

Is 26% a normal buyer's premium at book auctions? My corner of the collecting world typically ranges from 10 - 15%.

[@tomwayling]

Yeah here buyers premium generally ranges between 20% and 30% depending on the auction house

[@kermit1096]

Wow