tomfolio.com -- A Novel New Way to Buy and Sell Books Online
Ranked #2,032 in Internet, #125,244 overall
Getting Booksellers to Agree on Anything Is Like Herding Cats
That's one reason that over 100 booksellers getting together to start a cooperative to sell their books on line is such an outlandish idea. Why do that when you can sell books at Amazon, Advanced Book Exchange, Alibris, and many smaller sites such as Biblio? After all -- all you have to do to sell on those sites is list or upload your books, pay the fees and commissions, and you're in business.
That's the trouble! You then become part of their business, are often told not to tell their customers about your store or put any of your own promotional material in the box.You become a cog in a very large wheel, and you are at the mercy of whatever decisions they make that affect you. They can, and often do, raise their fees and commissions, refuse to collect sales tax that you have to pay even if they don't collect it, and often don't raise shipping reimbursements when the post office raises rates. Many of us don't want to just drop ship to customers of other companies. We want to know and help our customers in a more personal way.
What If We Owned Our Own Site?
That was a novel idea!
But lots of booksellers were ready to entertain it. They started a discussion list to talk about it and plan. It's not as though you can just get a group together who live all over the world and come up with a name, a web site, and incorporate -- just like that. We all had ideas, and they were often different. What we did agree on was that we wanted to own our own site, make our own policies, maintain contact with our own customers, and not be able to sell out unless we all agreed. We wanted to maintain a high standard with a code of ethics all of us would adhere to. Of course, the devil was in the details.Independent booksellers are just that -- independent. Because of that, they are usually far from wealthy -- especially if selling books is their primary source of income. It takes money to incorporate, build a website from scratch, maintain a programmer, buy hardware, and keep the bills paid. I wasn't there at the very beginning, when the idea was first conceived in 1999. By the time I joined the discussion group, we already had The bylaws and our first elected board of directors.
Then we began to discuss the name we would like to have for our web site. When approximately a hundred independent booksellers come up with names they are attached to and they are all different, it becomes quite a feat to agree on just one. Some felt the name should have the word book in it someplace, since, we were, after all, booksellers.So we had suggestions like book planet , book world, and other such names. But none of the suggestions we got had that special zing to it that we could get excited about. We were trying to find the magic words that would define us to the world that incorporated words that described what we considered ourselves to be -- professional independent sellers of used, rare, and /or antiquarian books and Ephemera. But the name had to be catchy. It had to be unique. After a few weeks and hundreds of emails back and forth, we were almost beginning to think it would also be impossible -- to agree. Finally Bill McDonnell, on April 4, 2000,.suggested tomfolio. The immediate reaction was Tomfolio? What's that? Then someone explained that Tom Folio was a bookman spoken of in The Tatler, April 13, 1710, by Joseph Addison:
Tom Folio is a broker in learning, employed to get together good Editions, and stock the Libraries of great men. There is not a Sale of books begins till Tom Folio is seen at the door. There is not an Auction where his name is not heard, and that too in the very nick of time, in the critical moment, before the decisive stroke of the hammer. There is not a Subscription goes forward, in which Tom is not privy to the first rough draft of the Proposals; nor a Catalogue printed, that doth not come to him wet from the press. He is an universal Scholar, so far as the Title-page of all Authors, knows the Manuscripts in which they were discovered, the Editions through which they have passed, with the praises or censures which they have received from the several members of the learned world.
Footnote: The reference is to Thomas Rawlinson (1681-1725), a lawyer and bibliophile whose accumulation of books at his residence in Gray's Inn was said to have compelled him to sleep in a passageway. When Rawlinson's collection was sold at auction, it required sixteen sales over twelve years, each sale taking from two to four weeks.
Maybe we had reached the point where anything that seemed to be a book-related unique brand sounded good, but one by one we started agreeing that we liked the sound of it. It would make a short and sweet URL and tomfolio.com had a nice ring to it. There were still a few who didn't like it, but a majority voted for it, and it was adopted. We now had a web identity!
The picture is of Lee Kirk's bookstore cat, Lord Spike the Wonder Cat.
An interview with a tomfolio.com shareholder, Steve Ericson
Steve Ericson is a past president of tomfolio.com and he plays an active part in enhancing our site by showcasing selected images of featured books on our home page, changing them frequently. Tomfolio shareholders add all the content to the site.
What attracted you to tomfolio enough to invest in it?
Steve: I was concerned by the closing of book selling venues and the arbitrary
price increases which seemed to bear no correlation to either service or
increased sales on the survivor sites. In fact, as prices increased, sales
dropped off. Also, the assertion by these sites that all customers were
theirs, not ours. And I believed that a group of like-minded booksellers
forming a co-operative would be a sensible thing - a 'safe-haven'.
What do you like best about it now?
Steve: I like that TomFolio.com doesn't change the rules on me. It is
essentially the same today as it was when I joined. If anything it is
better because while the rules and fees have remained the same, the site has
increased it's usefulness through available features and increased customer
base. Also, when I get a customer through TomFolio.com, it is my customer,
who is free to contact me any way they wish and can pay in any way they
wish.
What would you like to see happen in the future ?
Steve:Ideally, I would like to see TomFolio.com be able to compete more
forcefully with the major bookselling sites. So, principally, I'd like to
see it increase it's customer base further while carefully increasing it's
dealer size. I'd like us to be the site where all booksellers aspire to be.
What attracted you to tomfolio enough to invest in it?
Steve: I was concerned by the closing of book selling venues and the arbitrary
price increases which seemed to bear no correlation to either service or
increased sales on the survivor sites. In fact, as prices increased, sales
dropped off. Also, the assertion by these sites that all customers were
theirs, not ours. And I believed that a group of like-minded booksellers
forming a co-operative would be a sensible thing - a 'safe-haven'.
What do you like best about it now?
Steve: I like that TomFolio.com doesn't change the rules on me. It is
essentially the same today as it was when I joined. If anything it is
better because while the rules and fees have remained the same, the site has
increased it's usefulness through available features and increased customer
base. Also, when I get a customer through TomFolio.com, it is my customer,
who is free to contact me any way they wish and can pay in any way they
wish.
What would you like to see happen in the future ?
Steve:Ideally, I would like to see TomFolio.com be able to compete more
forcefully with the major bookselling sites. So, principally, I'd like to
see it increase it's customer base further while carefully increasing it's
dealer size. I'd like us to be the site where all booksellers aspire to be.
Cute I Need More Books by booklovergifts
Design your own tote bags on zazzle.com
Some of our favorite tomfolio links
These links will help you to get to know tomfolio and its sellers better.
- Impossible-Accomplished
- This should be a lens in itself! Jim Lawton, one of the charter shareholders and founders of ABookCoop has been in since the beginning. He shares his eyewitness objective, but still lively, history of ABookCoop, better known now as tomfolio. Jim fills in many of the details I have omitted in my more subjective lens. After reading this, I decided to leave out much of what I was going to write about here, since Jim did such a thorough job of it. This article was published on our tomfolio wiki, which I will link to next.
- Tom Folio Wiki
- This is where you get to know us and see the difference between us and the large corporate sites. You will find out what some of us look like, what some of us do in our spare time, original works some of us have written, and even our favorite recipes. It's a record of many sellers who have passed our way, and a memorial to some who will never return. Many different sellers contribute to the wiki, just as they have to the site.
- Tom Folio Scans of Author Autographs
- Except for the book data base, which is taken care of by our programmer, the content of our site is provided by volunteers. Henry F. Hain III, of Antiques & Collectibles, Pennsylvania, has compiled this list of scans of author autographs with some help of those who submit their scans, so people can better judge the authenticity of autographed books
- Author Biographies
- Our Author Biographies Committee has gathered and posted the biographies of many different authors, written by our various members. The people who oversee this project are Cindy Byrne of The Old Bookshelf, in Scotland, and Hollis G. Bedell of HGBooks, in Pennsylvania. We hope to someday get a biography to match every autograph we have collected, but all of this is volunteer work done by busy booksellers when they have spare time.
- A Tour of the Garden of Gary Kirk
- Although Gary Kirk created this garden, his wife Lee, one of our tomfolio booksellers, also gets to enjoy it. I had the privilege of getting to walk through it myself when Lee and Gary hosted an annual shareholders meeting in 2008. You've never seen a garden quite like it. It's a place of beauty and peace.
Bumper sticker:Book lovers search tomfolio.com by barbsbooks
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Show your support for independent booksellers at tomfolio.
Important!
Why Tomfolio.com?
Tomfolio sellers can have direct contact with book buyers and answer their specific questions about specific books. They guarantee customer satisfaction or you get your money back. They will talk to you on the phone. They will help you find things in your area of interest they haven't listed yet. They really want to make their customers happy.
Current popular search links at tomfolio
- Browse tomfolio's gardening categories.
- Whether you need a book to solve a gardening problem or just need inspiration, you're sure to find what you need here.
- Browse the travel and adventure categories at tomfolio.com
- Whether you are planning a trip or just want to read about the travels of others, you will find unexpected offerings here, as well as what you are hoping to find.
Interview with Canadian author Farley Mowat
We will feature some of his books below.
I have decided to feature him this month because he's one of my favorite authors and he's an author for all seasons. If you've not yet read one of his books, you're missing a treat.
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Featured Books by Farley Mowat on tomfolio.com
Tomfolio has a wide selection of Farley Mowat books in stock. You should be able to find any of his titles in many different editions, and they will be described so that you will know exactly what you are getting. Every purchase made through tomfolio is guaranteed to be as described. Your satisfaction is also guaranteed. At the end of our featured books, you will find a link to the rest of our selection.
- Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat
Author: Mowat, Farley
Publisher: New York 1982
New with no dust jacket Bantam Books Later Printing Paperback 12mo 7" - 7½" tall; 192 pages; Reading level 7, for grades 12 and up. In this exciting adventure novel, two boys face a challenge many mountain men would not endure. Their canoe is destroyed in the rapids, and they find themselves stranded in the the Arctic wilderness with no food and no hope of rescue. They build an igloo, battle a huge grizzly bear, track savage wolves, and slaughter caribou for food and clothing. They tame two lost huskies who provide some companionship --and maybe even a way to get home
Heavy glazed white card wraps with B&W title and illustrations. 84 pages on quality glazed paper, illustrated with many historical B&W photos and portraits. A history of African-Americans in the Pacific Northwest from exploration and pioneer days through Civil Rights issues and the achievements of African-Americans in education, politics, business, and other endeavors, primarily in Oregon and Washington. Small rubs at spine ends, otherwise in clean, crisp condition. AMERICANA 5208 First Edition Paperbound Near Fine Condition Thin 4to - over 9¾" - 12" Amercana- Woman In The Mists. The Story of Dian Fossey and the Mountain Gorillas of Africa
Author: Mowat, Farley
Publisher: Warner Books New York 1987
VG-/VG- 1st Edition; 1st Printing Light wear to edges of book and DJ, name on ffep ; Includes color photographs; 8vo; 380 pp- Never Cry Wolf
Author: Mowat, Farley
Publisher: Dell Publishing 1972
12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall The incredible story of one man's adventures with a family of wolves in the Canadian wilderness. Pages yellowed, 176 pages Post Typically 1-2 days UK, 2-7 days Worldwide Paperback Good
Very Good in Very Good dust jacket First Edition; First Printing Hardcover Light wear; Dust Jacket light wear. Crisp hardcover. ; "brilliant contribution to the literature of the urban ghetto." ; 237 pages- Books by Farely Mowat on tomfolio.com
- This link will take you to a wide selection of Farley Mowat books in many different editions, described so that you will know exactly what you are getting. If you have any questions, you can contact the seller directly to get answers. Some of these exact books by the same sellers may be listed for more on other sites that charge sellers commissions. Tomfolio doesn't charge commissions to sellers, so they often have lower prices on tomfolio.com.
- The Great Betrayal: Arctic Canada Now
Author: Mowat, Farley
Publisher: Boston, Atlantic Monthly/ Little, Brown [1976]
191 p., photos, maps; 21 cm. Photos by Shin Sugino. "First American Edition." "In 1967, Farley Mowat published Canada North, hoping to inspire his fellow countrymen to take an aggressive interest in their Arctic and subarctic dominions. Now, ten years later, he indicts government and industry for the greed and lethargy that have steered the North toward a possibly irreversible ecological disaster. Presenting evidence that will enrage business and bureaucratic apologists, Mowat scourges the Canadian and multinational corporations who have colluded with federal, provincial and territorial governments."- Sea of Slaughter / Farley Mowat
Author: Mowat, Farley
Publisher: Boston, Atlantic Monthly Press, c1984
438 p., map., index, 24 cm. Bibliography: p. 406-415. The ecological damage to the seas off New England and the Maritime Provinces of the North Atlantic is told in detail. . Vg/ no dj.- The Grey Seas Under
Author: Mowat, Farley
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart Toronto 1958
First Canadian Edition Very good+ in dark blue cloth covered boards with bold silver colored text stamping on the spine and map end papers. There are no inscriptions, names, dates or book plates within this volume. In a very good- unclipped dust jacket with very shallow 1/8" chipping at the upper and lower edges of the spine area, light rubbing at the panel edges and folds and a slight discoloration of the upper fore corners of the panels due to a dampness stain which is more evident on the jackets verso side. (This dampness had no impact on the boards of the book or its end sheets.) A first edition without a cancel title leaf but showing the Little Brown stamp on the copyright page. If one enjoyed The Perfect Storm this is a must! The author narrates the 15 year history of a Deep-Sea salvage tug, Foundation Franklin, off the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia saving hundreds of ships from the perilous seas and treacherous coasts of the North Atlantic- Bay of Spirits A Love Story
Author: Mowat, Farley
Publisher: Carroll & Graf New York 2007
First US Edition Fine in blue and cream colored paper covered boards with bold gilt text stamping on the spine. In a fine, unclipped dust jacket. 360 pages of text followed by two pages of ads for other books by the author. Illustrated throughout with photographs.- Westviking: The Ancient Norse In Greenland and North America
Author: Mowat, Farley
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart Toronto 1965
First CN Printing Near fine in black cloth covered boards with light blue and gilt text printing on the spine with mild fading to the top edge of the text block. A small quarto measuring 9 1/4" by 6". In a very good+, unclipped dust jacket with very light rubbing and wear to the ends of the ends of the spine area and a short, 1/4" closed tear at the lower edge of the rear panel with a related crease. A first Canadian edition which is exceptionally difficult to obtain. Reprinted in the US by Little Brown in 1965 and in the UK by Martin Secker and Warburg in 1966 both of which followed the Canadian printing.
2011 Tomfolio Board of Directors and Officers
These are the current decision makers at tomfolio.com
These are the new members of the tomfolio.com Board of Directors for 2011.
Three-year terms
Samuel Hough - Owl at the Bridge
Henry F. Hain III
Those remaining from previous terms include
May Ellam of Appleby Books
Barbara Radisavljevic of Barb's People Builders
Arne Schaefer of Africana Books
Bette Feinstein of Hard-to-Find Needlework Books
Daryl van Fleet of Bibliomania
Alfred Post of Pella Books
Michael Chandley, Board Member of Cellar Story Books
This years officers are
President - Arne Schaefer
1st Vice President - Barbara Radisavljevic
2nd Vice President - Henry F. Hain III
Treasurer - May Ellam with Bette Feinstein as Asst Treasurer
Corresponding Secretary - Michael Chandley
Recording Secretary - Open
Three-year terms
Samuel Hough - Owl at the Bridge
Henry F. Hain III
Those remaining from previous terms include
May Ellam of Appleby Books
Barbara Radisavljevic of Barb's People Builders
Arne Schaefer of Africana Books
Bette Feinstein of Hard-to-Find Needlework Books
Daryl van Fleet of Bibliomania
Alfred Post of Pella Books
Michael Chandley, Board Member of Cellar Story Books
This years officers are
President - Arne Schaefer
1st Vice President - Barbara Radisavljevic
2nd Vice President - Henry F. Hain III
Treasurer - May Ellam with Bette Feinstein as Asst Treasurer
Corresponding Secretary - Michael Chandley
Recording Secretary - Open
Life is short- by xylina
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Featured tomfolio.com shareholder: Samuel Hough
We will have a rotating section of featured tomfolio booksellers so that you can get a better idea of who and where our shareholders are and what they sell. Maybe there's one near you. This week we will focus on Samuel Hough who owns Owl at the Bridge in Cranston, Rhode Island. You can see his store online here His specialties include architecture, history, antiques, art history, rare books, literature, music and more. See all of them at his website. Please vote in our brief poll about tomfolio.com
Some of you may never have heard of us before you read this. Others of you may be members. Please let us know how you found out about us.
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Now you know more than the average person about tomfolio.
Can you pass our quiz ?
That's right. There's a brand new quiz all about tomfolio. And you can just click this link to take the quiz while this is still fresh in your mind.Let us know how you do when you finish.
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Should independent booksellers give up in the face of competition?
Tomfolio shareholders don't think so.
We relish our independence, and even though we sometimes consider ourselves a small David in the face of the Amazon Goliath we are not quite ready yet to let Amazon have a monopoly. Ever wonder how low their prices will be after they drive their competition out of business? Ever wonder what will happen to companies who produce products they don't care to sell? Should any company have so much power? What do you think?
- Amazon's World Domination Plan
- The author of this piece is not a bookseller, but he still is one of their volume third party sellers and knows that by his participation he is competing against himself over the long haul.
What do you have to say?
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PaulOnBooks
Mar 29, 2011 @ 5:19 pm | delete
- Great idea and well done lens on tomfolio
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Lee Krik
Sep 1, 2010 @ 12:37 am | delete
- Tomfolio's new BOD is an outstanding group of independent booksellers who should bring fresh vision to a terrific site! What a note of cheer in an age of gloom over a genre that some say is doomed to die out - the printed book.
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Henryt Hain
Aug 31, 2010 @ 11:46 pm | delete
- Remember TomFolio was selected by the National Retail Federation & American Express for exemplary retail customer service practices in 2004 - and we are still going strong!
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Gloriousconfusion
Mar 29, 2010 @ 12:33 pm | delete
- Maybe you'll see me on Tomfolio too
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BarbRad
Mar 29, 2010 @ 1:06 pm | delete
- That would be wonderful. You can list books, Ephemera, and audio media. You can apply through the tomfolio site. Be sure and read the Code of Ethics, since all our sellers have to agree to it. Some sellers need to adjust their returns policy to be in compliance. Maybe we''ll see one of your items featured here someday soon.
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About the author
by BarbRad
BarbRad
In my life I've been student, public library clerk, English teacher in public school, elementary teacher in private schools,card buyer for Logos Bookstore... more »
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