Best Sites |
Description |
Accolades |
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AbeBooks www.abebooks.com |
Forbes Review:
"No need to hound small bookstores for that out-of-print find. An online network of hundreds of indie booksellers, this site ranks up there with Bibliofind and Alibris as the place to go when searching for that rare hardcover. Type in "Truman Capote" to get a list of first editions of Breakfast at Tiffany's in various conditions. Although books are searchable by title, author, keyword and publisher, the inability to get results by price can make searching a bit difficult. And be careful, this site is best if you know exactly what you want: you won't find much in terms of plot description here. BEST: Locate a bookseller by browsing the alphabetical listings or searching by location. WORST: Irrelevant links: Testing your Romance IQ, for example." |
Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00 |
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Alibris www.alibris.com |
Forbes Review: "Claiming they’ll
find the "books you thought you’d never find," we have no
reason to argue. Wonderfully designed Alibris taps into the world of used
and out-of-print books with a depth that makes Barnes & Noble and
Amazon seem shallow. Plug in a title or browse through their many sections
and subsections. Great extras include articles, such as on how to care for
your rare books, newsgroups and a glossary of book terms.
BEST: Want to see that first edition copy of The Sun Also Rises yourself? Check out the directory of thousands of small and independent booksellers plus a link to Mapquest." WORST: Offers no reviews and details on editions and formats can be distressingly thin." |
Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00 |
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Forbes Review: "Like an old college professor with a little style, the content of this site remains steadfast even after 50 years. Sellers can post their listings for free, which means no markup in the price. Buyers can use both the online catalogs or direct links to the seller's Web sites. Search by publisher, title, and currency, even when the book was added to the database. The Collector's Corner answers all your collecting questions. BEST: Accurate listings and authenticity guaranteed by the sellers. WORST: You have to be a member to access the entire site." |
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Forbes Review: "Children's classics from the 1890s to the 1960s have found a new generation of readers. Parents and grandparents that want to share their favorite edition of the Bobbsey Twins or Nancy Drew can find them on the Book Safari. However, they're going to have to search their memories and not the Web site for the actual title of the book, because there's no search engine. BEST: The full-color gallery of dust jackets evokes years of childhood memories. WORST: Can only order by e-mailing the site with your request." |
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Forbes Review: "This site offers so many book lists that there's an entire section called "List Madness". Whether it's the Twenty Best Books List, Staff Picks - searchable by subject or employee, or Readers' Picks, you'll definitely find some unexpected titles. Powells.com, the online arm of Oregon's celebrated new-and-used bookstore chain, offers literary news and interviews, usually conducted when author's pass through for signings, that are substantial and smart. BEST: Has that friendly small bookstore feeling: "Just one more click and you'll be standing in front of our shelves!" WORST: New books are generally full price." EW review: "All right, so maybe you won't be taking advantage of their annual blowout on Springer-Verlag scientific-mathematics books, but this Portland, Ore., independent bookstore is renowned Web-wide for its oodles of affordably priced used, rare, and antiquarian books. Offerings range from the futuristic (palmtop-ready downloadable eBooks) to the historical (a signed U.K. first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird) And, hey--that four-volume Practical Blacksmithing set could be perfect for Dad. A" |
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| Sotheby's www.sothebys.com |
Forbes
Review: "First, Sothebys.Amazon.com. Now Sothebys.com.
What’s the difference? Mostly price. Both offer art, antiques, and
collectibles, but Sothebys.com projects a slightly more upscale image.
With prices ranging from a few hundred bucks to tens of thousands,
Sothebys.com offers a decidedly mixed bag of antiques and collectibles. A
rare Frank Lloyd Wright chair and mint-condition Chippendale desk mingle
with stuff that looks as if it was culled from Grandma’s summer cottage.
There are some gems here: Among minor (and surprisingly affordable)
autographed papers by presidents and confederate generals lurked a
hand-written Einstein manuscript on unified field theory. We saw a late
19th-century Edison Universal Stock Ticker, estimated at $12,000 to
$18,000. For the cream of Sotheby’s offerings, you’ll still need to
purchase catalogs of its live auctions. Online versions of these
publications are incomplete and, for now at least, without illustrations.
BEST: Sothebys.com’s educational connoisseur guides. WORST: The exceptions to its authenticity guarantee, for instance: "The Authenticity Guarantee does not apply to the authorship of Chinese and Japanese paintings, regardless of the date of creation." |
Forbes Selection in Best of the Web Forbes 9-11-00 |
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