I also bought another piece: A Hudson Valley Volunteer Fireman’s Association book on the #8th Annual Convention Proceedings held at Poughkeepsie in June, 1927. I’ll admit I paid a lot more for this one. Math wizards already know I paid $12.50.

The entire process is very easy. I use my Octavo MatchMaker account on Æ, $17.50 a month or $199.50 a year. This subscription lets me create KEYWORDS that are searched against eBay listings. Æ checks once a day and reports all matches in my MatchMaker account. When I click on any “match” it opens a pop-up window in the upper left hand corner of my computer screen. If it’s of interest I scroll to the bottom of the MatchMaker screen and click on ABE and enter some details about this piece to see if it’s for sale there. The ABE screen opens in the lower right corner of my screen. If it logically could be in the ÆD I then click on “AED Quick Check” and this opens a window in the lower left corner. I learn plenty if the book is in the ÆD and I learn something if it is not. Pricing history is very helpful. What has been said and who said it are important. But I particularly love the book that should be there and isn’t. Many sellers think that books that aren’t mentioned in primary reference sources are automatically unimportant. I buy many of them.

Having now done my research I’m now ready to bid. If the opening or continuing bids are below what this book, in the same or inferior edition and condition is selling for on ABE, I may make a bid. If the item is on ABEfor much less than the opening or current bid, and I like the book, I may negotiate with a seller on ABE.

Currently I’m using 19 keywords in my MatchMaker account and I can see that this number is going to increase. Almost every week I find more terms to try. I can delete Keywords at any time but I find I’m only adding, not editing. I’ll edit when I hit the maximum lines of keywords permitted in my subscription, 35 for Octavo, or I’ll upgrade to the next level – Quarto – and have one hundred Keywords to use. The cost will increase from $17.50 to $25.00 a month or $285 annually. I can, if I become an eBay junkie, actually use 200 keywords with a Folio subscription and two secretaries to manage my matches.