BISG Study Shows Rapid Growth of Online Book Sales
- by Michael Stillman
BISG survey of used book market is available for download.
By Michael Stillman
Looking back at news from the book world this past year, I ran across the BISG (Book Industry Study Group) survey of the used book world released in September. Most of you probably read about it, but just in case you didn't, it's worth a year-end review. Actually, it compares the two previous years, 2003 and 2004. However, barring some unimaginable turn of events, we suspect the pronounced trends spotted a year ago persist to the present. What it showed may not be that surprising, but the rate of change is. Let's take a look.
First a quick note about the BISG. It is a trade association consisting of retailers, publishers, librarians, and others involved in the trade. Generally, its interests would run more to new books, since this is still where the vast majority of business takes place. However, with the advent of online commerce and large used book selling sites, this segment of the trade has become of increasing interest. While their focus here is still more on the "used" segment, rather than the more valuable "collectible" section, the report is enlightening.
According to the BISG, 112.2 million used books were sold in 2004. This represented $2.2 billion in sales, an 11.1% rate of growth from 2003. About one-third of these books were in the field of education, essentially college texts. As anyone who has a child in college knows, these books are ridiculously expensive. The result is they represented the bulk of the dollar volume. The BISG pegged the average education book at $41, versus $15.50 for all others.
The BISG placed $1.57 billion of the used book sales in bookstores, compared to $609 million online. Library fairs and the like accounted for the remaining $46 million. However, while bookstores grabbed around two-thirds of the sales, the trend is in a different direction. Growth at bookstores was just 4.6%, and at "others" it was only 1%. However, online growth was an astounding 33.3%. The survey then notes were it not for growth in sales of used books at college bookstores, bookstores would actually have seen a year-to-year decline. There is clearly a major shift taking place, and we suspect this change continues unabated to the present.
The survey also stated that, excepting the education books, average sales prices are "significantly higher" online, although it did not state by how much. Average price is an important point for booksellers to remember. Most think of online selling as a way to gather additional sales. Evidently, it is also a means of getting customers to spend more. Average order size is every bit as important as total number of books sold.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
