Each seller is different and has her/her own style, but...

...why would they not do the little clean up things I do?

I get them in with pencil prices from the past, leftover glue from tags that Goo Gone takes off in a minute, dirt on the DJ that a little water removes. These things aren't big things, but I just can't let a book go out of here sticky, dirty, or marked in any way that be cleaned up nicely, completely and without harming the book or DJ.

I'm not talking about just buying a book from them to read, I'm talking about buying their stock they're liquidating and had on their shelves for sale.

That's like when I mail a craft booklet or magazine or oversized softcover children's books, I put them in a plastic bag with a piece of cardboard and then use a rigid mailer. That's just to protect the item I mail from the postal gorillas. (Many other bookdealers prefer to call them postal elephants, so maybe I'm kinder than you think...)

Part of the booksellers overpack and it takes me some time to get to the actual book, some don't pack enough. Some have the books they offer in the condition they offered them - others don't.

I've gotten so I keep a mental list of those who disappoint me - I won't be buying from them again.

I guess I'm probably just a bit too anal rententive, but I want my books clean and in as good a shape as they can be for their age/use.

I think the bottom line is that I love books and want to preserve the ones I buy for years to come!