Books Increase In Value

[The Judge]

I was at a used bookstore yesterday looking for handicapping books, saw one of Mike Helms books, it had gone up in value about $4 not a fortune to be sure but something. The book was autographed. I took my books to the various seminars and have autographs of all the major handicappers including Wm L. Scott , Howard Sartin and Dick Mitchell. The heck with betting at the track I going for the sure thing!

[timtam]

Is William Scott still alive??

[BillW]

Is William Scott still alive??
No

[Tom]

Met him in Baltimore - at a Sartin seminar, the one wehre the hotel caught fire!:lol:

Real nice guy, he was a guest speaker. Gave us a contender selecitn method using Beyer, which were failly new to most back then.

Quickly - take the best of last two Beyers - us tthe three higehst for contenders. Next, look at the rest of the races three back and older, and use the three highest Beyers from those for contenders. You will have 3-6 contenders.

That's it. I used that method for several years with good results.

[formula_2002]

bought this one new about 12 years ago for $60.00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0123330300/qid=1149180764/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0571045-2495962?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

[The Judge]

Holly Crap I'm rich! I think I have that book I think. I have to go off campus and look. I was at a DR Z seminar for Breeders Cup that was at Hollywood Park (the last time it was held there) I had no idea about the seminar I just luck out at stayed at that hotel had I known I could have gotten my book autographed.

And to think if I died all my stuff would go into the trash. Not now wait until the wife sees this. I was investing all along.

[Macdiarmadillo]

Since most of my books have been bookmarked with a PBJ sandwich or something, I figure they're not worth much.

[Dave Schwartz]

Dang!

I have 2 copies. One of them will be on Amazon in a heartbeat! LOL

(Okay, maybe by Monday.)

Dave

[formula_2002]

Dang!

I have 2 copies. One of them will be on Amazon in a heartbeat! LOL

(Okay, maybe by Monday.)

Dave

Wonderful, now read the other one!! :)

[Dave Schwartz]

Yes, I wouldn't want to sell the wrong one.

[WJ47]

Since most of my books have been bookmarked with a PBJ sandwich or something, I figure they're not worth much.

LOL, me too! I'm really hard on my books. I fall asleep reading them and drool and roll on them all night.

[linrom1]

Those Amazon book prices are a total joke. I often see used books offered at $100-300 that you couln't give away for free. I have a whole collection of WWII books that a used book dealer would sell to me for 50% of its original value which would come to less than $20 for most of them:those same books are offered at more than $150 at Amazon.

I once saw a used book that I searching for offered at $180, I bought a brand new one from Borders for $60.

[cj]

Anyone ever tracked down a copy of "Good Vibes" at a decent price? It is what "Let It Ride" is based on, by Jay Cronley.

[Achilles]

CJ,

Check Alibris for Good Vibes. Prices start at $159 and go up to ten times that amount!!!

Jack

[The Judge]

How much for your copy of Efficiency Of Racetrack Markets... Oh I see you don't have a copy of this $849 book! Hey never interupt a dream.

[Dave Schwartz]

LOL, me too! I'm really hard on my books. I fall asleep reading them and drool and roll on them all night.


So, that is where those marks in my books come from...

[Tom]

I have a copy of last week's TV Guide - 20 bucks, first offer!

[linrom1]

How much for your copy of Efficiency Of Racetrack Markets... Oh I see you don't have a copy of this $849 book! Hey never interupt a dream.

No, I don't have a copy but l'll give $21.99 to the first person that offers it for sale to me. You also have to pay the shipping cost on this hefty volume and I also want 90 day money back guarantee. In a free market economic system, value is determined by what one wants to pay for it.

[Dave Schwartz]

We will have one copy for sale - my wife has an Amazon store - but the price will be significantly higher. Perhaps $199.


Dave Schwartz

[Red Knave]

Anyone ever tracked down a copy of "Good Vibes" at a decent price? It is what "Let It Ride" is based on, by Jay Cronley.Set up a 'Favorite Search' on ebay. I have been trying to collect works by Damon Runyon and have gotten every one that I was looking for (except a first edition of his first volume, Guys and Dolls (very rare)) this way. They email you when an auction comes up so you'll have to wait and then you'll have to pounce if you really want it, but they come along eventually. And you can decide how much is a decent price.

[The Judge]

Hell I don't have the book either I may have been thinking of "Race Track Betting " (The Professor's Guide to Strategies 1986). Then again maybe I did have the book, Dave's got two, could it be???

[Tom]

I'm pretty sure I have that one and the Ziemba book - both originals.
I'll look in the archives Monday.

[Dave Schwartz]

Dang, just when I thought we had the market cornered.

<G>

[WJ47]

I actually sell books in my eBay store. I only carry new titles, brand new books, unless I'm trimming some of my drool covered ones from my own collection. There is this one lady that kept buying the same book from me over and over again. I sell this particuliar book for $9.95 and its not a rare book, I can buy as many as I want from my distributor. So after she bought about 8 copies, I decided to investigate why she needed so many of this book. Well, it turns out that she's selling the same book in her eBay store and on Amazon (same user name for both sites) for $50! And apparently she's getting her price because she just ordered two more! :)

I always wonder when I see some of these books going for huge prices on Amazon and Half.com!

[highnote]

Holly Crap I'm rich! I think I have that book I think. I have to go off campus and look. I was at a DR Z seminar for Breeders Cup that was at Hollywood Park (the last time it was held there) I had no idea about the seminar I just luck out at stayed at that hotel had I known I could have gotten my book autographed.

And to think if I died all my stuff would go into the trash. Not now wait until the wife sees this. I was investing all along.


Judge:

2 things --

1. Funny you should mention that seminar at Hollywood Park - the year Skip Away won the Classic. My friend Nick Mordin and I produced that seminar. If you were there I hope you liked it. It would have been better if Cary Fotias would have spoken. He was supposed to, but his wife got sick and he had to cancel. We got his former partner to speak which was good, but it was a disappointment not having Cary there. Also, we were going to get Bruno De Julio to speak. That would have been really good. But one of the other speakers suggested someone else. That someone else was good, but Bruno, as anyone who has read his book knows, knows a lot.

2. I sell Dr. Z's "Efficiency of Racetrack Betting Markets" on my website for $200 (which includes shipping :jump: ). Dr. Z reaquired the rights to the books and printed up a bunch of them after they went out of print. He was the author of several of the papers in the book and he was also the editor. There is a lot of good stuff in that book. Lots of math, too, but even if you skip over the math you can get a lot of good ideas for handicapping.

[The Judge]

Always looking for Dr. Z live could never find him at any of the regular seminars DRF etc. have bought and enjoy alot of the Nick Mordin books. Keep us posted on any Dr. Z seminars there seems to be an interest on the board.

[highnote]

Always looking for Dr. Z live could never find him at any of the regular seminars DRF etc. have bought and enjoy alot of the Nick Mordin books. Keep us posted on any Dr. Z seminars there seems to be an interest on the board.


He was the keynote speaker this past May at the University of Kentucky Equine Law conference.

Before that, I can't remember the last time he spoke at a racing seminar. The last time he spoke might have been the Breeders' Cup seminar we did at Hollywood Park.

If he speaks again, I'll post it here on PA.

[facorsig]

How much for your copy of Efficiency Of Racetrack Markets... Oh I see you don't have a copy of this $849 book! Hey never interupt a dream.

I bought a copy last year on Amazon.co.uk for $49. Advertised as reverse bound manuscript copy. Photo copy would be more like it. I read cover to cover (using significant stimulants) and would not recommend this book. Highly academic and not practically oriented. I think I have posted a review on Amazon for the title.

[The Judge]

The title should tell you that this is not a normal type of handicapping book and there is going to be some math and yes may be some heavy math about to rear its ugly head. That is not the point the point is did "you" learn anything new! I don't think you need to dumb down books, just give clear examples. If a person is interested they can figure it out even if it means taking a Stats Course or getting a explaination from some other source. Read something new, try something new

[JoeLong]

In regards to Ziemba & Hausch's work, I would imagine we all have a copy of Dr. Z's Beat The Race Track, but I also have a copy of Betting At The Racetrack (ISBN 0-9690097-1-2) dated 1985, anyone hazard a guess at its worth? Can't find any reference to it anywhere.

[acorn54]

don't see why horse racing books cost so much when they are not money makers.
i had dr z's book which i gladly sold for $60. don't know why the guy wanted it since the system doesn't work.
acorn

[highnote]

don't know why the guy wanted it since the system doesn't work.
acorn


It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools. :D

$60 bucks sounds about right. An original in good condition might sell for more.

[The Judge]

I don't know how much it would be worth and I don't know if you want to sale it, but there must be a way to check on the internet. What about e-bay?

Just an aside I tried to on John Meyers I.T.S pace and volocity report ala. 1981 it started at$ 19.99 when I got into the action it was up to $32.00 I bid in increments of abuot $3-4 but as soon as I made my bid a message came up saying I was out-bid. So I guess you can set a high limit on an item and your bid is automatically raised until that limit is reached.When I stopped it was up to $42.00.

[The Judge]

Why did it work perfectly well in Dr.Z's hands?

[JimG]

In regards to Ziemba & Hausch's work, I would imagine we all have a copy of Dr. Z's Beat The Race Track, but I also have a copy of Betting At The Racetrack (ISBN 0-9690097-1-2) dated 1985, anyone hazard a guess at its worth? Can't find any reference to it anywhere.

That isbn (4 used copies available) is currently listed on Amazon for $59.95-$65.00

Jim

[Dave Schwartz]

Why did it work perfectly well in Dr.Z's hands?

Because Dr. Z was the only one using it? <G>


Dave

[The Judge]

I assume he used it after the book was published and others started to use it and it still worked. Then again I could be wrong others could have said it does'nt work and stopped. Dave I'm sure you've heard that enough for two life-times.

[acorn54]

well the simple reason drz is not applicable to today's parimutual system is because in the book it advised calculations of the pools 2 minutes to post time. in today's era the money sitting in the pools 2 minutes to post time do not come anywhere close to depicting an accurate appraisal of the parimutuel pools
acorn

[witchdoctor]

Dave, you are supposed to be on vacation and away from a computer.

[highnote]

well the simple reason drz is not applicable to today's parimutual system is because in the book it advised calculations of the pools 2 minutes to post time. in today's era the money sitting in the pools 2 minutes to post time do not come anywhere close to depicting an accurate appraisal of the parimutuel pools
acorn

Acorn,
You are right about the late money. The system is not as effective today as when I first started using it in the early 90's. However, it still works and the math is sound. There are certain tracks where it does not work. I've tried to figure out how to win at Northfield Park, but I keep losing there. So, for whatever reason, it doesn't work there. Maybe the Northfield bettors are not creating good win odds? At other tracks, it still works well and I have always relied on it for part of my betting profits. The hard part is finding out where it works and where it doesn't. Plus, it might lose for a month or two at a certain track and then start winning. So maybe there is some seasonality.

Also, if you add handicapping the system works even better.

All these factors together make it more difficult to win. However, everyone is in the same boat, so these things should equalize to some degree. At some tracks the pools are large enough to be accurate even 1 minute to post even though 30-50% or more money will come in before the race is official.

For me, it's good that people think it doesn't work and it's good that it's hard to win. The biggest factor is late money. What I try to do is get to know a track and understand the betting patterns at that track. After awhile you can tell when you bet will last and when it will disappear.

Wasn't that an old Dick Mitchell adage -- "Know thy track".

I think Aqueduct and Tampa are great places to bet the Dr. Z system -- no rebate money to compete against.

[Dave Schwartz]

Efficiency Of Racetrack Markets

Beth sold the book for $249.99.



Dave Schwartz

[highnote]

Efficiency Of Racetrack Markets

Beth sold the book for $249.99.



Dave Schwartz


Nice. :ThmbUp: