Books, books, books!!! (But there's a hitch).

[andicap]

I am unloading most of my handicapping library --much to my dismay -- but its expensive to move books overseas.

Unfortunately I have neither the time nor inclination to mail them out, even if people reimburse me for postage. Besides, I want to unload the whole mess at once.
So there are two ways to buy (cheap!) my library (contents listed below)

1. Be in Saratoga next week (but tell me beforehand you want to buy the library so I don't lug them up for nothing.)

2. Live close to me in the northern burbs of New York City and come by.

Here are the books in absolutely NO particular order

-- handicapping magic -- pizzolla
-- kinky handicapping -- m cramer
-- Winning Horseplayer -- Beyer
-- Thoroughbred Cycles -- cramer
-- Handicapping by Example William Quirin
-- Fast Track to thorobred profits -- cramer
-- Value Handicapping -- Cramer
-- Form Points -- Hambleton
-- Handicapper's COndition book -- James Quinn
-- Dave Litfin's Expert Handicapping - by ...uh, Dave Litfin
-- Real Life Handicapping -- Dave Liftin
--- Odds Must be Crazy -- Ragazin/Friedman (it's hard to find).
-- Bet with the Best -- DRF Press (I got it for free, I just have to say that.)
- Pace Makes the Race -- Schmidt et al.
-- Thoroughbred Handicappign State of the Art -- Wm. Quirin
-- Figure Handicapping -- James Quinn
-- Modern Pace Handicapping -- Brohamer
-- Recreational Handicapping -- James Quinn
-- Eleven Winning Exacta Situations -- Cramer
-- Off the Charts -- Nick Borg (yes, you have to take it.)
-- Beyer on Speed
-- Handicapper's Stakes Festival -- James Quinn
-- Horse Traders -- Steve Crist (a very very good read on the breeding industry circa the 1980s but still very relevant today. Highly recommended.)
Im sure there are other little goodies in the pile and I'll list them as I continue to dig around my stuff.

How much you ask? I'll consider the best offer.

[Steve 'StatMan']

Would it be less expensive if you mailed them to your new overseas address?

[andicap]

Less expensive than what? Throwing them out or donating them to a library if I don't sell them? I mean if no one wants to PAY for them I'll gladly give them away rather than dumping them. You know how expensive it is to send books overseas by mail? It's $59 for 20 lbs.

We're selling more than half of our books in the house because of the expense of either mailing them or putting them on the boat. I'm keeping a handful for various reasons -- but that's another thread.

We could raffle them off at the tent I guess if people would buy chances to buy the collection with proceeds going to a racetrack charity like the disabled jockeys fund. Most people at the tent have probably read 80% of the books tho so I don't know if the demand would be there.

I was thinking a novice or semi-novice who wants to really dig into the hobby could pick them up pretty cheaply.











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[Dick Schmidt]

Andi,

You can ship books cheaply if you aren't in a hurry. When we came back from England, we had accumulated about 130 pounds of books. I found a freight shipping outfit and sent them by sea to LA. Cost abut $60 (ten years ago). If you think you will be there for a while, it might be worth checking out. It took us about 10 weeks to get our books, but we got them.

Anyway, you'll find lots of new books to buy. In a smaller village, you'll want to check out online services. There is Amazon UK of course, and also Oxford University runs a service that they claim can get any book in print in the English language (and many others as well). Have fun and stay in touch. I really want to hear how you are settling in.

Dick

"No matter where you go, there you are." Buckaroo Banzai

[andicap]

I've gotten a bid of $200 for all the books plus shipping costs.

Since i've agreed to ship my books to this bidder it's only fair i extend the offer to everyone here not just those who will be in Saratoga or live near me.

I am happy to get rid of them no matter how cheaply I could mail them to England because I don't really refer back to them much anymore. And our house in the UK does not have as much space for bookcases.

Anyway, I am keeping a handful of books for a variety of reasons

1. Handicapping Speed -- Carroll. I just bought it.
2. Pedigree Handicapping -- Lauren Stich. I want to go back and see how well her predictions fared.
3. Betting Thoroughbreds -- Davidowitz. The Bible of the business in terms of all-around handicapping.
4. Speed to Spare -- Cardello . I was one of the few to really enjoy this book and I return to it on occasion since I'm highly interested in form cycles.
5. Blinkers on -- Cary Fotias. He's a bloody handicapping genius and return to this on a regular basis. One of the best handicapping books ever.
His methods translate fairly well to other pace services -- or so I've found with HTR and CJ's figures. Not an automatic bet but a great heads up for a possible odds play.

I do not have the original Quirin book or I would have probably kept that one as well.

[andicap]

Andi,

You can ship books cheaply if you aren't in a hurry. When we came back from England, we had accumulated about 130 pounds of books. I found a freight shipping outfit and sent them by sea to LA. Cost abut $60 (ten years ago). If you think you will be there for a while, it might be worth checking out. It took us about 10 weeks to get our books, but we got them.


"No matter where you go, there you are." Buckaroo Banzai

I'll check it out -- the movers do it by volume and not weight so that a box is 7 cubic feet. It's $10/CF for the first 700-800 CF then the rate drops somewhat. To move more furniture we're keeping fewer books, so I'd love an alternative no matter how long it takes to get there.