Last week's post on how to care for a book part one: purchasing from a store is continued this week with
Buying a book online
The Preserver will probably set aside an allocated time for the book purchase. They may already have a list of favourite booksellers they wish to help out. If not, The Preserver will faithfully perform a search online, comparing P&P costs, estimated delivery times, and price of individual books. Once the online bookshop has been chosen, The Preserver will follow one of two paths.
1) The Preserver (1) will lay down the carefully written list of books beside the keyboard. If they follow up on Health and Safety, they'll have a special note holder attached to the computer. Or, more than likely The Preserver (1) won't have a hardcopy of the list, but will have a database solely invented for listing desirable books. These will be listed in order of priority. This could be alphabetised, listed by publication date (again, in sequence but either most recently published or oldest published at the top), or by genre. Within the genre, there will be a logical method of selection. This type of The Preserver (1) enjoys spreading logic to all aspects of their life.
2) The Preserver (2) won't have any list whatsoever, and will pick which ever books take their fancy. It is at this point that the book cover plays a great role. Some Preservers (2) will gravitate towards purple and pink covers with sparkly bits. Other types of Preservers (2) will run like the plague from anything in this colour scheme. The Preservers, just like The Handlers, all differ on the types of books they like, but not the method of choosing them. In this category, The Preserver (2) won't actually be all that random in their selection, although they'll like to think they are being impulsive. Subconsciously they remember which book takes their fancy. They may deliberate over other books, but will pick the book that hit the top of their unwritten to be purchased list.
At this point I'll point out The Handler can actually be The Handler (1) or The Handler (2). They are possibly more likely to have the trait of choose any site, choose any book (and really be swayed by pretty covers, positive book reviews and newly released books). There is just something about having a book just as it hits the shelves. That will be another week's post.
The key point about internet shopping for books, is that The Preserver (1 or 2) will veer towards reliable booksellers, always picking new, pristine copies. The Handler, if they have the means and the conscience to do so, will pick the cheapest shop online. If they have less funds, and less of a conscience for the not so rich authors who need people buying their books brand new, they'll pick a book off that famous internet auction site, or from another large, multi-product site which shares the name of a famous river in Brazil. Because on those sites, books can be bought at a fraction of the cost of full price. Sometimes just a penny - although postage charges soon mount up.
Once both The Preserver (1 & 2) and The Handler (1 & 2) have made their selection, the waiting game begins.
The Preserver is more likely to calculate the days the book will arrive. The Handler is more likely to give a rough estimate, but not mark it on the calendar. The Preserver might have paid that extra few pounds/dollars for a courier delivery - no thumping down on the doormat for their book! That can cause dents/creases. The Handler may choose the cheapest shipping option, for what's a few dents? Books are for reading, not for preserving in a museum!
The Handler's antics would horrify The Preserver. They may accidentally trample on the book, not realising they have a package. The Preserver, would take the book from the courier, place it gently on the floor as they sign, then proceed to the unpacking stage. If The Handler did receive the book by courier, they'd sling it on the floor, then sign for it.
The unpacking stage is rather different. The Preserver would check the package for 'tear here' signs. They'd approach it with a methodical approach, for fear of hurting the book. Scissors would be used with utmost care. The whole procedure could last more than 10 minutes. This is in direct contrast to The Handler, who would attempt to rip open the package without following instructions, not needing an emergency bar of chocolate if the scissors scored a little line on the front cover. Naturally The Preserver would eat the chocolate several metres away from the book, so as not to mar the pages with the odd brown smear. The Handler probably wouldn't be as careful.
Hopefully I've given further insight into the life of The Preservers and The Handlers. Next week I'll discuss what happens when The Preserver and The Handler is faced with 3 scenarios: A book dropped in water (bath/sink...or worse). A book with pages doodled on by a child. A book with ripped pages.
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