Buying Books FAQ General Knowledge/FAQ About Books Search Tips

How to find books using Biblio’s “Want List” feature

Updated June 19, 2020

Gif of finger touching the spines of books on a shelf. Used in "How to find books using Biblio's Want List"

As many seasoned book collectors know, used, rare, and out-of-print books can move fast on the internet,  especially the desirable or scarce books.

When you search for a book on Biblio and find that we don’t have any copies available at the moment,  don’t give up hope!  That elusive, rare book may be a lot closer to your fingertips (and bookshelves) than you think. All you have to do is add it to a Want List!

Biblio booksellers add millions of books to our site every week, and we are importing and adding them to our sites 24/7.  That means that the scarce title you were looking for could be available in a matter of minutes!  You’ll have to act fast if you want to purchase your holy grail of a book because there could be many others looking for that title as well.

So, what’s a poor soul to do?  Keep Biblio open on their computer screen and refresh their search all day long?

Well, you could…but we think we have a better way.  When you search for a book on Biblio, you can add it to a want list and we will e-mail you as soon as it is available.

How to add a book to your Want List from a book search

When you search for a book and don’t find any results (here’s an example of a dead-end search*), here’s what to do:

Make sure you spelled everything properly and that there aren’t any typos in your search.  Nobody thinks they ever make typos (including us), but we all do.

If everything is spelled correctly, look for the link that reads, “Add to Want List” and click on it.

A screenshot highlighting the "add to want list" link on a search with no results. Used in "How to find books using Biblio's Want List"

When you click “Add to Want List”, one of two things will happen:  If you’re logged in, we’ll automatically add this book search to your want list and take you to that page to add more details and search requirements. You can limit results based on the title, author, keyword, and even price range.

If you are not logged in, you’ll be asked to log in or to create a free account.  This is needed so we can set up your want list. Once you’ve registered an account, we’ll add your search to your list.

How to add a book to your Want List from your account page

If you have a Biblio account, log in and visit your account page. Click on “Wantlist / Saved searches” to see your want lists. If you don’t have any set up yet, look at the sidebar on the left side of the screen for options to add a want.

That’s pretty much it. We’ll send you a daily e-mail if we find the books you’re looking for. If you prefer to receive these notifications less often, you can change it to weekly or monthly emails by visiting your wants list and updating your preferences for that search.  If you do decide you no longer wish to receive these notifications, you can always remove them from your saved search list.

* The first search I tried surprisingly turned up results: goldfish training.  Well, we like to say we have a book for every interest, no matter how… er, hopeful.

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50 Comments

  • This sounds like what I’ve been looking for. I also have 1,000’s of books many of which I would lke to sell.

  • Really looking hard for a cheaper copy of Sewing for 20th Century dolls by Johana Gast Anderton Volume 2, Most books of this volume are $65 and up and that is way too expensive for me. Thanks

  • I have a bible from 1941 with president rosenvelts signature to the army and other men who was in the war at that time. is it worth anything

  • I have a hardcoverbook from charles dickens titled Little Paul Dombey(from childrens stories from dickens)Printed in England with no copyright date.Told by his grandaughter Mary Angela Dickens.Illustrated by Frances Brundage,Harold Copping,

  • Need copy of 50 Years in Camp and Field by MajGen Ethan Allen Hitchcock, an autobiography of a USMA grad and U.S. officer in Mexican and Civil Wars to complete my Military History MA.
    RSVP

  • … [Trackback]…

    […] Find More Informations here: biblio.com/blog/2010/09/faq-saved-search-or-want-list/ […]…

  • Hello – I have a copy of Merlin’s Magic by Helen Clare – 1st edition, published by The Bodley Head in 1953. The dust jacket is slightly worn around the edges and the ‘price triangle’ has been cut off. It has 6d written on the inside cover in black. The outside edges of the pages are yellowe with age – no bent pages or tears.

    • Zoe,you lucky thing to have a copy!.I have been searching for this book for many decades,but the prices are ridiculous.Its amazing how many people I have come across who nostalgically remember this book with great affection,and moan about the lack of availability.If someone got hold of the copyright and republished it,I bet it would be very popular

  • I am looking for old genealogy or early
    church records books or any type of records
    from the early 13 colonies as I have need
    of both north and south ( mother line was
    northern states and father southern states)

    • Historical societies in the locations you need should have church records that include births, deaths, etc. Check internet for societies in certain towns or counties. They may or may not do a search for you for a fee.

    • Quaker records are available depending on areas and before 1800 many records are listed with the church of England. As for the south many many burned courthouses and great loss of historical records before 1870 due to civil war.

  • I am looking for a small book published in the early 1960’s titled Sharing God’s Secret based on Colossians 1:27. It was studied on a retreat I went to where I became a follower of Jesus.

  • I have special souvenir edition of a comedy in four acts by arthur w pinero for the 400th performance at the st James theatre Feb 1st 1907

  • I just want a copy of Per Gynt in Norwegian; A copy to use, not a posh one , the original text. That’s all.
    Thanks
    Hilary

  • I have the original first edition of Flinders Petrie’s first book, Inductive Metrology, published when he was 24 years in 1877. I looking for a buyer. This is a highly antiquarian book and am not aware of any other copy in existence (at least not listed on the internet). There are numerous reprints around; but mine is the original work; and in pristine condition.

  • I have 4 volumes of The Novels of Captain Marryat (Ex Libris Captain K.J.Douglas-Morris, R.N.) Published by The Phoenix Book Co. Ltd. Blue hardback, gilt page edging, lettering and decoration. Would like to purchase further volumes.Can anyone help, please?

  • I’m a collector of translated books of the Dutch writer Arnon Grunberg. I’m looking for two different uncorrected proof editions of Silent Extras. Who can help me ?

    Thanks,

    Gerrit Bosch

  • I have 3 original old books;records of legal cases;On spine showing; Burrows Reports. Inside; Reports and Cases argued and adjudged in The Court Of Kings Bench in the time of Lord Mansfield from 1756 -1772. volumes 1 .(4th edition) volume IV (2nd edition) volume V (2nd edition).printed by A. Strahan and W. Woodfall for E and R Brooke London MDCCXC. a bit battered., but intact.

  • G’day

    Please would you upgrade the Want/Wish list option to allow customers to include a specific seller in their wish/want list for a given ISBN?

    Because I live in Australia, most of the overseas (and Australian) sellers who are available on Biblio charge very high (ridiculously high) levels of postage and packing for even their cheapest copies.

    High postage and packing costs are all very well for a rare book in good condition or better, but make ex-library cheap books unaffordable unless the seller heavily discounts additional books bought at the same time.

    As a result, usually I only buy books from one seller via Biblio. That seller is Better World Books (BWB), who are the only Biblio seller to offer me affordable shipping rates for cheap books because BWB are about the only seller who offers surface mail to Australia.

    Hence, I need to be able to include Better World Books as one of the parameters when I create my Biblio wish list.

    Last, I have so many titles in my Biblio wish list that the list is not easy for me to manage. I need to be able to create more Biblio wish lists in my Biblio account just as I can in my Amazon.com account, and in my Amazon.co.uk account, where I have several thousand titles organised into different wish lists.

    Chris

  • I have some rare collectable first & second edition business and law books that I am thinking of selling! Can I do that on this site? If so-please send me the details, thanx sincerely Greg

  • I have 11 books of The Stoddard Library by John Stoddard. Published by Geo. L. Shuman & Co. Copyright 1910. I need vol. iv. to complete the set. It is hard bound in dark green silk like finish with tan label with name, vol # and publisher.

  • I have a small hardcover book entitled, Poems by A. Hugh Fisher from Elkin Matthews Press, London 1913 that is signed by the author. Can anyone tell me more about this book?

  • have a very old book The Works of William Shakespeare with Life,ETC in sixteen volumes. Ladys name and date in side book dates 1896. Copyrighted 1887,by G.B.It is The Actors Edition

  • Looking for a sold copy or value of first edition textbook elementary economic geography, by dyer had a beautiful edition that was lost in a flood. I can find later editions and in 2015 they started republishing but I want the original first edition. Thank you

  • I would like the value of the following old books???
    The Elsie Book Seriesby MarthaFinley
    The Man with the PitcherJohn F Genung
    Frecklesby Gene Straton Porter
    Anyone have any info?????

  • have copy o merchant of venice,published by ginn and co.in 1879. good condition. any value. thanks

  • I am looking for a rare book that was published on the 1st January 1962 and then later editions.

    The title is called: The Voice of The Self by Bhagavan Nityananda.

  • • Practical research: Planning and design (10th Edition) – 978-0132693240

    Hi
    I need this book in 10 days
    I would like to know price and delivery date before place the order.
    Please contact me
    Thank you very much
    Kind regards
    Miriam

  • I have two books, which were my grandfather’s. I have tried to find the value of these books but they don’t seem to appear anywhere. The books are:
    Palestine memories by Robert goodsall with a purchase letter enclosed and
    Silent cities by Sidney c Hurst also with purchase letter inside.
    Both books are hardback and first editions.
    Please could you help and advise of their value etc.

  • I am looking for a children’s book from my childhood. It is about a little boy whose mother sends him on a variety of errands. Each time he fails to bring home what he was sent for because he does not bring it properly. Each time she explains to him how to bring it and each time he uses the instructions she gave him for the previous task, but the instructions are not applicable to the new task.

  • I’m looking for a copy of Luvvy and the Girls by Natalie Savage Carlson. I loved this book so much when I was younger, read it over and over again!

  • I am trying to find a book of poetry titled State of Affairs by C.J.Arkell

    C.J.K. Arkell was born in 1953 and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and London University. He has published two books of poetry: State of Affairs (1980); and, in collaboration with Papia Ghoshal, Textuations (2007). He has also contributed to many literary reviews and magazines including The London Review of Books, Modern Poetry in Translation, Yale Literary Review and The Spectator.

  • Our animal friends A rand McNally elf book by Virginia Hunter. Established in 1856. Card Number 56-12100 Edition of MCMLXII. Cover David W. Cordon. Endpaper H. Armstrong Roberts. Copyright ©️ MCMLVI. Number on book is 8403 25cents

  • Have a Holy Bible old and new testaments. New York American bible Society. Instituted in the year MDCCCXVI 1870. What would it be valued at.

  • Have a Constantinople Black’s Guide Book. By Demetrius Coufopoulos. Second edition London Adam and Charles Black 1899. Preface to first edition 1895. Also has maps. Value of it.

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