The Long Tail of Transport Books

I hope that the title has caught your attention, so now for an explanation. The idea of the 'long tail' was developed by economist Chris Anderson, and basically states that for areas of ecommerce such as books, cds, dvds, etc, as well as the few big blockbuster hits and bestsellers (the head), there is a vast number (literally millions) or long tail of titles that will each sell in very small numbers, but together form an important part of the overall market. A 'bricks and mortar' shop would never be able to physically stock enough to serve this demand, but an internet site, especially with a large number of sellers, can meet it.
To be realistic, http://www.specialistauctions.com/index.php would be unlikely to meet the demand right across the range in the short to medium term, but it is a niche site, and the opportunity is there to further develop existing niches. Transport books are a good choice, they are very much a niche and enough titles have been published over the years to give a true 'long tail' with a great choice for buyers. At present the category is small compared to some of the larger and more established sites, and sales are inevitably slower, but the lack of listing fees and the lower final fees gives the potential to list a large number of books and undercut the more expensive sites. A win-win for both buyers and sellers and it is also possible to transfer bulk listings from other databases, so here is the chance to really be the default choice.

A sign that spring is coming; my first visit to a steam railway this year, the one at Chasewater, North of Brownhills in Staffordshire, and just off the main A5. Last weekend was a Gala one on with three steam and one diesel locos providing a frequent service. The line was originally built to serve the Cannock Chase coalfield, but now just a short section is preserved. It follows Chasewater, a lake that was once a canal reservoir but now a nature reserve and used for watersports, for much of its route, and with its very reasonable fares and distinctive character it is well worth a visit; full details here:
http://www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk/

I had hoped to take some photos, and I had the perfect atmospheric shot of a demonstration freight lined up.......... then I found my newly charged and fitted battery was dead. Fortunately all was not lost as I had my trusty film camera in reserve, but I fear it will be a little while before I see the results. In the meantime I will cheer myself up by looking at some railway photos like the ones in this book, now for sale on Specialistauctions.com:
http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1300787
The dustwrapper is slightly torn, although the book is in very good condition, but Specialistauction.com's low fees mean that I am able to offer it at the bargain price of £2.50 without cost swallowing up most of the return.