Most of the books I purchase are used “vintage” out-of-print hardbacks, usually 50-150 years old. Normally the cheapest G/VG, but sometimes I’ll buy what is referred to a “reading copy”. Often I build a pile of to-be-bought on Bookfinder…sometimes I make a single immediate purchase and ignore the list, but sometimes I just get sick of seeing the list and order a bunch to shorten it. I do not try to order several books from one bookshop, even if they offer a discount. My interests are too specific to expect that a single bookshop will have more than one book per order. Publishers are irrelevant unless I can get a 1st ed cheap.
Delivery times are normally irrelevant. I try to keep a steady trickle of vintage books entering the house. Christmas every week! Since most are in the public domain and available for free online, I often skim the online copy to determine whether a physical vintage book warrants the shelf space.
Yes to the steady trickle of vintage books! I too spend a considerable amount of time trying to find titles that are out of print, usually by way of following bibliographies in the books I'm already reading.
Delivery times are normally irrelevant. I try to keep a steady trickle of vintage books entering the house. Christmas every week! Since most are in the public domain and available for free online, I often skim the online copy to determine whether a physical vintage book warrants the shelf space.