Ranting About The Price Of Books

I definately agree, it's going up at a massive rate, much higher than taxes and inflation and all that. When I first started buying Terry Pratchett paperbacks they were three or four quid, now new paperbacks are, what? Seven or eight quid? Atrocious.

Another thing that pisses me off is when I buy a second hand book for something like three quid and the price on the back from when it was first released says twenty five pence.

Fopp is great because if sells first-hand books for a lot cheaper than you get them in places like Waterstones but the Fopp here in Cardiff has gotten crap in the last few months because it's starting to focus on music, rather than books.

I just get things cheap from the internet. Second hand from amazon if I'm not that bothered about it (or play if it's cheaper when you add up postage), first hand from Amazon when it comes out in America if it's something I'm desperate for. New BEE, new Craig Clevenger, the upcoming Amy Hempel compilation, etc.

Another option if you don't care about the illegality or reading from the computer screen is trying to download PDFs, I got a few Bukowski books this way. There's a very poor selection but it helps.

its always seemed to me that when a new book comes out, here at least, theyre about 20-25 bucks about the same as a new release DVD
anyways, i cant complain i just picked up 2 henry miller books of barnes an noble.com last night for 10 bucks a piece

i don't get it either why they're so exspensive
it makes no sense to me
i mean if your going to put a price on knowledge
at least make it affordable

I wasn't even bringing hard-back books into the equation because the prices of them are just beyond belief. Plus what use are they to me, they won't fit in my pockets unless I buy a coat with bigger pockets.

I'm afraid most of the time I have to opt for second hand books, which doesn't bother me at all really because as long as it's legible it doesn't matter how worn a book is. Adds character and tells a story of its own if so many people have found it enjoyable, or maybe that's just my thrifty-side justifying itself.

I recommend e-bay and amazon sellers for variety of used books.

Books (trade paperback quality or better) cost a lot more to manufacture than DVDs or CDs. The raw materials cost more and the process to create them is less conducive to manufacturing.

Now, I'm conveniently omitting many things, such as: The production, recording, contracts, advertising, distribution and other costs that went into creating the media. Still, what you're discussing here is the economics of luxury items. There are three basic factors in determining the right price for such: Supply, Demand, and Manufacturing Cost. Price too high, profits go down. Price too low, profits go down.

The price on the back of the book is a Suggestion - that's the "S" in "SRP". Try to find a copy of Hempel's "At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom" for it's original price. Good fucking luck. Supply is low, price goes high.

It's business. And when it comes to luxury items, all is fair when it comes to price. Just look at the diamond market.

[QUOTE=Chelsea Weston]i mean if your going to put a price on knowledge
at least make it affordable[/QUOTE]
Just wait until you go to college and have to buy your textbooks.

plus it keeps the classist structure intact
all of us hoity-toity uppity class types with our crisp hardback copies of [i]The DaVinci Code[/i] can look down our noses at you people, the peons, in your tattered rags and battered copies of Orwell !

[QUOTE=karbunkle]plus it keeps the classist structure intact [/QUOTE]
Burns: And to think, Smithers... you laughed when I bought TicketMaster. [I]"Nobody's going to pay a 100% service charge."[/I]
Smithers: Well, it's a policy that ensures a healthy mix of the rich and the ignorant, sir.

[QUOTE=karbunkle]all of us hoity-toity uppity class types with our crisp hardback copies of [i]The DaVinci Code[/i] can look down our noses at you people, the peons, in your tattered rags and battered copies of Orwell ![/QUOTE]
Hardbacks are uncomfortable to read. I prefer the softcover if available.

[QUOTE=jase]Just wait until you go to college and have to buy your textbooks.[/QUOTE]
I think the most I spend on books for one semester so far is 550 bucks. over my college career I've prolly spent 5000 bucks at least on books for classes.

[QUOTE=mr_hash]I think the most I spend on books for one semester so far is 550 bucks. over my college career I've prolly spent 5000 bucks at least on books for classes.[/QUOTE]
And since you're basically required to buy these, the luxury factor in my the above rant could be considered void. There are legit complaints of price gouging in this realm, but everyone sees college students as spoiled so nobody wants to hear them whine about it. You could, if you wanted to, fight over a library copy. I know people who did that. It sucks though.

at some point carrying around a softback, you'll end up dropping it in the snow or rain or toilet or whatever
i'll get the hardback of any book i know i'll want to keep forever
with that being said, can we please get invisible monsters in a hardback dammit !

[QUOTE=mr_hash]I've prolly spent 5000 bucks at least on books for classes.[/QUOTE]

I could do with that kind of money for a deposit on a house!

[QUOTE=karbunkle]at some point carrying around a softback, you'll end up dropping it in the snow or rain or toilet or whatever
i'll get the hardback of any book i know i'll want to keep forever
with that being said, can we please get invisible monsters in a hardback dammit ![/QUOTE]
My signed hardback of haunted is already ruined. I took off the dust jacket (it was all wrinkled anyway) and spilled a drop of wine on the outside. When I wiped it off it just smeared and ate away a bit of the cover.

Not that I've ever tried collecting things. I'm too much of a klutz. I even lost the letter Chuck sent me

[QUOTE=karbunkle]at some point carrying around a softback, you'll end up dropping it in the snow or rain or toilet or whatever [/QUOTE]

In my experience it's usually the bath, but a couple of hours on the radiator and it's still nowhere near as good as new but it'll do.
Plus the shop staff never believe it was like that when you bought it.

[QUOTE=jase]And since you're basically required to buy these, the luxury factor in my the above rant could be considered void. There are legit complaints of price gouging in this realm, but everyone sees college students as spoiled so nobody wants to hear them whine about it. You could, if you wanted to, fight over a library copy. I know people who did that. It sucks though.[/QUOTE]
yes me and my 14,000 bucks of debt are very spoiled.

the worst is when I overhear some LAS major bitching about spending 20 bucks on a book, EVERY engineering book will run you at least 100. and when you're taking 5 classes and some of those classes have two book, well you get the point. this semester my wind engineering class has 2 books we need each running about 115 used, so one of my classmates and I are thinking of going in together and me getting one and him getting the other.

[QUOTE=mr_hash]yes me and my 14,000 bucks of debt are very spoiled.

the worst is when I overhear some LAS major bitching about spending 20 bucks on a book, EVERY engineering book will run you at least 100. and when you're taking 5 classes and some of those classes have two book, well you get the point. this semester my wind engineering class has 2 books we need each running about 115 used, so one of my classmates and I are thinking of going in together and me getting one and him getting the other.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, engineering books are expensive. The good ones though become excellent references on the job. I still have my physics and graphics textbooks, just in case I ever try writing games and physics-based animation again. The combination of the two used to be standard issue for such things, although I imagine modern libraries handle most of it for you.

I once dropped one of my favourite SVH books (The Evil Twin) down the toilet. It was a fresh bowl, but that's when I stopped reading on the loo.

Books are practically my only vice and I don't care how much I spend on them.

[QUOTE=jase]Yeah, engineering books are expensive. The good ones though become excellent references on the job. I still have my physics and graphics textbooks, just in case I ever try writing games and physics-based animation again. The combination of the two used to be standard issue for such things, although I imagine modern libraries handle most of it for you.[/QUOTE]
I almost never sell back books, especially engineering books cause I use them for references all the time. at least now in my advanced design classes I don't need to buy another book we just get more into old book or use handouts.

The only book ive ever bought new was Haunted (22.86!) rediculous but what are you going to do? Other than that i have never had a single problem with buying books, i buy everything from used book stores (there are 7 of them in my hometown).

i bought 3 william faulkner books, 2 hunter s thompson books & a book of political poster art for 6.00 total.

[QUOTE=Vendetta]I once dropped one of my favourite SVH books (The Evil Twin) down the toilet. It was a fresh bowl, but that's when I stopped reading on the loo.[/QUOTE]

I can't see how a book could fit past me when I'm on the loo, but that unintentionally leaves me rather open for comments about my size.

I think I was walking back out of the bathroom after washing my hands and the thing just flew into the toilet. Things just fly out of my hands all the time.

[QUOTE=Vendetta]Things just fly out of my hands all the time.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps you need to see a polarity therapist?

[QUOTE=jase]It's business. And when it comes to luxury items, all is fair when it comes to price. Just look at the diamond market.[/QUOTE]

Diamonds are not rare at all, the reason they are so expensive is that there is a monopoly and the reason that the demand is high is because they advertised well and brainwashed everyone that A. diamonds are rare, and B. you need to buy diamonds to show love. Complete bullshit!! Sorry for ranting just thought everyone should know.

On the current topic, I buy all my books either used on Amazon, in Borders or Barnes and Noble in the bargain sections, or at half price. There was a list going around this past year on things you should absolutely not buy new and books were high on that list.

I personally only buy hardcover, and I find it ridiculous that anyone would pay $7.99 for a paperback. Go to the library!!

addall.com is a collection of all the used book places (amazon, half, abebooks, powells) so it always has the best prices.

[QUOTE=karbunkle]...crisp hardback copies of [i]The DaVinci Code[/i]...[/QUOTE]
I'm sure I've mentioned this already, but my mother got me the illustrated version for my birthday. First of all, that is one [I]big[/I] motherfucker. I tried holding it in one hand over my computer keyboard (was too lazy to leave the computer) and then after I put it down my wrist hurt. Second, it says it cost something like [I]$48[/I]!! Fuck. Normal hardcover books cost something like $26 - $34 and that's a lot. But $48, shit, that.... wow. I could get two normal books for that price. Taxes included. (I thought the price for my copy of the book was something like $40 and just checked so I'm even more shocked than I was 10 minutes ago). And I've [I]definitely[/I] said this before, but while it's cool to have the pictures in the book, and I really appreciate the thought on my mother's part, I'm one of those people that doesn't really [I]need[/I] them and really would have liked to be able to take the book with me when I left the house. Hell, I read [I]Angels & Demons[/I] in paperback just fine.

I generally have mixed feelings about hardcover books. I'm not quite as opposed to them as I used to be, but it's still a little iffy. And my bag is always full of crap, so if I've got a book in it, it's always in a bag. If it wasn't, it would get destroyed.

There's a store in Vancouver called Book Warehouse and it sells [I]everything[/I] cheaper than the price on the back of the book. So that's awesome. They are my new love.

i rarely ever buy books unless i've read them first and absolutely loved them. i just get my books from the library since its free.

[QUOTE=Vendetta]I think I was walking back out of the bathroom after washing my hands and the thing just flew into the toilet. Things just fly out of my hands all the time.[/QUOTE]
You should keep some wet knaps to wipe off the lotion when you're done, then your hands will be less slippery.

i still dont see whats the big hoo-ha over book prices
theyre pretty much on the exact same level as any DVD you might get and no one really seems to complain that much about them
or maybe they do ?

I try to get used books as much as possible or using library books. Then when I find a book I really enjoy, I buy it. I go to a book store almost weekly, but I never buy anything, I'll just browse around for future reading.

how do you spell 'steal'?

Stop buying new books. It worked for music, it'll work for literature.

I actually could not tell you the last time I bought a new book...I think it was Hey Rube a few months before HST killed himself. It's impossible to find any used Thompson books anywhere.

I probably buy 1 new book for every 20-30 used books I purchase. I'm going to have to move to a 2-bedroom apartment just so I have a place to put them all.

[QUOTE=big S]how do you spell 'steal'?[/QUOTE]
Steel

The library has an inconvienence factor. A. you have to go there, B. you have a time limit (depending on what I'm reading, how interested, where i am in the book, it takes different amounts of time.) C. alot of books you can buy used on amazon for under $2 + $3 S&H and you can start building a library, which when I get a house I will be able to fill.

I've got a 3 bedroom house and no room for my own library - if we move to a 4 bedroomed house I will still have no room for a library. Maybe I should make furniture out of books?

[QUOTE=karbunkle]i still dont see whats the big hoo-ha over book prices
theyre pretty much on the exact same level as any DVD you might get and no one really seems to complain that much about them
or maybe they do ?[/QUOTE]

I wasn't intending to use DVD's as a definitive comparison, although it is interesting how the prices of DVD's are now falling while the price of books continues to rise, just to demonstrate that 'why would non-frequent readers bother with a book when they can get the film for the same price'.

I just think that reading should be encouraged more but I am pleased that DVD prices are coming down too.

I go to college (colleges in Britain are different to American ones), and the library will buy a book if it's under £15.
Only problem is, they won't get any Chuck Palahniuk books, cos they don't reckon many people will read them

[QUOTE=Mr Squid]I go to college (colleges in Britain are different to American ones), and the library will buy a book if it's under £15.
Only problem is, they won't get any Chuck Palahniuk books, cos they don't reckon many people will read them[/QUOTE]

Get 15-20 people a day, EVERY day to come in and specifically request them for as long as it takes to annoy them to point of caving. It works. The day you walk in and they proudly announce that they have them, ask for something else.

I have a Disabled American Veterans store nearby and generaly can score hardcovers for $1.60 and paperbacks for 80 cents. Found a 1948 edition of Henley's 20th Century Formulas for Home and Workshop for 6 bucks.....just gotta shop around.

The price of books isn't so bad if you consider the time you personally will invest in them versus the time you will invest in a movie. The average DVD is probably about 90 minutes long. You pay $10-20 for that. Say the average book is about 200 pages long (that's a very light average). Most people are going to spend a lot more time than 90 minutes on that. So you pay $13 for a paperback, or $18 for a hardcover (most hardcovers are rarely ever the list price, which is why they in fact mark them so high, so they can put the 20% OFF sticker on it and make people feel like they're getting a deal).

Like Jase said, a book costs a lot more to produce than a DVD does. From having sold both, DVD's and CD's have higher markups for the most part as well.

Text books for school is a totally different question. They are priced outrageously high for the most part. But there are ways to get around that too, whether it's buying previous editions, sharing with roommates, or whatever. Personally, after my first semester in college I stopped buying textbooks as a)I couldn't justify spending $500 for something I was never going to open b)They never had you open them for more than five minutes a class anyways. Also, it does pay/or save to be a Writing major, where your booklist for the semester consists of novels that you can get at any used bookstore.

But still, the price of novels isn't [I]that[/I] high. Not at all.

i still like the library becuase the one where i live has all of chuck's books and gets pretty new books. also, you can always renew them. i get most of the dvds that i watch from the library too since you can check them out for two weeks and then renew them up to three times. and its free!!

I went to Half Price books here in Milwaukee and tried to sell a box full of my mom's romance novels and they gave me $1.50 for the lot. I told my mom those romance novels were shitty.

Anyway, they had some other book I wanted used $29.98, ridiculous. I think this is the book I wanted The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach

[QUOTE=McMuddle]Get 15-20 people a day, EVERY day to come in and specifically request them for as long as it takes to annoy them to point of caving. It works. The day you walk in and they proudly announce that they have them, ask for something else.[/QUOTE]
Awesome technique
I have to give you credit for that

i hate half price books. it smells funny.

I just wish so many books didn't come out in paperback in [I]Trade [/I]paperback form. I miss the cheaper mass market paperbacks that fit in a pocket and are cheaper.

Books are kinda pricey, but worth it to me. And it makes me happy to hope/imagine that by buying a book, I'm helping a writer quit their day job and write more.

[QUOTE=mirka]And it makes me happy to hope/imagine that by buying a book, I'm helping a writer quit their day job and write more.[/QUOTE]
and i want to thank you for it !