priced out of amazon (1 Viewer)

[Micah Cohen]

The thread about overpriced stuff got me thinking... Thinking that I needed to order some books from amazon, since my "to read" pile is getting small.

Usually, I have no problem. I pull out my list, find a third-party vendor on amazon, and get paperbacks for under $4, to which you have to add the idiotic $3+ "shipping and handling" fee (shipping always looks like "$1.80" to me, according to the postage on the package when it arrives, and "handling"? What is "handling"?)... And usually I get books for way under $7 a pop, gently used, via amazon. This is fine.

But this morning I have noticed that prices have gone up. Now, paperbacks of the books on my list are ranging up by $8, used, from third-party vendors. Adding the "shipping and handling" fee to that price makes it simply not worth the cost of buying used books on amazon.

This means I have to leave my house and go to a used book store or nearby Daedalus and hope for the best.

Anyone have any better used-books-online options than amazon?

MC

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Ebay. You still have to watch shipping prices, but at least on ebay you can usually see what you are getting, and have a better description.

 

[Linda Thompson]

Half.com

Still technically eBay, but much more convenient and hassle-free for generalized purchasing.

These days, I buy almost all of my CDs and books via half.com and a very large percentage of my DVDs. Used prices are great, and even most new items are quite competitive. Good product descriptions and details for most items, and decent shipping rates on most items as well. (Media Mail, but I still receive most items rather quickly.)

 

[David Williams]

I have to ditto what Linda says (though I get what little CDs I buy new through YourMusic), but I buy all my used books from Half.

I've found some incredible bargains ($120 Encyclopedia of World Mythology in like-new condition for $20) and really haven't had the kind of trouble that makes me leary of dealing with eBay directly.

 

[Malcolm R]

Picking the products off the shelf, wrapping them, putting them in a box, matching the label to the order, putting the label on the proper box, getting them off to the shipper.

Packaging is not done by magic, you know. There is labor involved.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i'm pretty sure the increase is due to the increase in shipping credit you get from amazon as a seller. i sold a textbook i'd never use again (so much better than going to the school bookstore) and i received more money for a shipping credit than i usually do.

CJ

 

[Chris Lockwood]

Sounds like somebody has never sold anything thru the mail. Besides the costs mentioned above, there is also the time to pack the item, stand in line at the post office, & last time I checked, the gas to get there wasn't exactly free.

If you don't think getting a book delivered to your home for $8 is a good deal, then drive to a store & buy it there. Then YOU can pay for the gas, spend the time in line, pay tax, etc.

I always look at the total cost of something when deciding whether to buy... what's the difference between $8 with free shipping or $5 plus $3 shipping? None, really.

If $8 is going to break you, there's a place called the library where you can get all sorts of books for free.

 

[Jay H]

Not just books, DVDs too!

Jay

 

[Micah Cohen]

Jews don't do the library. I don't know if that's a natural law, maybe it's just a theory of my own. But I need to keep the book I read. (Jews don't do "boats," either. That one might be a natural law, I don't know.)

And sure, I can swing $8 for a freaking book, man; don't get angry with me. :b

I'd just rather not. Used to be, I could get stuff on amazon at pennies on the dollar (that may be another Jew thing, I wouldn't be able to say), and I guess I just got spoiled.

Plus, having worked in publishing, I know the true cost of things and "new hardcover" prices, especially in stores (and airports), are simply highway robbery. Seven bucks for a paperback novel that costs less than a dollar to produce is nutty.

Another solution, if you live in the metro DC area: The Stone Ridge Book Sale.

Half.com looks interesting and reasonable, thanks for that link! I will explore it!

MC

 

[MichaelBA]

This is a good book search site.

Micah, please write a book! JEWS DON'T DO... !!!

 

[Paul D G]

My favorite place - www.addall.com. Or more specifically used.addall.com

Not sure where you're seeing used books for $8+shipping. That sounds like a new book to me. Most books are around 3.50+shipping and when shipping is standard $3.50 then I'd rather get a new book via free shipping. It's only really a bargin if you can find books for $2 or less.

-paul

 

[Jon_Are]

I'm not really clear on the difference(s) between ebay and half.com.

Other than half.com is all 'buy it now'.

Jon

 

[Linda Thompson]

Half.com is more akin to the "third-party vendors" system at Amazon. You set up an account, and all payments are made THRU half.com...you pay THEM, and THEY send payment to the seller, thus acting as a middleman. The seller has a specified length of time to confirm your order, or it is automatically cancelled. Or, if something happens (like the item is unavailable for some reason), the seller must notify the buyer (thru half.com channels) and refund payment.

I have my half.com account set up with "Speedy Checkout" -- which works very much like 1-click shopping at amazon and various other e-tailers, with only a couple more clicks.

There is no direct money-dealing between buyer and seller...everything goes directly through the official channel.

 

[RichP]

If you tend to buy a lot of things 1 or 2 at a time from Amazon during the year, then the Amazon Prime shipping is a great deal.

$70 a year and 2-day shipping on everything is no cost.

I'm usually in the black w shipping charges by April and everything after that is 2-day shipping for free the rest of the year.