High prices for books that are (only just) out of print

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Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
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The Netherlands
Do they do this everywhere? Whenever a book is out of print they start to charge enormous high prices for the books that are left/haven't been sold yet.
And I don't mean individual people who do things like this on eBay, the regular (web)stores do this here. So you get these enormous prices for, say a regular paperback edtion.
I know first printings of books are always important to collectors, but they do this with every book here (or certainly King's) as soon as it becomes more difficult to obtain. Basically the only thing you can do is just buy them as soon as they come out (even when you haven't the time to read them yet), because when you want a specific one at a later date and it's already out of print you will have to pay enormous prices. These prices seem hardly legal to me, but it happens, so it's probably legal.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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Mar 12, 2010
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I shop for books at Amazon so I'll give you a couple price examples from there.

Using your example, I'm guessing the Dutch text editions go out of print quicker than the English text editions. IT (English text) hasnt gone out of print here BUT if you wanted to buy a new copy of the first printing in hardcover, it would cost $162.37.

The Colorado Kid is out of print - the cover price is $5.99 US. The cost of a new copy of the mass market paperback starts at $43.00 (used copies start at $6.45)

Tabitha King's Small World is also out of print. The cost of a new copy of the mass market paperback starts at $34.50. I don't know what the original cover price was - probably somewhere around $5.95.

Sorry, I don't know how to convert US dollars to euro.
 
Last edited:

carrie's younger brother

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Mar 8, 2012
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I shop for books at Amazon so I'll give you a couple price examples from there.

Using your example, I'm guessing the Dutch text editions go out of print quicker than the English text editions. IT (English text) hasnt gone out of print here BUT if you wanted to buy a new copy of the first printing in hardcover, it would cost $162.37.

The Colorado Kid is out of print - the cover price is $5.99 US. The cost of a new copy of the mass market paperback starts at $43.00 (used copies start at $6.45)

Tabitha King's Small World is also out of print. The cost of a new copy of the mass market paperback starts at $34.50. I don't know what the original cover price was - probably somewhere around $5.95.


Sorry, I don't know how to convert US dollars to euro.
In both of those instances those high priced editions are being sold through Amazon by an independent seller; not Amazon. I thought Gerald was speaking about big name booksellers and not independent mom & pop stores. Got it.
 
Mar 12, 2010
6,538
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Texas
As far as I know in the US, this is not done in bookstores. You would never see a recently out of print book selling for 5X the amount on the shelf in Barnes & Noble.

Is this the kind of practice you are referring to?

You reminded me how much I miss the brick 'n mortar stores. I used to live near the Northpark shopping mall in Dallas. There used to be three book stores in the mall. I went to Waldenbooks for magazines and sci-fi. I went to Barnes & Noble for everything else. I could happily browse in Barnes & Noble for hours and walk out with a stack of books. I never have figured out how to browse the web stores. I look at the lists and the recommendations and the reviews but I guess I need to hold a book and read the back cover and flip through the pages to know if I want to read it. I've been relying on the What Are You Reading thread here for reading suggestions. Barnes & Noble is still at the mall but since we moved to Podunkville, I never get there :(
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
As far as I know in the US, this is not done in bookstores. You would never see a recently out of print book selling for 5X the amount on the shelf in Barnes & Noble.

Is this the kind of practice you are referring to?

Yes. They don't do it in bookstores here either, or at least not that I've seen. Only on the internet.
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
In both of those instances those high priced editions are being sold through Amazon by an independent seller; not Amazon. I thought Gerald was speaking about big name booksellers and not independent mom & pop stores. Got it.

I think that's the same what happens here. It's not Bol.com itself, but independent sellers selling through it, but they DO allow it. With the comics however it's the comic store itself doing it.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
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