A Progression in Postcards 4

Incoming books at the shop.

Some paperbacks are $16.00. Yes, I didn’t think about it before now. Yes, I was truly shocked. Hardbounds are vastly more. I read, and those kinds of prices are far beyond me.

If I buy a hardbound book at the big chain store such as “The Promise” by Robert Crais, it will be $27.95 or $35.95 in Canada. By the time it gets to Costco, that same volume is $15.95. Even I, who doesn’t always see numbers, can see and understand that discounting.

Many folks discard their books after the first reading. They often end up in mom and pop independent book stores all over the world. Mom markets her books at a vast discount to enthusiasts anywhere through the internet. ABE Books and Alibras Books will happily sell you old Crais or the latest Crais at the click of your mouse. These first run hardbounds are priced from $3.25 and up. Then again, I found true schitzophrenia in the pricing. Wielding her pricing gun, mom labeled her paperbacks from $10.00 to $14.95.

By the time “The Promise” gets to me at the Discovery Shop, even if it is a little worn I price it at two bucks. A dollar for paperbacks. What a comedown. Yet many readers are still here just reading on their Kindles now. Some Nook owners mourn the loss of these ereaders, but many are now switching to Kindle.

I recommend my patrons to go to their local libraries. We have a wonderful library system here. If your neighborhood branch doesn’t have the books you want, they can get them. Best of all, it’s free.

Links:
Kindle Books
What went wrong with the Nook.
ABE Books.COM
Alibris.com