Revenge is a book served cold

I try not to mope about Amazon.Com selling used books on new book pages, even though I suspect that it's eating my lunch in these penny-pinching times.

However, my ears steam a bit when I see one of my out of print books selling for literal pennies. At a price that nominal, some Amazon Marketplace seller is killing other sales, making the book appear worthless, and won't even earn $1.

I was preparing a book donation for a library and realized something: Amazon will ship books anywhere, so these penny sellers are the world's cheapest book shipment service.

Tonight, I bought my book How to Use the Internet, Fifth Edition for $0.23 plus $3.49 shipping and handling. The penny seller will receive $0.23 plus a standard shipping credit of $2.26, $1.84 of which will be spent on media mail's two-pound rate. Her profit will be 65 cents minus packaging costs and labor.

I hope they appreciate the book at the public library in Ketchikan, Alaska, as much as I enjoyed sending it.

2004/03/27 · 6 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

PyCS is running a bit slow today...

Outstanding use of the system against itself. Saw this post via Danny Ayers (Radio hasn't caught up with you yet.)

#1 · Steve Kirks · 2004/03/29

Your book sucks, I'm suprised anyone would buy it, as I wouldn't take it for free.

I got enough trash laying around here

#2 · JT · 2004/03/30

Hey Rogers, you could donate the books and write them off on your taxes, no?

"Computer Books for Iraq" http://lwn.net/Articles/74797/

#3 · A Fish · 2004/03/31

Interesting idea. Though it would make sense for my Java books, since Sun's development tools are free and can run on old Linux boxes, do Iraqis really have urgent need for a Windows 98-specific tutorial like How to Use the Internet?

#4 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2004/03/31

I guess not: http://freedomtechnologycenter.org/events/.

Oh...were you being facetious? Hard to read winks and such with ASCII text.

#5 · A Fish · 2004/04/01

Actually, I think the profit would be lower, because Amazon charges a 6-15% commission on the sale. Plus, you have to be a Pro Merchant to waive the $.99 per-sale fee, but that costs $40 a month, so you'd have to do pretty huge volume to make it worth your while.

#6 · Gordon Weakliem · 2004/04/02