myArmoury.com - Used Book Prices

Posts: 1,241 Location: NC

Tue 20 Mar, 2007 11:47 am

Used Book Prices

I was looking at the library online today and I noticed that one of the books I have chosen for my personal library, Scottish Swords and Dirks, by John Wallace, is being offered by a bookseller at Amazon for $885.00! Has anyone checked that out for accuracy? I know that a lot of these books are in and out of print and many will remain out of print, but that seems excessive. However, if this particular book is selling for that kind of money, then I need to update my financial statement because I have a copy.

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Sean Flynt

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Posts: 5,981 Location: Birmingham, Alabama

Tue 20 Mar, 2007 1:36 pm

Out of print short-run books of this type do tend to fetch crazy prices, but that seems beyond excessive. I Recently saw a monograph that sells new for around $12 and is available online listed by an independent Amazon seller for $75. It was not a reflection of reality. Folks can ask whatever they want. Doesn't mean they'll get it. Keep looking. If you can't find it at a reasonable price, see if you can find a copy in the Library of Congress or some university library catalog. Then request the book on interlibrary loan through a local library. Take notes and/or photocopy for your personal research use.

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Lin Robinson

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Posts: 1,241 Location: NC

Tue 20 Mar, 2007 2:18 pm

Sean Flynt wrote:

Out of print short-run books of this type do tend to fetch crazy prices, but that seems beyond excessive. I Recently saw a monograph that sells new for around $12 and is available online listed by an independent Amazon seller for $75. It was not a reflection of reality. Folks can ask whatever they want. Doesn't mean they'll get it. Keep looking. If you can't find it at a reasonable price, see if you can find a copy in the Library of Congress or some university library catalog. Then request the book on interlibrary loan through a local library. Take notes and/or photocopy for your personal research use.

I actually have the book already. I bought it about twenty years ago for, I think, $15. I have several of the books in our library that are out of print and have seen them listed for some out landish prices. I was just curious if the seller was serious about that price. It's a great little book, but obviously the $885 asking price is a bit too much, to say the least.

One thing I have noted about out of print books, at least some that were originally published in Great Britain, is that sometimes they suddenly reappear in print. I bought an interesting book on Viking material culture about twenty years ago and paid a fairly significant price for it, even with a tattered dust jacket. A couple of years later it showed up, back in print and brand new, for half what I paid.

Thanks for your thoughts Sean.

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Nathan Robinson

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Posts: 11,553 Location: San Francisco

Tue 20 Mar, 2007 4:26 pm

Haha, that's a crazy price!

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Lin Robinson

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Posts: 1,241 Location: NC

Tue 20 Mar, 2007 5:04 pm

Nathan Robinson wrote:

Haha, that's a crazy price!

I was thinking of putting my copy on Ebay with an $800 reserve!!!

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