The Case of the Hundred-Dollar Paperback

Mick Sussman has a really interesting (to me, at least) post at the Times's Paper Cuts blog about the phenomenon of used books that seem to be vastly overpriced on Amazon - a post prompted by his attempt to purchase Rick Perlstein's unjustly out-of-print Before the Storm, which is currently priced at $131.09 for a paperback, and (oddly) only $89 for a hardcover. I bought Perlstein's book used myself, a couple years back, but at the point, if memory serves, it was going for a much more reasonable price. (This was before Nixonland came out, of course.) I had a similar experience to Sussman, though, when I needed a copy of Kevin Phillips' The Emerging Republican Majority; I don't remember exactly how much I spent, but it was something far more obscene than the $47.86 that it currently takes to get a copy.

In the spirit of authorial solidarity, incidentally, I urge anyone who wants to read Before The Storm - which is well worth your time, as I'm sure I've mentioned before - to wait until next summer, when Nation Books plans to bring it back into print. No matter how high the price of a used copy rises, the writer himself doesn't see a dime of it.

Comments

Ross,

Amazon are not selling them, individual sellers are, who feel free to set their own price. Free market I think.

Posted by James | July 16, 2008 4:11 PM

Don't use Amazon for used books, they or their sellers are nearly always overpriced. One of the best search engines for used books is www.bookfinder.com

Posted by DavidC | July 16, 2008 4:44 PM

Heh interesting to read this, if only because I've tried to buy used copies of *both* those books on Amazon and decided upon seeing the price that they weren't worth quite that much to me.

Posted by Peter | July 16, 2008 4:59 PM

The hours here are obscene.

Posted by minderbender | July 16, 2008 5:55 PM

I'm a youngin who barely remembers the world of used books before Amazon, but... didn't rare used books catch a heafty price before the internet? My experience with Amazon is that most of the time you can use it to get used books very cheap, presumably by making it easier for buyers to find sellers. I suppose it's possible that for some books, the effect is in the opposite direction, making it easier for sellers to find buyers and therefore jacking up the price. Perhaps we can generalize by saying that the internet makes supply/demand effects more extreme?

Posted by The Uncredible Hallq | July 16, 2008 6:00 PM

If you're interested in reading a book but unable to afford the asking price... why not try a library? Checking WorldCat (OCLC Firstsearch database), I see 100 libraries owning a print copy... mostly universities. But you can check with your local library and ask for an InterLibrary Loan for the book.

WorldCat also shows the book available in E-book format (most likely NetLibrary) at 1252 libraries. Again, check with your local library if they have E-book availability.

Posted by PaulW | July 16, 2008 6:14 PM

There's a signed 1st edition of the Perlstein up on ebay now and it's at $10.50 with 9 days to go. Have a party.

Posted by MoeLarryAndJesus | July 16, 2008 6:43 PM

I recently purchased a paperback version of Before the Storm from a seller on Barnes and Noble for $15.00. I was stunned by the price differential vis-a-vis Amazon. Perhaps I should resell it now that I've read it...probably too lazy.

Posted by DM | July 16, 2008 7:46 PM

Another good site for used books is www.abebooks.com

Posted by bobskis | July 16, 2008 8:05 PM

I second the library recommendation. I found it in a public library in NJ for the low, low price of absolutely nothing. (Okay, it wound up costing me $1.20 in late fees.)

Posted by pdf | July 16, 2008 9:31 PM

It could be an issue of the market correctly valuing things -

Grand New Party (#545) is currently $13.49

but part of that price is due to Reihan, so let's use

Privilege (#478,781) - $2.46

Fair price?

Posted by James | July 16, 2008 9:36 PM

It seems that Amazon could be a useful resource for people who want to engage in copyright infringement. So far, the DMCA does not prohibit "useful resources" so Amazon can rest easy.

Posted by themightypuck | July 16, 2008 10:02 PM

Well...the ebay price is now up to $20.50.

The Douthat blog is probably responsible for the start of some frenzied bidding.

Posted by Stewie | July 16, 2008 10:19 PM

My university library has at least two copies.

Posted by Miri | July 16, 2008 10:29 PM

One my early-in-life civics lessons was the public library in Annapolis Maryland in 1963. On Church circle. I rode my bicycle. They had (under glass--which meant it was really really special) the guest-book-register of the people who had paid to sleep there before it was city or state property. I could see Alexander Hamilton and Geo Washington and Henry Lee's signature in actual ink. It had been an Inn. Ben Franklin'
s signature was promenant.

Apparently, Ross does not possess a library card.

I question whether he is actually an American.
(at least as the real patriots of 1776 would have considered the meaning of that word). Of course, in the context of the Repub party--he's a...what would Jefferson call it?

Ross--do you even possess a library card? With a voter's registration, it would be the essential identification to our founders. But you are a conservative. You do not give a f**k about the founders.

Posted by JohnMcC | July 16, 2008 11:52 PM

I saw Perlstein in Seattle. He said that he's selling his copies on ebay. Smart guy!

http://myworld.ebay.com/vulture2004/

Posted by Chris | July 17, 2008 2:35 AM

JohnMcC, instead of insulting our host, try a more positive tack and encourage Ross to make sure he has a library card and to use it often. Thank you.

Posted by PaulW | July 17, 2008 8:05 AM

He's not our host, The Atlantic is, hence it's their terms and conditions. This blog is nothing but a contract obligation and means of promotion.

I'm not sure it's a great leap forward if by removing insults means they are replaced by suck ups.

Posted by James | July 17, 2008 8:13 AM

My library stinks. I mean if I wanted to get the NYT best seller list, yeah its great.

But say I wanted to get a study on the AFL-CIO's COPE operation from the late '50s to 1967. Nope. I'm stuck shelling out sixty bucks for it.

http://www.amazon.com/Rope-Sand-Committee-Political-Education/dp/0275930459/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216301343&sr=8-1

And why hasn't anyone bothered to reprint The Emerging Republican Majority? It's referenced a lot these day by both sides of the political ailse. Phillips current books sell well, I think it would make someone money.

Posted by am | July 17, 2008 9:34 AM

It's a perfect example of why Print on Demand should have taken off by now.

Perhaps kindle and the like might allow another means in a few years.

But it can be very frustrating, that's for sure.

Posted by James | July 17, 2008 9:37 AM

"the writer himself doesn't see a dime of it"...

I'm so tired of (so called) creative people expecting royalties on everything, for ever. Does an architect get paid again, when a building she designed gets resold? Does an autodealer get a piece of the profits if a car they sold to someone is resold to someone else? All types of people create all types of things, every day, which are sold, and in some cases resold, with no expectations of renumeration from the resale. Let the author who never read a book from a library (one copy for many, mon dieu!), or borrowed a book from a friend, who never look at any intellectual property without first paying the author, complain, all others, be quiet.

Posted by Lou | July 17, 2008 11:34 AM

Damn right I'm sucking up. It's all part of a subtle plot to trick Ross into donating free copies of his book to libraries across the country. :evil grin:

As for the expectation of royalties over resale, as a self-published author my primary concern is to receive name credit for my work: not to see someone else claim authorship for something I've done. As long as I get a portion of profit from any sale, usually the first sale as that can be adequately accounted for, I don't care about resale.

Posted by PaulW | July 17, 2008 1:26 PM

I just picked up a copy of Before the Storm from my local library. Funny, it doesn't look like a a hundred dollar paperback.

And anyone who hasn't read Nixonland -- buy it now. A great, great work.

Posted by PhilA | July 18, 2008 9:50 AM