Weirdness

[altivo]

Just looking at the sky, if the leaves weren't obvious on the trees and I didn't know that the outdoor temperature is 80+F, I'd say it was about to snow. Long parallel folds of overcast gray gloom...

Something even stranger, though. I was doing some checking for items that are scarce in libraries on Worldcat and found several Sofawolf and Bad Dog Books titles were listed by Alibris (a used booksellers' clearinghouse.) Out of curiousity, I went to see the prices and number of copies.

Gah! Copies of Kyell Gold's Volle and Tim Susman's Common and Precious being offered at prices as high as $99 each. Do these booksellers not realize that these books are still in print and can be purchased from the publisher or even Amazon for about $20? So I went to look at my preferred used book clearinghouse, ABEBooks where I found Kyell Gold's books at $53.50 each. What on earth is going on here? Are people really being ripped off like that because they aren't smart enough to order from Amazon or Sofawolf or Bad Dog?

Comments

[songdawg.livejournal.com]

That appears to be a common practice for small press books—shows up on my own Amazon pages too. I can't understand the point of it, however. I don't believe these people ever actually sell one of those books!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I've seen some amazing scalping on out of print items that have no particular rarity or demand, with prices set as high as $200. But this is the first time I've seen it being done with fairly new titles that are still in print and readily available on the new book market.

Like phishing e-mails, I also suspect that (alas) we wouldn't see it if it didn't pay off. That means that there probably *are* people who will pay this without doing a little more research to find out what the going price should be.

I'm afraid we have to chalk it up to the woeful lack of awareness that some internet users seem to have...

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Are people really being ripped off like that because they aren't smart enough to order from Amazon or Sofawolf or Bad Dog?

In a word: yes.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Normally I think of going to ABEBooks or Alibris only when I already know that a book is out of print or will be cheaper used. I very much suspect that they (or the individual booksellers) are using tactics to trick people who use a search engine like Google to find things they want to buy, and somehow making their listings appear at the top of the list, before the actual publisher or Amazon. I'll have to test that out.

While I think these are excellent books that deserve wider distribution than they get right now, no one should pay $99 plus shipping for one when they can get it (and probably faster) for $24.95 from the publisher including the shipping.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*noddles* Yeah, noone should... and yes, maybe they're doing that.

I've noticed similar things in the past on amazon(.de) etc.; if there's enough offers for an OOP book, the prices found on any site will often (not always, but often) cluster around a certain value, but if you compare those values for the different sites, they'll often have little to do with each other. I guess it happens when - say - someone puts up a book on amazon for 50 EUR, and someone else puts it up somewhere else for 25; people who also put the same book up on amazon will try to undercut him, but not by large amounts, so the price will generally stay in the 50 EUR range, and the same goes for the other sites as well.

I imagine there's many people to whom checking different sites simply doesn't occur - they'll see that there's a number of different sellers all offering the book for roughly the same price and will assume that it'll always go for roughly that price, anywhere.

[calydor.livejournal.com]

You know what they say about a fool and his money.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know. I still find it hard to believe when I look at all the spam in my mailbox though. How could anyone fall for that crap?

Of course, I say that, and the political campaign is just swinging into high gear here. Campaigning seems to consist of hiring shills to accuse your opponent of nefarious things like gambling, wife beating, and child rape. Or worse yet, of not being a Christian or supporting the rights of non-white minorities. Who needs issues or ideas when you can win an election purely by making stuff up about your opponent?

[saythename.livejournal.com]

I've ordered things from Albris and AbeBooks when I could find them
nowhere else, but yeah, they are unusually pricey and if you can go
somewhere else you'll prolly find what your looking for cheaper.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Actually, I often find ABE to be the cheapest source there is. I frequently buy books through them where the shipping is more than the price of the book (e.g. $1 for book and $3 for postage.) I've never used Alibris, and have had repeated bad experiences with Amazon.

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

any way to leave reviews or comments? if so, point out that they are ripping people off. i was in a borders the other day, and they had volle listed for $117.99

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It is possible to leave reviews, but they reflect directly on the title, not on the listed libraries and booksellers which could change at any time. I wouldn't want to leave anything negative attached to Kyell's books, other than the comment that they are intended for a mature audience. And that should be obvious from the attached subject headings, which include "Erotic fiction." ;p

[kyellgold.livejournal.com]

I appreciate that. :) I have seen that happen with a bunch of titles on Amazon--on Amazon's pages themselves, there are titles that are IN STOCK and being sold for $16.95 by Amazon that have used listings up to $100. I guess there are some folks who just bank on less savvy consumers, or on Amazon going out of stock.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I haven't checked out this possibility, but my suspicion is that what we see here is a side effect. The real game is to get a for sale listing to show up in search engines like Google, at the top of the list. This will very likely entice some naive users to order the item and overpay. Finding new ways to profit from others' ignorance is the American way, after all.

It just happens that the booksellers trying this scheme also are registered with Alibris or Amazon, so these questionable prices do appear there as well. No doubt the ethics statement agreed to by sellers who register with these places is carefully worded to prevent stepping on their toes when they try this. Or else, it isn't enforced.