[Partial amazon.com screen capture, July 9, 2010]
Funny thing is, for some books — not all of them “great” ones, either — I might actually hesitate before deciding to go the cheap route, even with a price spread as broad as this. (I’m talking about you, you thick-page, large-format “children’s” book on natural history whose name I’ve long forgotten.)
How about you?
It depends on the book. First, there’s NO book, I don’t think, for which I would pay $240. Period. But I’ve had GREAT success with used books. I love picking up paperbacks at the flea market or garage sales and while hardbacks aren’t a favorite of mine, I have a few but I usually get them new (and have no idea why).
I think if I had a used book store besides the one in our library (the books are REALLY beat up), I would love it. I like books and someone giving them up is a bargain I can’t pass up.
But it all depends on the condition and the book. :)
Darc: Ha, right — I don’t think I’d pay $240 for a Gutenberg Bible, even. :)
Really good bookstores specializing in used books are rare treasures. I’m not a sentimentalist (as you probably know) about the smell of books — one reason why I don’t terribly freak out about the e-book revolution. But used books, lots and lots of used books (as long as they’re not mildewed!)… ah, that’s quite a wonderful aroma. Especially when each is whispering to me, Buuuuuuuyyyy me…
And this particular trilogy, well, I’d have to think really, really hard. Someone in the long ago gave me this trilogy to savor and unfortunately I didn’t. But I remember parts of it and the gent who gave it to me. Sometimes it’s not the money but the memory, right? No, I won’t buy it, I’m saving for something else, but the memory pushes the button that makes it allll-moooost thinking about.
cynth: I’ve come close to reading it several times. (Color me allllmoooost, too.)
PBS, I think, once showed a mini-series adaptation — of which I saw only one episode. All I remember about it now was that the world of Gormenghast looked “like” the world of LotR‘s Rivendell in the same way that the world of Star Wars looked “like” the world of 2001. The one showed all the bumps and warts and cobwebs and dust; the other, all the wonder and beauty.
Single favorite architectural book I ever owned was likely pilfered by an over zealous student at the local community college. I believe I paid list price (or nearly) when it came out. Somewhat obscure Architect, but I LOVE his work (as our house hopefully attests to). Here’s the current “best” prices I can find this for online, or anywhere else for that matter: http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQprZ844509QQcpidZ1203301
brudder: Lord knows I’m familiar with your house, but I’ve never even heard of Voysey.
FWIW, one of the best online sources for used books is Alibris. Here are the books they’ve currently got with his name in the author field… as of this moment, ranging in price from $20 to around $120.
Another author whose books are all over the map in terms of price is card expert/prestidigitator/”magician” Ricky Jay. I almost fell over when I saw, just a few years ago, how much new/first editions of his books go for. [Alibris]
P.S. Probably no news for s.o.m.e.one’s brudder, but anyone else interested in Charles F.A. Voysey’s architectural work might want to browse around here. Evidently he was also a highly respected designer of fabrics, wallpapers, and such; links to those other arts are at the top of the page just referenced.
@John – Yeah, that’s one of the first places I’ve looked. The first one listed is the one of desire – Wendy Hitchmough’s. Didn’t want to do the softcover, as I know I’ll beat it to death and it will fall apart, and I’ll just be buying another copy. Alibris does have the cheapest price I’ve seen used, so far – $200. Ah well, I’ll either have to stop being a cheap bastard or get used to the idea of replacing the softcover every so many years (buy several now and put them in shrink wrap for the future?).
brudder: There’s always this book, for free. Probably not what you’re looking for, though. Doesn’t even seem to include any of Mamet’s classic #%@! dialogue.