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Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Bookselling Absurdity #57: Buy My Prize, Please!

I went looking for a cheap copy of a very easy to find John Dickson Carr book today and stumbled across this absurd listing on eBay. If you've been having a bad day, then prepare yourselves for a well deserved fit of hysterical laughter this will no doubt unleash.

This edition, I believe, is printed on gold leaf pages with platinum ink.


The shipping price is to the US, by the way. We always get the shaft from eBay sellers on international shipping fees even for a paperback that weighs about 5.5 ounces (155 g). You'd hope that this avaricious madman of a bookseller would at least give you free shipping if you live in Australia. But of course if you had this amount of spare Australian cash to spend on a paperback book published in 1986 (or thought you had it) you'd probably be living in a private sanitarium somewhere in Alice Springs.
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19 comments:

  1. The Passing TrampSeptember 18, 2018 at 11:33 PM

    OMG I have this! Financial worries over!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. J F NorrisSeptember 19, 2018 at 2:25 AM

      I suggest you undersell yours by about $1500. It would definitely catch a few eyes.

      Delete
  2. Santosh IyerSeptember 18, 2018 at 11:33 PM

    Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!
    Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!
    Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!
    Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. J F NorrisSeptember 19, 2018 at 2:26 AM

      I knew someone would collapse into hysteria. Did you have to call a ambulance? Should I send you oxygen? May not get there in time.

      Delete
  3. KateSeptember 19, 2018 at 1:04 PM

    Someone's suffering from a case of severe optimism...

    Good find!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. J F NorrisSeptember 19, 2018 at 1:36 PM

      Aggravated by chronic cupidity. Is there a 12 Step program for this kind of delusional business practice?

      Delete
    2. KateSeptember 19, 2018 at 4:16 PM

      I suppose the upside is that it makes all the other sellers selling books at £80 look a lot better.

      Delete
  4. Roger AllenSeptember 19, 2018 at 2:04 PM

    It's been suggested that these absurd prices might be ways to "launder" illegally acquired money.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. J F NorrisSeptember 19, 2018 at 5:00 PM

      Now there's a clever idea for a crime story or novel. I could borrow from my hero Guy Boothby and and title it "A Bid for Fortune".

      Delete
  5. Clothes In BooksSeptember 19, 2018 at 2:14 PM

    Yes, that is hilarious. and I love it that he hasn't even rounded up or down, what an odd amount that is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. J F NorrisSeptember 19, 2018 at 5:07 PM

      No doubt a mystical figure decided upon after careful consultation with astrologists and numerology wizards. All those fives (the truly magical number) and digits that add up to nine will ensure a sale.

      Delete
  6. Nick FullerSeptember 19, 2018 at 3:57 PM

    I haven't read The Ghosts High Noon for 20 years, so I was after a cheap reading copy. This'll do nicely!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nick FullerSeptember 19, 2018 at 3:57 PM

    And it's in Australia, to boot. How convenient!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gillian AnnSeptember 21, 2018 at 3:30 AM

    Amazing - a book no doubt worth its physical weight in gold?
    If anyone is interested, I do have the soft copy of this book - as it will be physically less than the weight of air it will be totally free...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Rick RobinsonSeptember 21, 2018 at 9:43 AM

    At $5.45 it would have been slightly overpriced, but this? My guess is the cat walked on the keyboard while the price was being typed... but more likely there is a true believer of the P.T. Barnum quote.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. J F NorrisSeptember 21, 2018 at 12:13 PM

      You know, I think you're onto something. 5.45 is probably the intended price and the 1.95 after it is maybe the shipping fee in Australia. I bet the typist forgot to hit the tab or return key in between the two prices.

      Delete
  10. dfordoomSeptember 24, 2018 at 6:28 AM

    The good news is that the seller has two copies. I'm wondering if I buy both will he give me a discount on the shipping costs?

    ReplyDelete

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