While I do patronize my local, independent booksellers, if I want a used book, I am much more likely to go to half.com. Why? Because I can often find ridiculous deals where the shipping price is much greater than the book’s price. Witness my recent haul.
Just to provide some context, the first three are scholarly treatments of sexuality and courtship in historical America, soundly written, well-respected titles, you know, the sort that cost half a hundred dollars when they first come out. They owe their disgusting cheapness, I assume, to their promulgation [hence quick use and discard] as college course books. The last is the aforementioned book My Husband Betty, which, as a popular, recent trade paperback, is significantly more expensive. Note, however, that shipping still makes up more than 50% of the costs.
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| Price: |
$1.88 |
| Media Mail: |
$3.49 |
| Subtotal: |
$5.37 |
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| Price: |
$1.94 |
| Media Mail: |
$3.99 |
| Subtotal: |
$5.93 |
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| Price: |
$1.00 |
| Media Mail: |
$3.49 |
| Subtotal: |
$4.49 |
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| Price: |
$7.16 |
| Media Mail: |
$3.49 |
| Subtotal: |
$10.65 |
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Merchandise:
Shipping:
TOTAL: |
$11.98
$14.46
$26.44 |
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