Amazing Libraries

[Boatbuilder]

It shows how much profit there is in books based on RRP. I think it is only put there to make you think you're getting a bargain when it's being sold so much cheaper. The BBC 'Dynasties' I mentioned earlier sells on Amazon for £10 against the RRP printed on it of £25.

[Courtenay]

That's an even bigger discount percentage-wise than the Libraries book — 60% off RRP as opposed to 33% — but the scale of the money involved is rather different... I wonder why publishers still bother with RRP when so many online sellers undercut it and so many buyers take advantage of that? But I suppose the publisher and author are getting the same amount of revenue regardless of what the seller actually sells it for. I suppose huge online companies like Amazon can afford to make less profit per book if they're going to sell so many more copies by putting it at a "bargain" price.

[Boatbuilder]

I first saw the book in Asda and they only had the one and it was £13 which is what I paid as I thought it was a good buy after I looked at the RRP. It was only after, when I checked Amazon, that I felt a bit peeved.

[Courtenay]

Oh well, paying £13 for a book and finding it on Amazon for £10 is at least a bit better than paying £150 and finding it on Amazon for £100...

[Fiona1986]

I was fascinated to discover that until the 90s there was an agreement in place in the UK between publishing houses and book sellers. Book sellers weren't allowed to discount any new books at all and only got around it by deliberately damaging or defacing stock they wanted to sell off cheaper. It only ended after the rise of chain shops like Waterstones and the power they were able to exert enough pressure to take the agreement to court where it was found to be illegal and stopped.

What a different world we are in now!

[Courtenay]

I'll say. I wonder if there were similar arrangements in place in Australia? We have a few chains of bargain booksellers (similar to The Works etc. over here) nowadays, but I don't remember them being around when I was really little — only since I was in my late teens or so. I'm sure it used to be uncommon to see new books being sold for discount prices unless they were damaged or else maybe the very last of a print run.

[Wolfgang]

I was fascinated to discover that until the 90s there was an agreement in place in the UK between publishing houses and book sellers. Book sellers weren't allowed to discount any new books at all and only got around it by deliberately damaging or defacing stock they wanted to sell off cheaper.

In Germany this system ist still active (Buchpreisbindung) despite the pressure Amazon built up to break it. As far as I know this has also gone to the European Court, but either it hasn't decided about it yet, or it decided that the system was ok.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I was fascinated to discover that until the 90s there was an agreement in place in the UK between publishing houses and book sellers. Book sellers weren't allowed to discount any new books at all and only got around it by deliberately damaging or defacing stock they wanted to sell off cheaper. It only ended after the rise of chain shops like Waterstones and the power they were able to exert enough pressure to take the agreement to court where it was found to be illegal and stopped.

Ah yes - that was the Net Book Agreement, which was scrapped in 1991. This 2011 article talks of how the dissolution of the Net Book Agreement was actually the beginning of the end for many high street bookshops, with the situation worsening with the advent of out-of-town superstores and internet shopping:

https://www.thebookseller.com/blogs/perfect-storm#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Back in 2011 Amazon was selling most of its stock at a heavy discount, as pointed out in the article, but that seems to have changed in recent years and the discounts are no longer as massive (with the exception of certain best-selling items). Perhaps that's part of the reason why Waterstones is currently doing better than anyone could have predicted and is even taking over the family-owned book chain Foyles:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... siren-call" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Apparently, the deal has been drawn up in a way that "secures the brand's future and protects its personality."

[Fiona1986]

Amazon's books aren't as heavily discounted but they are often cheaper than Waterstone's still. Most of the latest Hodder Enid Blyton story collections are cheaper on Amazon as is a colouring book I just ordered.

[Courtenay]

I have to admit I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to buying from Amazon — if I can find the exact book I want from the comfort of my own room and it's cheaper there than it would be from the high street, I'm afraid I just go right ahead without compunction.

Most of the latest Hodder Enid Blyton story collections are cheaper on Amazon as is a colouring book I just ordered.

For Brodie, or for yourself?

[Boatbuilder]

Although a lot of my books these days (novels) are e-books I do still buy some paper versions including hardbacks. I recently bought the latest two of Ian Rankin's Rebus novels in hardback and an earlier one in paperback. However, non-fiction books I prefer the hardback versions. Either way, the vast majority are through Amazon - apart from the recent one previously mentioned. Oh - and five that I have now bought from Rob.

[Fiona1986]

Most of the latest Hodder Enid Blyton story collections are cheaper on Amazon as is a colouring book I just ordered.

For Brodie, or for yourself?

I've got too many colouring books and not enough time, and Brodie's a bit wee for them yet. So it as actually for a young carer. Our local Waterstones does a giving tree with wishes from local young carers and you buy a book for the tree and they wrap it and deliver it for Christmas. Usually they have general wishes but this year children could pick a specific book - and the one my mum wanted to fulfil was out of stock in store and online. So the staff member said in that case it would be OK to buy it elsewhere. As I have Amazon Prime I ordered it (at better than half price) so it would come quickly and my sister could drop it off on her lunch break.

[Courtenay]

That's a lovely idea and very good of Waterstones to put a young carer's choice of book first rather than their own profits! Glad you were able to fulfil it.

[jubei]

Moved from 'Weird and wonderful bookshops'.

How about these libraries:

https://www.boredpanda.com/tianjin-binh ... gn=organic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5_mFd-9y1M" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/ ... 20aa1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Daisy]

I wonder anyone can find the book they're looking for in that Chinese library!