Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

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Zar Quon
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by Zar Quon »

BookWorm19 wrote:I can understand how you mean time consuming, by needing to wait for the auction to finish, sometimes its a week or 10 days, and you like to keep your eye on it to see how many bids are on it
Yeah, but really If you can't afford the wait, maybe you don't *really* want it?

Also, once it's on yer watch list, ebay sends you an email to remind you it's nearly over....
BookWorm19 wrote:On ebay though, there are many buy it now items, which is not at all time consuming, and I've bought loads of books on ebay via buy it now.
So've I - but only if the price was right.... :wink:
BookWorm19 wrote:You can even message some sellers who are selling their items via auction, and you can offer them a buy it now price. I've done this a couple of times, and some have said yes, and some have said no. It cant hurt to ask!
True - mind, I've made best offers on some things where the sellers idea of "best offer" is clearly a fiver under their (too-high) asking price. So I chalk them down to "You loss, not mine" & move on :)
RunrigNutter
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by RunrigNutter »

But if you went to a auction, sometimes that item will be there for 10 days. If all depends if you really want it. Ebay is really good; as you will see a picture of that item. I don't find it time-conusing; if you are watching a item; you can be busy in a week and come back to check it's progress. You dont have to on Ebay 24/7'; like me, I could be on a bible site; or watching X-Factor, or watch a film and I go back to it.
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Zar Quon
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by Zar Quon »

RunrigNutter wrote:But if you went to a auction, sometimes that item will be there for 10 days. If all depends if you really want it.
Sometimes it's there longer if no beggar bids on it :mrgreen:
RunrigNutter
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by RunrigNutter »

Well true, but if there was a sealed copy of a FF VHS, it be rare.
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Chrissie777
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by Chrissie777 »

MJE wrote:  I don't know about the original illustrations - but I feel you are safe with regard to the original text if you buy any edition before 1970 or so - even a paperback. I think Amazon sells quite a few second-hand books now, so I wouldn't rule it out as an option. But if you've found most copies of this book there to be too recent, you might try http://used.addall.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, or turn back to eBay again.
I also agree that Amazon listings often have errors in them. In fact, if you are trying to find reliable bibliographical information about a book or an author's works generally, I would *never* trust anything you see on Amazon without corroborating it on some more reliable site, or (best of all) several different independent web sites that agree.
     For new books, very likely a local bookshop is best of all. Buying on-line is always going to be handicapped by postage or shipping charges, which can be quite substantial, especially from overseas.
Hi Michael,

Sorry it took me a while to respond. We just returned from a trip.
I added the website you gave me to my bookmarks and will try to find a copy from "The Secret Island" from pre 1970. Thanks for the tip.

BTW twice a year I order (for my birthday and for xmas) books and DVD's at amazon.com and amazon.de, often from amazon.co.uk and made it a rule to send inquiries regarding the edition or illustrations of a book to the private sellers first before ordering.

For a few years we order almost everything at amazon used (if possible) and save a lot of money that way. Never received a bad product. Even with the shipping costs it's still less than what we would pay at B & N.
New books in local bookstores would be lovely, but over here in the US there are almost no privately owned bookstores left. Barnes & Noble (they usually don't have my kind of books, only a selection of what has been published) destroyed the nice local bookstores years ago. I think there are only two great private bookstores left in New England that were able to survive B & N (one is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, the other one in Kennebunkport, Maine, but unfortunately none in our area in Massachusetts).
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RunrigNutter
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by RunrigNutter »

Like I said, Amazon is good, but without picture on a lot of items, how do you know you are going to recieve the copy you want? Would you be wasting your money, buying something, only until you want it's the wrong product altogether?. As for Ebay being time-consusing.....I dont agree. You see a auction, and if you really want that item, you bid for it. Unless you really want it. Ebay shows pictures, so you can see the picture, of the item. Yes, bids may take over a week; but you could browse things you like, like I do with church, or watch a film. Also in a real auction, some items be there for weeks before it gets sold. I believe emailing sellers on Amaon is far more time comsuming. Some sellers take days to reply, to the 1-2 days from Ebay. Ebay has a buy it now, so you can order straight away, follow the instructions then you done.
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Chrissie777
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by Chrissie777 »

RunrigNutter wrote:. Ebay is really good; as you will see a picture of that item. I don't find it time-conusing; if you are watching a item; you can be busy in a week and come back to check it'
O.k., last night I gave ebay a chance and checked for several books and DVD's that I am planning to order at amazon.de/com/fr/co.uk/ca in October. Not one of them items was as cheap as it was in amazon.
So ebay might be good for some people for other items (not books or DVD's though), but for the stuff I'm interested in, they ask for the triple prize or even more. I rather order from amazon and save money and that enables me to order more stuff in the end. So I continue being rather sceptical about ebay.

A friend of mine who lives in Bristol, UK, sells a lot on ebay and many of her clothes goes away for 1 British Pound. That sounds very reasonable, but movies & books on ebay seem hopelessly over-priced.

BTW in amazon.com/amazon.de/amazon.co.uk/amazon.fr/amazon.ca there are most of the time also photos of the items.
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pete9012S
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by pete9012S »

I too have been after a reasonably priced copy of this amazing book.
I bought a copy from ebay this morning.

Image
Enid Blyton - The Secret Island - Blackwell 1949
Book is in a good reading condition in green boards, no dustwrapper


I bought it for 99p.Is that a good price for this particular edition does anyone know?
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Fiona1986
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by Fiona1986 »

That's the same edition I have Pete.

I probably paid a little more than that, but it would definitely been less than £5 once postage was included.
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pete9012S
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Re: Wanted - Older Copy from "The Secret Island"

Post by pete9012S »

That sounds about right then thanks.
Wonder how much the 1949 edition differs from the hard to procure 1938 1st edition??
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