Need a good laugh?

imabuddha · #1

Take a look at this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/ ... ition=used
:lol:

kirkmc · #2

Wow, I'm going to sell mine. :-)

Hushfield · #3

That's just wrong.

redponey · #4

Well, it can be found through bookfinder for as little as $37.57, so I don't think the copies are going to move very fast.

fwiffo · #5

It can be ordered new from Kiseido for $18. I assume the copy for sale on amazon is a hard-cover, signed, first-edition printed on currency.

BaghwanB · #6

It's the super-rare edition with the extra chapter (the TRUE endgame) that tells you how to come back from a 40 point deficit.

Bruce "Ender's Real Game" Young

Stable · #7

I think I've seen these companies before. I noticed them re-selling my books for rediculous prices (especially given that we sell really cheaply in the first place), so they're obvious scammers... but then, I suppose they only need one or two numpties to accidentally buy one to do well out of it.

kirkmc · #8

Stable wrote:

I think I've seen these companies before. I noticed them re-selling my books for rediculous prices (especially given that we sell really cheaply in the first place), so they're obvious scammers... but then, I suppose they only need one or two numpties to accidentally buy one to do well out of it.

No, I wouldn't call them scammers. Opportunists, perhaps, looking to get high prices for rare books. Since more people are searching for out-of-print books, prices for many of them have gone up substantially (though rarely this high).

Also, these companies use automatic pricing software, and I think that, in some cases, these programs go a little bit bonkers, especially if there are more than one companies selling the same book.

Hushfield · #9

BaghwanB wrote:

It's the super-rare edition with the extra chapter (the TRUE endgame) that tells you how to come back from a 40 point deficit. Bruce "Ender's Real Game" Young

I have a different theory. Ogawa Tomoko writes about her lessons from Chuck Norris and how those affected her ability to smash opponents to bits when behind in the endgame. I would pay a thousand dollars to read about that.

deja · **#10**

kirkmc wrote:

Also, these companies use automatic pricing software, and I think that, in some cases, these programs go a little bit bonkers, especially if there are more than one companies selling the same book.

I come across these silly prices once and a while when searching for a book on Amazon and have always wondered about this. They're always high volume sellers too. What's funny is the seller who is trying to undercut the $999.98 price by a penny. I'm sure that's automatic as well.

Exologist · **#11**

Alright, time to drain the savings account, I need to learn up on my endgame.

palapiku · **#12**

Joaz Banbeck wrote:

I predict that those prices will drop to about 20 dollars by tomorrow.

Just noticed this thread. The price hasn't dropped

Mike Novack · **#13**

Bizarre error of some sort?

First of all, these aren't "first editions" or anything like that (they are from a more recent reprinting). And they aren't hard cover either (book perhaps never published in hard cover).

I had no problem finding several used copies from the earlier printings and the proces are 20's to 30's

Hey, got lots of experience ustilizing the standard "trade" used book sites when trying to replace specific books lost in the fire. Of course we didn't buy them ourselves. Some good friends are in that trade and their offer of help after the fire was to have us first check on "availablity" (does anybody have it) and then give them a list and they'd get them for us (insider knowledge, who is trustworthy on things like described condition, etc. --- and perhaps borderline vendors wouldn't dare try to fob off a junkier copy on fellow book traders).

Stefany93 · **#14**

Sorry guys, but I really didn't understand what is this all about :-?

Can you exaplain to my retarded mind what is so funny?

kokomi · **#15**

Araban · **#16**

Hahaha, that's hilarious!...

*removes from cart*

balmung · **#17**

http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?mtype ... &hs=Submit

always get my used books here.

Mef · **#18**

I know the thread is a little old, but I found a link to a blog posting yesterday that made me think of this thread. I figured I'd post it for those who might be interested: http://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=358 . It outlines in detail basically what kirk has already mentioned.

The long and short of it -- 2 large sellers use algorithmic pricing to set their price relative to the other's price. If the algorithms interact in a funny way it can spiral out of control (example in the blog -- Seller B sets their price to .998 * Seller A's price, Seller A resets their price to 1.27*Seller B)

hyperpape · **#19**

I saw that article and thought "I really ought to post this for Joaz to see." Hope he reads this thread.

Joaz Banbeck · **#20**

hyperpape wrote:

I saw that article and thought "I really ought to post this for Joaz to see." Hope he reads this thread.

I did. Thanks.

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