Dear All,
I have just been chasing up Harrison’s “Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka” for someone else and have been mind-boggled at the difference in prices. The publisher, Oxford University Press, lists it for AUD 160, AbeBooks, from around AUD 75 up and a bookshop in Sri Lanka, around AUD 17.
I wonder if any one on the list can explain this price discrepancy, apart from the fact that we always seem to be hammered on prices in Australia), I would be mightily obliged.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford ===============================
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I have been using booko – http://www.booko.com.au/ – to compare prices including delivery. ===============================
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Andrew,
I was comparing the same edition and binding, without postage.
The Book Depository price for the new edition is very good, particularly with postage included. NHBS are quoting GBP 27.50 plus GBP 6 for postage, equal to about AUD 52.00. I think I will be buying from the Book Depository when the time comes for me to go to Sri Lanka, one-day.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
Are you comparing the same volumes and with or without postage.
Looking at the Book Depository (from which I have obtained a number of books, not easily obtainable in Australia), there are three versions available.
An edition published in 1999. for $71.55 A paperback edition to be published 27th January 2011 for $37.89 A hardback edition to be published 27th January 2011 for $75.39
All prices include postage to Australia. This could explain at least part of the variation you have seen.
Cheers
Andrew
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Used first edition copies of my ‘Birds of Australia’s Top End’ are on sale on amazon.com for $US210 a copy (they originally retailed at $Au30).
The reasons for such price discrepancies may be demand – as Michael and I found when we owned a secondhand book shop.
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Birdwatching and Indigenous tourism consultant PhD Candidate Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia
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on 28/12/10 11:32 AM, Dave Torr at davidtorr@gmail.com wrote:
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Inger,
I have done a bit further research on the title and on several bookseller sites, it is listed as a print on demand title, which may explain the price discrepancy, particularly if it is printed in Sri Lanka or India, where printing costs are somewhat cheaper.
Interestingly, Natural History Book Service lists the current edition (1999) in soft cover and print on demand, is listed for GBP 44.95, while the new edition to be released in Jan 2011, is listed as GBP 27.50 , while OUP USA list the new edition as priced at USD 98.50 (approx. GBP 64.00), and OUP lists it as AUD 160 (approx GPP 104.00). It would take some pretty creative book-keeping to pass off discrepancies in price of up to 350% as being due to freight, import taxes etc.
As for field guides produced in the first world being more serviceable, well, I have yet to have a field guide that is truly serviceable as a “field” guide, most are more suited for “armchair” birding.
Also, I tend to buy field guides for the information, not their ornamental quality. If it starts to fall apart in the field, out comes the Librarians gaffer tape.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
Hi All,
OK. I will attempt to explain some of this.
Dave, the discrepancy on Amazon probably means that there is either a first edition or a copy signed by the author or it might have come from a private well-known collection or another thing that gives it value i.e. out of print for years, illustrated with original paintings, etchings etc. I am ALWAYS in the market for first edition books but even I won’t pay huge $$$$ for one unless it is something that I think I will truly get enjoyment out of for years to come.
Carl, the difference between UK, USA, Aus and Sri Lanka has a lot to do with import taxes in each country and where the actual publisher is located.
Sri Lanka, like other countries in the Indian Sub-Continent, will also sell you cheap books often (not always) because they are facsimile copies of the originals. You basically get the same content but lesser quality. I have bought lots of books in Nepal on this basis. They are the equivalent of buying cheap knockoff DVDs/CDs in somewhere like Thailand, except they are books. They are fine if you just want information but if you are looking for good quality pages and a cover in a field guide, that will survive you taking it in to the field for example, then this is probably not your wisest choice.
From a political correctness standpoint, buying books cheaply in places like India by-passes the original publisher and contributes nothing towards the earnings of the writer. It is just another version of the black market whereby writers and contributors ‘lose out’ by people selling copies of their work. As a writer I don’t condone this but it won’t stop me from buying the occasional copy because I feel that publishing, as an industry, is currently being revolutionised.
From an industry viewpoint, my thoughts are that if you write, contribute OR publish, it is probably time that you start to rethink your game. Magazines are getting smaller or dropping their publication frequency because of lesser advertising revenue, some publications are simply going down the gurgler, there are more writers, less work and the push towards e-publishing is threatening to financially push many of us to the wall. The black market publishing of books is just another piece in the complex jigsaw puzzle of staying afloat in publishing today.
The challenges for publishers in the future will be to make a reasonable income from words in a digital age and remain competitive in foreign markets where taxes on books will need to be reviewed against the electronic availability of publications.
This is a very complex issue and there is no simple answer. I hope, however, the above has provided some clarity into price differences you see between online sellers for the same publication.
Cheers,
Inger
Inger Vandyke
Professional Wildlife Photographer and Writer Expedition Leader – Heard Island Expedition (3 November – 7 December, 2011) Assistant Publicity Officer – Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association (SOSSA)
Mob: 0402 286 437
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Well – even if that was the case it was still cheaper ($75 with free shipping) from the publisher compared to $80 plus shipping – so hardly worth the effort!
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Hi Dave, Then it is probably worth seeking clarification from the seller in that instance isn’t it? Cheers, Inger
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Inger – whilst you may be correct about the high prices on Amazon there was no mention of this when I clicked on them – I suspect a more likely explanation is the decimal point was in the wrong place – ie should be $80.80 and not $808! It was certainly the latest edition and so not an antique copy.
Hi All, OK. I will attempt to explain some of this. Dave, the discrepancy on Amazon probably means that there is either a first edition or a copy signed by the author or it might have come from a private well-known collection or another thing that gives it value i.e. out of print for years, illustrated with original paintings, etchings etc. I am ALWAYS in the market for first edition books but even I won’t pay huge $$$$ for one unless it is something that I think I will truly get enjoyment out of for years to come.
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Inger – whilst you may be correct about the high prices on Amazon there was no mention of this when I clicked on them – I suspect a more likely explanation is the decimal point was in the wrong place – ie should be $80.80 and not $808! It was certainly the latest edition and so not an antique copy.
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Are you comparing the same volumes and with or without postage.
Looking at the Book Depository (from which I have obtained a number of books, not easily obtainable in Australia), there are three versions available.
An edition published in 1999. for $71.55 A paperback edition to be published 27th January 2011 for $37.89 A hardback edition to be published 27th January 2011 for $75.39
All prices include postage to Australia. This could explain at least part of the variation you have seen.
Cheers
Andrew
href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
===============================
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Hi All, OK. I will attempt to explain some of this. Dave, the discrepancy on Amazon probably means that there is either a first edition or a copy signed by the author or it might have come from a private well-known collection or another thing that gives it value i.e. out of print for years, illustrated with original paintings, etchings etc. I am ALWAYS in the market for first edition books but even I won’t pay huge $$$$ for one unless it is something that I think I will truly get enjoyment out of for years to come. Carl, the difference between UK, USA, Aus and Sri Lanka has a lot to do with import taxes in each country and where the actual publisher is located. Sri Lanka, like other countries in the Indian Sub-Continent, will also sell you cheap books often (not always) because they are facsimile copies of the originals. You basically get the same content but lesser quality. I have bought lots of books in Nepal on this basis. They are the equivalent of buying cheap knockoff DVDs/CDs in somewhere like Thailand, except they are books. They are fine if you just want information but if you are looking for good quality pages and a cover in a field guide, that will survive you taking it in to the field for example, then this is probably not your wisest choice. The challenges for publishers in the future will be to make a reasonable income from words in a digital age and remain competitive in foreign markets where taxes on books will need to be reviewed against the electronic availability of publications. This is a very complex issue and there is no simple answer. I hope, however, the above has provided some clarity into price differences you see between online sellers for the same publication. Cheers, Inger
Inger Vandyke
Professional Wildlife Photographer and Writer Expedition Leader – Heard Island Expedition (3 November – 7 December, 2011) Assistant Publicity Officer – Southern Oceans Seabird Study Association (SOSSA)
Mob: 0402 286 437
http://www.ingervandyke.com http://www.ingervandyke.blogspot.com
Please join the Heard Island Expedition online http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=372344967432&ref=ts http://www.heardislandexpedition.blogspot.com http://www.heardisland.com.au
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Yes, a real case of “go figure”. I have given up on Amazon because their prices are often ridiculous, their freight exorbitant and several times they have refused to send the books I ordered to Australia. At least the sellers linked to AbeBooks use the US mail service, which is much, much cheaper.
Carl Clifford
It is often weird. I was looking for a book recently which was on sale in Aus for around $100 – from the publisher in Europe at $75 inc postage and on Amazon for – wait for it – $808 new and over $1000 secondhand!
On 28 December 2010 12:28, Carl Clifford wrote: Dear All,
I have just been chasing up Harrison’s “Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka” for someone else and have been mind-boggled at the difference in prices. The publisher, Oxford University Press, lists it for AUD 160, AbeBooks, from around AUD 75 up and a bookshop in Sri Lanka, around AUD 17.
I wonder if any one on the list can explain this price discrepancy, apart from the fact that we always seem to be hammered on prices in Australia), I would be mightily obliged.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford ===============================
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It is often weird. I was looking for a book recently which was on sale in Aus for around $100 – from the publisher in Europe at $75 inc postage and on Amazon for – wait for it – $808 new and over $1000 secondhand!
href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au ===============================
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