No - I've never understood why paperbacks have gone up in price so much. I asked a friend of mine to pick up Weight of Numbers in London for me. I assumed because it was paperback, it wouldn't be that much. Wrong - it was as much as a hardback. And whats frustrating is that our used bookstore sells half off the price of the book, so now even used paperbacks are more. And now hardbacks are often $35. They complain that people aren't buying books; they can first start looking at their prices as to why more and more people are going to Amazon or ABE.

I try very hard not to buy paperbacks at full price and I almost never buy hardcover -- the cost is ridiculous, larger format or not.

I've been using the library more, trading books with family and friends, and buying quite a bit second hand.

What ever happened to those nice, basic $3.99 mass market paperbacks? Or am I dating myself *g*?

If I want to buy a book to own I only buy at either Costco or Sam's Club-most hardbacks are about $14.00 and paperbacks are a little less than $5.00.

Apart from the cost I have also run out of space to 'keep' books so find myself using the library more and more.

Pat

I buy my books mostly from Amazon; from Borders if I have a big enough savings coupon. I refuse to pay full price. After I read them, I pass them on to people I know who don't have a lot of discretionary income, but who love to read.

I buy a lot of used books, partly because I have a decided preference for hardbacks, and partly because sometimes I discover an author after his earlier books have gone out of print.

I do buy from Amazon, but I also buy from the chains and from the independents. The chains offer browsing convenience and the serendipity of discovery. The independents, the most expensive of the options because they themselves buy in small volume, need all our support if they are to survive. Without independents, fewer new authors will be nurtured, and I suspect that prices will really take off when only Amazon and half a dozen big chains completely control book distribution!

Rosefolly

I try to buy from my indie, and if I am going to pay for a new must have hardback, thats where I'll get it. Otherwise I shop at the used store, or on ABE.

Oh, groan! So the increase in size is "for easier reading?" I don't particularly want my fiction paperbacks to be any bigger, especially if the price is going up by $2.00. I wonder who they asked! Hardcover prices have seemed too high to me for ages. I mean--only about 4 books for $100? And now it may become "fewer than 3 books for $100."

If anyone reading this doesn't already know about PaperBackSwap.com, please have a look at it. THERE, you only pay the price of postage, whether for a paperback or hardcover, and many of the books are as good as new. (Of course, sometimes you get an older one.) You can perform a search for the books you want and if they are not available, have them put on your Wish List so you will be notified if anyone makes them available. I was able to order Bound Feet, Western Dress that way just today. Had been waiting for months for someone to post it.

The only time I go into a book store of any kind now is when I am traveling and need something to read, or if I must have a book right away to give as a present. It's the library, PaperBackSwap, Amazon (frequently their second-hand books), or Barnes and Noble online for me!

I don't mean to seem rude, but you might like to reconsider your 'high price' paperbacks when you hear the Australian prices. I work in a book shop.

Standard 'b' format paperbacks are mostly $19 or $20. Literary fiction is generally a very slightly larger size and costs $20-25. Trade paperbacks (the large ones, same size as most hardbacks) are $30-33. Hardbacks are generally $45+. Prices are set by the publishers and book shops often reduce the prices on new releases to be a bit more competitive, but of course that reduces profits.
Many books are sold as loss leaders in discount department stores, and it is hard for independent or franchise shops to compete. Borders constantly sells books for less than cost - I think the loss is absorbed by the parent company in the US. My shop works hard to offer customer service which is non-existant in the discount stores.

Just to give you some idea, top of the teachers' salary scale in NSW is $69 000pa, full time shop assistant about $545 per week.

To make it even clearer, I went to one of those online currency converters, and this is what they said about American money vs Australian money:

1 USD = 1.32635 AUD
1 AUD = 0.753949 USD

Rosefolly

ouch!

Why I don't buy books anymore, unless I am given a gift certificate or find something for ca. $2-3 at a used book store. I have learned to haunt thrift stores and library sales and re-read the books I already own. There is a paperback swap store here in town which does a thriving business, as does the "Friends of the Library" gift store, selling hardbacks often in mint condition at a good price.

Whenever I pick up a new novel, I am always aware that the cost of same book is even more for our friends in Canada....

This might be a place where a consumer action could really be effective. If all the book readers and buyers decided not to buy for a couple of months, the bookstores might realize how really dependent on our discretionary spending they are. This isn't like gas, or milk, or medications. However, given the divulgences we have made here regarding our TBR stacks and shelves, we wouldn't really suffer, we'd have those stacks and shelves to sustain us. I myself have enough books to provide 2 years plus of one book a week! And there would always be the library and sharing with friends and family to supplement that. My kids never visit without taking or bringing books, and the same when I go to their houses. Plus, we all confess to re-reading our favorites.

This is going to date me, but I remember when paperbacks were 50 cents... Now, I go to Thift Shops and get a used one for 50 cents. I am one of the lucky ones. My church runs a Thrift Shop and the donators seem to have the same tastes in PBs that I do.

Our local Humane Shelter has a neat deal too. $4.00 per book for paperbacks, but if you buy one, you get one free. Please don't ask me why they don't just charge 2 bucks and let it go at that. I suspect that the buy one-get one free deal gets rid of a lot more books faster. They have TONS of the things!

veronicae, believe me, the book shops do know how dependent they are on customers, but the prices are not set by the shops. If the shop is paying $10 from the publisher, selling at $12 just won't cover costs of staff, rent and utilities.

Where I work, there are 11 full time staff and 3 part time working each day, at wages of say $15-20 per hour. That's a lot of books to sell just to cover wages.

Books are expensive but necessary! I now only buy what I can't live without...new or used.
I see my library as a bookstore where I can test drive the books without charge.
My library runs a used bookstore where the prices are excellent for hardbound and paperback.I hope to volunteer there someday when I can cut back on my work hours.