Are these prices real?
February 15, 2010 2:31 AM Subscribe
Why is this book so insanely high-priced?
a quick search using BookButler suggests there are more copies (at more reasonable prices) out there
posted by davemack at 3:01 AM on February 15, 2010
posted by davemack at 3:01 AM on February 15, 2010
Yes, look around for a cheaper copy--Amazon should always be your last resort for out of print books.
posted by Prospero at 4:01 AM on February 15, 2010
posted by Prospero at 4:01 AM on February 15, 2010
A word of warning about BookButler, thought, it often shows you ghost deals, like you can't actually get Typologies for Indistrial Building at Barnes & Noble for 58.50, they don't have it in stock. In fact, all of the $100 or less entries are not in stock, except perhaps Waterstone's.
posted by Kattullus at 4:47 AM on February 15, 2010
posted by Kattullus at 4:47 AM on February 15, 2010
What a beautiful book. Check abebooks.com -- they have some with the same title, but maybe in paperback. They have work by the same photographers for 7500US -- so maybe amazon's a bargain!
posted by bwonder2 at 4:51 AM on February 15, 2010
posted by bwonder2 at 4:51 AM on February 15, 2010
Maybe contact the publisher's bookshop directly: MIT Press Bookshop.
posted by featherboa at 5:00 AM on February 15, 2010
posted by featherboa at 5:00 AM on February 15, 2010
$500 isn't really that unusual for a rare art book. I have an out of print Donald Judd furniture book that sells for around $1000. It was a small run, was the only book published by Judd on his furniture while he was alive, has text in english, dutch, and german, has over lapping art and design interest ...
That said, Ursus Books lists the Becher book at $78. But that doesn't mean they have it.
posted by R. Mutt at 5:50 AM on February 15, 2010
That said, Ursus Books lists the Becher book at $78. But that doesn't mean they have it.
posted by R. Mutt at 5:50 AM on February 15, 2010
I have noticed that there are a lot of vendors who put extremely high mark ups on out of print material (often very soon after the item goes out of print), apparently in the theory that someone will eventually pay for it. I'm not sure this is all that great a strategy, since the items don't seem to move all that rapidly, and, when I was in the book business, I would have much rather sold something for $20 this month than for $150 in 5 years. But hey, maybe the internet has changed all this. The prices are often a little odd, as well (like $123.50 rather than $125), so I wonder if there isn't some element of datamining and computer-mediated price adjustment going on.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:08 AM on February 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:08 AM on February 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, "Internationalbooks" (The lowest new Amazon price) is notorious for "highballing" their books. I bet that they were the only seller at one point, then others got on and just jumped on the bandwagon. Then the Abe sellers followed suit after looking at the prices on Amazon.
posted by thebrokedown at 7:01 AM on February 15, 2010
posted by thebrokedown at 7:01 AM on February 15, 2010
Also, try Powell's:
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=0262025655
They don't appear to have it at the moment, but you can sign up for an email when they get it in.
I've seen out of print books listed for $25 on Amazon come in for $2 at Powell's.
For used and out of print books, Powell's is pretty amazing. (I don't work for them or anything.)
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 8:18 AM on February 15, 2010
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=0262025655
They don't appear to have it at the moment, but you can sign up for an email when they get it in.
I've seen out of print books listed for $25 on Amazon come in for $2 at Powell's.
For used and out of print books, Powell's is pretty amazing. (I don't work for them or anything.)
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 8:18 AM on February 15, 2010
Specific Object in NYC is pretty interesting for this kind of thing. But they don't mess around. Serious art books. Serious money.
Also, Printed Matter in NYC.
posted by R. Mutt at 9:32 AM on February 15, 2010
Also, Printed Matter in NYC.
posted by R. Mutt at 9:32 AM on February 15, 2010
As mentioned by bwonder2, check Abe. They have a copy for $235.
posted by bolognius maximus at 9:37 AM on February 15, 2010
posted by bolognius maximus at 9:37 AM on February 15, 2010
Maybe I'm missing something, but Amazon has a used paperback copy of the same book for $73 and a new copy for $121. You're looking at just hardbacks on that page.
Also keep in mind that what you're seeing with those enormous hardback prices may not actually reflect what the books sell for. For all we know, those two listings have been there for years, and the hardback editions that actually sell are selling at significantly lower prices.
Thirdly, you have great taste in books. The Bechers are amazing photographers.
posted by mediareport at 1:58 PM on February 15, 2010
Also keep in mind that what you're seeing with those enormous hardback prices may not actually reflect what the books sell for. For all we know, those two listings have been there for years, and the hardback editions that actually sell are selling at significantly lower prices.
Thirdly, you have great taste in books. The Bechers are amazing photographers.
posted by mediareport at 1:58 PM on February 15, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks all for the links - and yes, it is a beautiful book, and I really love the Bechers. Fascinating stuff.
posted by schmichael at 5:54 PM on February 15, 2010
posted by schmichael at 5:54 PM on February 15, 2010
If you don't need it right now and aren't bothered about which print run your copy comes from, it might be printed again. The Bechers' are still very popular so it isn't out of the realm of possibility. I've seen this happen with the Rem Koolhaus/Bruce Mau book, S, M, L, XL and Richter's Atlas (although new things get added so that really is a new publication each time it is re-published). Once the new edition comes out, the price on the older ones also tend to drop (again less true with Atlas due to the differences in each new edition).
posted by kaybdc at 9:48 PM on February 15, 2010
posted by kaybdc at 9:48 PM on February 15, 2010
I really love the Bechers. Fascinating stuff.
Hell yeah. Water Towers, Blast Furnaces and Industrial Facades are some of my favorite art books ever.
posted by mediareport at 10:32 PM on February 15, 2010
Hell yeah. Water Towers, Blast Furnaces and Industrial Facades are some of my favorite art books ever.
posted by mediareport at 10:32 PM on February 15, 2010
Amazon third party sellers always give insane prices for out-of-print books. I have no idea if they sell them at those prices or even have them to begin with. I'd suggest EBay as a better bet.
posted by Artw at 4:07 PM on February 18, 2010
posted by Artw at 4:07 PM on February 18, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by acidic at 2:49 AM on February 15, 2010