Mabel's Consumer Report: pocket books

I used to work for a large book chain so I was used to getting a discount off my books. Yes, this is how you end up with 600 books on your fiction "to be read" pile. (That plus an bookaholic-enabling friend with a collection of 5000 books who would bring me to the cheapest second hand booksale in town twice a year.) I don't know how many non-fiction books my husband and I own, I haven't counted. I see at least 200 in this room.

click to see full cartoon

Since I don't work there anymore I have to get my cheapee books some other way--once you pay cheap, it's hard to go back. Not that I um ahem need any more books. Ahem ahem. (Did I mention I live, literally, across the street from a good library? I didn't get an ereader because I don't like physical books. I got it so I can hide more books.)

So I buy from amazon.ca, indigo.ca, ebooks from kobo, and secondhand books from abebooks and betterworldbooks. Still haven't found the best source for cheap French books--the secondhand places are downtown (I'm in les burbs.)

Since kobo no longer sends out 20% coupons >:-(  I decided to check out other ebook sources. Specifically on mass market (pocket) books cause they're the hardest to find deals on. Here's the book I investigated, but she's a Betty author so though I included second hand sources for general information purposes, I would buy this new. (Gotta support one's peeps.)

NEW ACTUAL BOOK
Indigo in-store & online price: 9.99
B&N online price (& probably in-store): 7.99
Amazon online: 7.99

EBOOK
Kobo: (can be used on everything except kindle) 6.19
Amazon: (for use with kindle, or with phones/apple products, but can't be used on other ereaders) 6.39
all other sites: 7.74 - 7.99

USED BOOK
indigo - I don't bother with indigo--the secondhand source they use is always the most expensive one. Might be okay if the shipping was cheaper than that of the US and UK sources, but it isn't at all: 6.47 to Canada - 7.99 to the US

amazon.ca - .01 cent + 6.49 shipping <--Shipping is always this rate, but at abebooks there are different rates, which is why I usually shop there, as a Canadian.
amazon.com - .01cent + 3.99 shipping OR 3.65 + can add to a $25 free shipping order

B&N - 1.99 + 3.99 to US  / 8.95 to Can shipping

abebooks - current best deal: 1.00 + 2.95 to US/ 6.00 to Can shipping  <-- they always put the cheapest TOTAL price at the top of the list, which I lurv

betterworldbooks - 4.98 + free shipping worldwide

BEST DEAL FOR AMERICANS:  ABEBOOKS.COM = 3.95
BEST DEAL FOR EVERYONE ELSE:  BETTERWORLD = 4.98
BEST DEAL IF SUPPORTING THE AUTHOR :-)  KOBO = 6.19

Lessons of the Day: When buying mass market...

1. Unless you have a kindle, kobo still has competitive pricing with them, so definitely check them out. Once all publishers go agency, go with whoever gives you good customer service, or support local, or an independent eseller.

2.  While physical books are still swimming around out there, secondhand online is an excellent source of inexpensive books--you often pay for little more than the shipping. Keep this in mind with books that were bestsellers at some point, cause they're likely to be in abundance and cheap.*

* Wonder how much a useless copy of Three Cups of Tea goes for now? Ah, amazon has 1656 copies available for 1 cent.