Photo: Screen capture for Amazon.com sales page during the first week of my new book’s release.
Hopefully last week you caught the announcement I made regarding the official publication release of my newest book, Photographing California; Vol. 1 – North.
Within just a couple days, I saw this listing on Amazon offering a “Like New” used copy of my brand new book, but selling for a whopping $1,000.00. – Now I gotta admire the chutzpah of this seller, who must be banking on the old PT Barnum line of there being a sucker born every minute.
Not to be out-done, I’m not only going to match his offer, but I’m gonna beat it!! If you’re willing to pay $999.99 for a copy of my book – don’t buy it from this bozo. Instead, buy it from me, and I’ll upgrade you to a brand new autographed copy. And if you act now, I’ll throw in a free 30×40″ premium showcase-quality metallic float frame print. That’s right, you heard me, ABSOLUTELY FREE. Plus, I’ll throw in free shipping.
Why get just a ‘like new’ used book for a thousand bucks, when for the same price you get a new signed copy AND a free print?
ACT NOW – Contact me directly and tell me you’d like to take advantage of this Amazing Holiday offer!
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but… but… but his marketplace is “Quick N Easy” — Too funny!
It is not chutzpah, but a deliberate business strategy: some photo books go out of print very quickly, become collectible, and do fetch those kind of prices in the marketplace (for an example, see http://www.amazon.com/Flamboya-Viviane-Sassen/dp/8869651398/ for which fortunately I paid only $40). However you don’t know which ones will do so, and as a dealer, it is too much work to follow market prices for a large number of books. So you just list at the target “collectible” price. It doesn’t cost you anything if the book never reaches that price. If it does, you can make a lucrative sale to someone who is not necessarily a “sucker”. As an author, stock up on a number of copies…