What Accounts for This?

[pearlygirl555]

Hello booksellers, I've got a question for you

When researching A Brain is Born by John Upledger prior to listing it here yesterday, I noticed that there was a wide price variance for it. I found it new for $65, and used for anything from $50 to $349.99. The book is out of print but I can't imagine that accounting for the price span --- or does it? There seemed to be no difference between the cheaper copies and the outrageous ones, they weren't autographed or accompanied by DVDs.

Just curious, the book sold within hours of being listed......I've had other items sell as quickly, and with similar price variances on the 'net, but those were things that I understood better, and knew why they sold as they did.

Thanks

[bykimbo]

Three main variations for price occur off the top of my head:

1. signed
2. first edition
3. scalper

There are a few organisations that just list every book in Christendom at inflated prices, then buy in a cheaper copy if somebody's stupid enough to buy it from them!

There are more reasons for price variation, of course, but that's the quick answer.

[pearlygirl555]

Number 3 had occurred to me, but I was using the phrase "wildly optimistic freeloaders" because I prefer to use more words rather than less

[meebo1]

No 3 is a word I don't know. Do I need to find the dictionary or will you be kind enough to tell me?

[damian_steele]

No 3 is a word I don't know. Do I need to find the dictionary or will you be kind enough to tell me?

Define: Scalper on Google brings up THESE.

[bykimbo]

A scalper is really a ticket tout - somebody who sells tickets for more than their face-value. I applied it to booksellers because it seemed relevant and more polite than anything else I could think of at the time.

[meebo1]

Thank you very much.