Book People Archive

Re: More On Book Price Inflation

Michael Hart said:

>Sorry, you misunderstood, it's only certain colors, etc.,

>that are sometimes out of stock in the racks, not all the
>various selections.  I am guessing this is because one of
>the local schools chose a particualr one for projects, as
>they are usually back in stock with the next shipment.

Right, it's wildly variable whether or no a given size or colour of
blank book is in stock at any given Barnes & Noble or Borders bookseller.

I'd said:


>> You'll note that there is no new listing of stocked copies of 
>> ``The Nothing Book'' at Amazon, just remaindered copies being 
>> sold by individuals and small companies.

>Again you have misunderstood.

>These are "clones" of "The Nothing Book," which is trademarked,
>and thus the name cannot be used by competitors, but there are,
>and have been, many such products over the years.A 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0517516489/sr=8-6/qid=1191422673/ref=olp_product_details/105-6858389-8664406?ie=UTF8&qid=1191422673&sr=8-6&seller=


As I said, there aren't any new copies of ``The Nothing Book'' on sale
at Amazon even though it's listed.

>Obviously, with higher qualities at lower prices from those out
>in the competitors' camps, the true "Nothing Book" was driven a
>long ways out of circulation, except, as you noted above.

>More "apples and oranges" with "Dollar" stores, we were talking
>about Borders, Barnes & Noble, etc.


One can find discounted pricing on remaindered books at Borders and
Barnes & Noble as well --- I wouldn't want to limit my book buying
choices to only what was available under such conditions, and I've
always found the $3.99 blank books in among the remaindered stock.

As a counterpoint to a limited availability of blank books, consider
companies like this:

http://www.bookfactory.com/blank_books/blank_books.html

(Hardcover) Blank Book with 96 Blank, Numbered Pages 8.875" x 11.25" $12.99

Or consider the price of a Moleskine notebook at Barnes & Noble:

http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?EAN=9788883701122&z=y&ITM=1

Black Moleskine Ruled Journal 5x8 $16.95 online price, $15.25 Member price

Or look at the prices for ``blank books'' at barnesandnoble.com:

http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.asp?WRD=blank+book&z=y&TYP=H

It's a limited list at fairly high prices --- you can't extrapolate a
general principle from the occasional, random availability of low-priced
blank books. If the blank books cited in the original post by Michael
Hart are readily producible at a cost which would allow their continual
profitable sale at $3.99 why aren't they listed on barnesandnoble.com?
Why aren't they consistently in stock? Why don't companies like
bookfactory.com have prices which reflect such low production costs?
If they can be produced for such low costs consistently why are they
only available at $3.99 amongst the remaindered books?


William