# Key Post: Cheaper books?



## Contango10 (30 Oct 2002)

Some posts have asked where can CDs and DVDs be bought for less.  www.cdwow.ie and www.play.com have been suggested.

Are there any online websites selling books, other than Amazon.com? I ask this on behalf of somebody else, who says the postal/delivery charges with Amazon are perhaps too high.

(Maybe understandable as books tend to be bulkier)

Any ideas?

Thanks, Contango10

_Edited by ClubMan to fix links._


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## ClubMan (30 Oct 2002)

*Cheaper Books*

Hi
Try www.thebookpeople.co.uk - limited selection but excellent discounts - they also can put you on a mailing list
Regards
LiamG

_Edited by ClubMan to fix link._


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## harza (30 Oct 2002)

*books online*

  Barnes and Noble
www.amazon.co.uk    UK site for Amazon

Cheapest I have found is still amazon.com. It takes longer for the books to arrive than if you ordered from their UK site but it works out alot cheaper with the exchange rate. 

_Edited by ClubMan to fix links._


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## ClubMan (31 Oct 2002)

*One of these days......*

I'm going to write a book on internet shopping. Must be some Cavan blood in me somewhere.

Check out www.bookbrain.co.uk which compares book prices across 14 web based shops in the UK.

Some of the other price comparison engines would also help:

www.dealtime.co.uk
www.pricechecker.co.uk

_Edited by ClubMan to fix links._


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## Contango10 (31 Oct 2002)

*Re: One of these days......*

Thanks everybody, for all the info and links.

Contango10


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## ClubMan (5 Nov 2002)

*Re:Cheaper Books?*

After a thorough evaluation of the subject, I agree that www.amazon.co.uk is indeed the best site. But it is no harm to check out www.bookbrain.co.uk to compare prices before you make your purchase

_Edited by ClubMan to fix links._


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## garryks (15 Nov 2002)

*Re: Re:Cheaper Books?*

I find that the desktop search tool coppernic can be very helpfull. It has a free download at www.coppernic.com. Once installed it will search multiple search engines across the web, but it also has a neat search for Buy Books feature which searches 17 book shops on the free version. It returns the prices and ranks them accordingly. Very hand for lots of other things too related to searching the web. Saves me a lot of time on the whole.

_Edited by ClubMan to fix link._


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## Marion (7 Sep 2004)

*kerry4thecup*

 Hi, Just had a look at the cheap deals referring to Books and on that was recommended was Amazon in the UK. 

The books are cheaper alright but the actual delivery costs are quite high and you end up paying a little more .

I was looking at one book costing £3.99 which is cheap with exchange rates, but then i have to add 0.99p per book ordered and £3.99 per shipment, which adds up to £8.97. So with conversion to Euros(.70p to 1 Euro) it adds up to 12.73 Euro and of course you have to wait a few days. If you get one of the second hand books for 99p you may save a Euro or so but you run the risk of getting poor quality . 

Am i incorrect in this calculation or is there anyway around the high Shipping charge.

Regards. 


*0*
As far as I know Amazon's shipping charges structure is always:

(Highest Applicable Per-Shipment Cost) + (Number of Items x Per-Item Cost) = Total Shipping Fee

I've bought good as new second hand books from the Amazon Marketplace third party resellers in the US for a couple of dollars and even when the c. US$12 shipping charges are added they are still cheaper than buying them locally! 



*euroDilbert*

Generally, I wait until I want to order a few books in order to reduce the impact of the per-shipment charge. Nowadays, I tend to only buy from Amazon where the book is discounted enough to offset the charges, or where it is difficult to get here. Also, for many US-published technical books, they offer a fair exchange rate.

For top-selling books, Reads on Nassau St. is usually chapest (but they have a limited selection). Otherwise the main booksellers often have good deals (3 for 2 or, not applying the full Sterling conversion).

Unfortunately, there is no single best place. 

*Cliona*

Try [broken link removed] They don`t sell books but will trawl through UK online book sellers to get the cheapest deal.

Also www.thebookpeople.co.uk are worth looking at. Not always brilliant nor most up-to-date reads but good value. They will tell you on the site that they sell to mainland UK only actually include the republic.



*Sweeney*

I'd like to repeat my recommendation for Reads of Nassau Street in Dublin.
A visit there before Christmas revealed very good value in books. Paid €7.00 for Eats Shoots and Leaves. Saw it elsewhere for €15. 
Reads definitely worth a browse if you're in the neighbourhood. 

*coolaboola*

I know this suggestion isn't much good for anyone looking for cheap books but if you're browsing and flexible about what you might find/are willing to read check out your local charity shop. I got nine books for EUR4.50 last Saturday at my local charity shop (Irish Cancer Society shop, Sundrive Road - all books 50c) including Bill Byrson's Notes from a Big Counrty, K-Pax II and Sex and the City. My last foray into the same shop turned up a very nice vegetarian cookery book and a beautifully illustrated book on painting and drawing techniques both for 50c. 

*DT*

A point to note when ordering from Amazon.co.uk is that they charge VAT at the applicable rate in the EU country of destination. 

Books are rated at 0% VAT both here and in the UK so the price of books won't change. However there are different rates on other items like calendars or cds which are VAT rated in the UK at 17.5%, as opposed to a rate of 21% here, so the end price will be higher than the price displayed.

In addition, the delivery charges listed on their site exclude VAT. So when buying one book, the delivery charge of £3.99, and the charge per book of £0.99 are both subject to VAT at 21%. 

With the VAT difference, the delivery charges, and the exchange rate, buying from Amazon.co.uk is not always the bargain it seems at first. I only buy there if it's an item I can't get here, or if there is a saving to be made. 

*0*

Good as new second hand books ordered from the US (www.amazon.com) are generally bargains even with the shipping charges and especially with the weak US$ in my experience...


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## fergmeh (14 Sep 2004)

*cheaper books*

Personally, I have found buying books on ebay to be the cheapest - mostly secondhand paperbacks, but still good enough, even with postage often costing more than the book itself!

Amazon I have found useful for buying books as presents for others and having them sent directly to the recipient, as I would have had to pay the postage anyway...


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## sunnyday (26 Nov 2004)

Just got a mail shot for this crowd. Looks ok, and has easy price comparison links.
[broken link removed]


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## elderdog (26 Nov 2004)

*Re: cheaper books*

If, like me, you just want to read the book rather than build your own library then consider joining your local public library


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## sunnyday (26 Nov 2004)

I've never used the library much. I don't read that much, but what I do read, I choose fairly carefully, and do like to keep then. So I guess I am trying to build my own library.


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## irishpancake (27 Nov 2004)

*Re: >>Cheaper books from Play.com*

just look here for cheap books, with free delivery.

always buy in £ Sterling with CC, as Laser costs are inflated.
( see )


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## campeda (29 Nov 2004)

*Cheap Books*

I find Reads of Nassau street are cheap expecially for bestsellers, but the choice is somehow limited.
Chapters in Abbey Street has a great selection (fantastic art books).
Just bought Xmas presents for 5 people for only 72 euro, and they trew in a free book as well.


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## Slowds (7 Jun 2006)

Hello everyone, 

This is my first post here so hope it helps (been lurking a while!)

Any way, there is a site, which I use which is similar to Book Brain in that it compares Book prices from UK retailers but I use it because it has a price tracking system.

It works by you telling it what price you'd pay for a book (or dvd or cd) and  then the site checks daily and if the best price available drops below your chosen price it sends you an email to let you know.

The site is http://www.billybargain.co.uk

Cheers
Sue


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## Far Corfe (7 Jun 2006)

One i have used very successfully esp for out of print and hard to find titles is

www.bookfinder.com

great search engine


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## euroDilbert (8 Jun 2006)

Two other places I would recommend are :

http://www.bookcloseouts.com/default.asp?N=0 

This often has very good prices - however, check the edition is the one you want, and postage costs are *per book*.

Secondly, on Amazon, always check the "more buying choices" option. I have often found I get the books cheaper there - including accounting for the extra postage.

Overall, using the above two choices, I have often saved €10-€30 per book (including postage).


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## rkeane (8 Jun 2006)

I emailed easons a while ago and they told me that they keep 1.2 million books in stock.  Amazon keep about 6 million.  So, I would imagine that it depends on what you purchase on how quick you get it.


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## SarahMc (11 Jun 2006)

This is heaven, like a giant second hand book shop  http://www.greenmetropolis.com/


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## europhile (11 Jun 2006)

Kelkoo would always be my first port of call for comparisons.

[broken link removed]


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