In defense of used books

by Russ Roberts on September 15, 2008

A reader commented asking if there was anything in The Price of Everything about buying books on Ebay. There isn’t. But here is my defense of Amazon’s decision a few years back to start listing used books for sale alongside new copies.

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John Smith

UH OH........

Stopped in for one item at Amazon “The Price of Everything: A Parable of Possibility and Prosperity" but caught the infection bug called “Little-Kid-In-The-Toy-Store”.... and being older and having money.....

Mr. Roberts I did not realize you were such a prolific writer who uses the style of a tale/fable to explain ideas.

Just like Ann Rand, who is one of my favorite writers!!!

1) A Fable of Trade and Protection (3rd Edition)

2) The Invisible Heart: An Economic Romance

3) The Price of Everything: A Parable of Possibility and Prosperity

Hammer

Besides, how is it any of their business? I am not renting the book from the author or publisher, I am buying it. If I want to sell it after, they need to keep their nose out of it whether they think it affects them or not.

Maybe they could put on their big boy pants and work at making books that are valuable enough that I want to keep them (as I generally end up doing) instead of selling them the moment I read the last word.

Bill Workman

Authors gain financially because of the existence of a used book market. Prices of new books, like those of other durable assets such as cars, houses, etc. reflect the advantage that comes with the opportunity for resale. Therefore, all-else-equal, authors' royalties will be higher in the presence of a used book market than if this opportunity did not exist.

Martin Brock

May I sell the "used" electronic (Kindle) form of a book? I suppose Amazon could know that the book is no longer available to be read on my Kindle and is now available on yours. If the right to a Kindle book is not transferable in this way, authors might prefer books read on Kindles. At some point, ebooks could rival paper books, and authors might perceive an advantage in limiting their books to electronic forms with rights distributed this way.

Pi

But unlike Clancy or King,don't authors like you need more "actual" sales to be able to keep writing. And similarly for music cds too. Aren't they affected by used cd sales just like piracy?