I like to get my hands on the cheapest edition I can in the best condition at that price. If the words in the book are the same as a more expensive one, I’m getting a better value, in my opinion. Then if it’s a story that becomes really important to me I might consider upgrading to a “nicer” or collectors version, and keep the old ones as lender books.

  • photoguy423@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    It really depends on what it is. If it’s something I love, it depends on what I can afford. I paid $500 for a first edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide with the Capricorn 1 ad on the back. And I paid quite a bit for an American first edition copy of The Hobbit that I used in place of a ring to propose to my now wife. But most of my books are pretty cheap.

    I did manage to find a first print/edition copy of The Shining for $1 at a library sale years ago…that was a cool find.

  • N8ThaGr8@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    I only buy hardcovers so my average spend is a little more, but this also serves to limit my spending since I definitely won’t go on ebay and buy like a $100 copy of an out of print hardcover. So while it may be more expensive on average it also gives me a reason to not just go crazy and buy every single book I want to read.

  • Rezdawg3@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    Why are so few people actually answering the question?

    I’d pay $20…anything above that and I’m not sure it’s worth it when there are kindle or library options available.

  • DaedalusRaistlin@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    I get hardcovers of series I really like, otherwise it’s usually paperback.

    But I did spend AU$120 to get the last book in a trilogy that had been eluding me. The first two books I got for like $20. Couldn’t find the third anywhere for years. The only option was this omnibus edition with all 3 books, at Au$120 on Amazon.

    Glad I got it, I can still see it on Amazon but now for around $300. It’s not a well known trilogy, the Deepwater trilogy by NZ author Ken Catran. I read those books so much as a kid that I just had to read them all again as an adult.

  • Dependent_Wafer3866@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    I spent $53 on a paperback once, 460 pages. I think it was worth it though. it’s an academic work with quite a few large pictures spread throughout, so it’d be hard to process on a Kindle.

    I also spent $30 on a hardcover of Basic Economics, which is honestly a steal for the 600 pages that you get.

    I guess it depends on how much content you get. I don’t care much for hardcover vs paperback. If anything the latter is lighter and easier to handle.

  • Barbarake@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    I’ve spent $100 on nonfiction physical books on particular subjects (not textbooks). I’m running out of physical space for regular books, so I’m switching to ebooks for most fiction. For them, I don’t like to go above $4.99. I did spend $12 on an ebook recently because I had heard a lot about it. It was terrible.

  • toapoet@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    Depends on the book and also where I’m buying it from. If I’m going to my local bookstore, I’m more willing to spend money because it means supporting a small business

  • gnosticheaven@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    I just buy whatever is there at the bookstore… If we’re talking about how much I’m willing to spend max, I’ve spent >$200 for art books and I spent $150 on an art instruction book that used to be a reasonable price but since the artist/author died, the family is price gouging to get more money. I really loved the book (an instructor lent her copy to me) and so I just sighed and bought my own copy.

  • trishyco@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    I’m fully aware I’ve overpaid for some fancy special editions with sprayed and stenciled edges.

  • dafaliraevz@alien.topB
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    10 months ago

    Right now, maybe $50, but only because I’m renting a room in a house and don’t have space for a bookshelf. But if I had my own place and built an office with a bookshelf, I’d easily pay $200 for a hardcover version of my favorite books.