Resale Joy

This morning, Justin and I went downtown to What the Book, which is, as far as we know, the only English used book store in the country. I've built up some extra books here that I don't plan on keeping forever, but I wasn't sure if it would be worth selling them. Used book stores are notorious for not paying for romance because they get published and sold in such large numbers (there's some twisted economic thinking for you there). In the US, at Half-Price books, I've gotten seven dollars for an entire bag of books.

I took 3 romances and a wide-release hardcover by a bestselling author (I figured I'd at least get some money for that) to try it out before lugging everything downtown.If I couldn't get a good rate, I figured I'd try for a bookswap with some other teachers or donate anything age-appropriate to the school library.

What, then, did they give me for my four books? $4.50 for my three romances and nothing for the hardcover, because it's now available in paperback. That means I got $1.50 for each romance. This is insane. I have NEVER gotten anything CLOSE to this rate before. In the US, I'd be lucky to have come out of there with a dollar, total.

Used Paperbacks here usually retail for $4-$5.The idea that I could pay for one new book by selling back three... Wow. I honestly can't stop thinking that this was a mistake and next time I go in, I'll get the dollar.