I chose the wrong investments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

In my early 20's I was sharing a room in a barracks with another E-6 in a US Navy school. This guy was as fit as one could be. He introduced me to a book at which time I purchased a copy.

The book: The Royal Canadian Air Force Excercise Plans For Physical Fitness.

I paid $1.95 US for it in 1974. This is a paperback book not hard bound.

Until I looked it up online just now, I thought I would purchase a new copy. Currently there are 2 new copies listed at Amazon:

1 for $646.05
1 for $838.12

Instead of investing in stocks and bonds, I should have invested in books.

I will learn to work with the 40 year old copy I have. Scotch tape is cheap.

[Jerome Hanby]

Used about $15 for what i think is the 1988 edition, Amazon

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Yeah.....I saw that but...new prices are incredible!

[Brian Kent]

Buy a hundred copies of "Making and Mastering Wood Planes" by David Finck next time he prints a few more. When they are out of print they go for $40+.

[Dick Latshaw]

Buy a hundred copies of "Making and Mastering Wood Planes" by David Finck next time he prints a few more. When they are out of print they go for $40+.

Good idea. Plus David is a good guy and can probably use the $$.

[Brian Effinger]

I paid $1.95 US for it in 1974. This is a paperback book not hard bound.

Until I looked it up online just now, I thought I would purchase a new copy. Currently there are 2 new copies listed at Amazon:

1 for $646.05
1 for $838.12

Instead of investing in stocks and bonds, I should have invested in books.

Wow, that's even better than my Laminated Designs in Wood! If it ever got up to those prices, I might even consider selling it.

[Dave Lehnert]

How about this one
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...condition=used

I have a copy I purchased from Woodcraft new for $25

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[David G Baker]

Ken,
I have a couple of copies of The Royal Canadian Air Force Exercise Plans For Physical Fitness. I used the exercises for years when I worked on the road covering out of town stories for the TV News station I worked for and I didn't have access to my exercise weights and equipment at home. It is one of the greatest exercise books ever printed in my opinion. I scanned copies of the exercises I used and laminated them so the original booklets didn't get much wear and tear. The books are stashed some place but the laminated copies are where I can find them if I need them. I can't do some of the exercises any longer due to a back problem but I still do modified versions of the rest of them. If you need a copy of my laminated copies let me know.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks David!

In the 9 months or so since I went deaf, I let my self go down hill physically. I found my copy and I think I can make it work. If not I'll order one of the used books. I have 300-400 lbs of weights in my family room from my eariler days but....If I need a copy, I know where to go!

I am with you. For a good overall little whoopla exercise program, it's great!

[Mike Henderson]

A couple of other books that went crazy:

British Campaign Furniture - I bought this one a few years back just because I was interested in folding furniture. I think I paid $30 to $40 for it new.

Master Craftsmen of Newport - the Townsends and Goddards. Unfortunately, I never bought this one.

Mike

[Bryan Morgan]

I was at a used book store awhile back and they had to clean out and destroy a bunch of history books (specifically the childrens books) as they aren't allowed to sell them because of the ink or something (I think its a deeper conspiracy...). I asked which they destroyed but they couldn't tell me. I was going to try and find them from other sources and hold onto them as investments (or just to keep some unaltered version of knowledge intact).

[Brian Elfert]

A bunch of DIY books were recalled last year. The publisher is paying full retail price to get them back. A bunch of enterprising folks bought as many of them as they could at cheap prices and turned them in for full retail from the publisher. The publisher also paid for shipping the books to them.

Some of the online sellers noticed the hot sales of these books and raised the prices to full retail and well beyond. Some of the $34.95 books are going for $99 and up. The sellers will likely never sell them as buyers only wanted the books when they could get them well below retail after shipping costs.

[glenn bradley]

Think of the baseball cards and comic books you left behind ;-)

[David G Baker]

Glenn,
I frequently think of all of the comic books I left behind when my Dad got a job in California and I had to leave them all behind in Michigan. I had at least 1000 of them and most of them were around 5 years old in 1959.

[Greg Portland]

Here are the real reasons why the prices are so high for non-collectible books on Amazon:

1) Pricing is done automatically by ISBN #, a store's computer will look at comparable prices and adjust accordingly (remaining a few cents cheaper than the other guy). When Amazon runs out of a NEW copy, the prices shoot up on the used / like-new versions. When Amazon gets a book back in stock the prices get pushed back down on the used items.
2) 3rd part resellers put a large price on a book that they don't have in stock to prevent people from ordering it. If it is ordered @ $200 it is worth their while to hunt down a copy.

When you couple #1&#2, you get run away pricing for semi-common items. When this happens use www.bookfinder.com, it will list the "real" pricing for a used copy (currently ~$20 for the Air Force book).