 Caveat Emptor, "You Better Shop Around" |
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 Sep 18 2007, 10:34 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 609 Joined: 13-August 07 Member No.: 12,615  |
I was surfing the net, contemplating buying some old SR books. The price can vary wildly from one site to the next, or sometimes even on the same site. Example: on Amazon, a seller is trying to get rid of a copy of Harlequin's Back for $121 and change. On a different site, you can get the same book for $28. Another person is trying to sell the Missing Blood book (from Universal Brotherhood) by itself for over $100, while others are selling Universal Brotherhood complete and intact for much less. Bottom line, there is a decent chance you can find what you're looking for without breaking the bank. This applies only to SR products; I was not searching for other games.
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Sep 19 2007, 02:58 AM
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#2
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,095 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Ontari-airee-o Member No.: 1,115 |
dude ... just keep checking out ebay. If you are not crossing borders ... the prices are usually a steal. Under $5 a book.
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Sep 19 2007, 03:19 AM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 609 Joined: 13-August 07 Member No.: 12,615 |
True. But I'm biased against ebay. I've had too many troubles with the sellers in the past. Granted, this was some years ago. Maybe things have improved.
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Sep 19 2007, 03:32 AM
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#4
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
When I'm looking for a book, I look on
- Ebay - Amazon - Stiggybaby's and then I let the 'net lead me around. Through those 3 sites and a rare foray into another e-store, I'm only a few books away from having everything ever printed in English for Shadowrun, and it has been rare that I paid more than 20 bucks for a single book. (The exceptions are the obvious ones. UB, Lone Star, think I paid a bit more for my copy of Aztlan.) Like Platinum said, you just have to keep watching. I set up saved searches on Ebay and let it email me when stuff comes up, too. |
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Sep 19 2007, 06:59 AM
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#5
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Free Spirit Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,944 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Bloomington, IN UCAS Member No.: 1,920 |
What do you need? I can probably help. About the only thing I do not have spares of is the SR3 LE and R3R, but I saw a couple sell pretty reasonably in the past couple of weeks. Ebay is still hit and miss between honest sellers and rip-offs. Be sure to check their feedback, look up what people did not like in the comments. Also be sure to read the complete terms and make sure you can live with them. Biggest ripoff still, inflated shipping and handling costs. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on ebay and it has been my experience that if a seller wants to rip you off, they will and ebay and paypal protection do not do anything even in cases of outright fraud. The burden of proof is on you and the system is set up so there is no day in court. I am not saying there are not some great deals, by all means there are, and the majority of ebayers just want the transaction to go smoothly. |
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Sep 19 2007, 11:09 AM
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#6
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Freelance Elf Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 7,324 Joined: 30-September 04 From: Texas Member No.: 6,714 |
The most important number on any eBay auction isn't the price, or even the shipping costs -- it's the seller's feedback rating. If it isn't 100%, and if they don't have a triple digit or higher number of sales, I simply don't bid. Ever.
*shrugs* It's worked for me. The closest I've ever come to being "burned" was when someone sent me the wrong wargaming miniature by accident. I contacted them via email, heard back from them less than an hour later, and they express shipped me the correct miniature (along with something else for that army, along with me getting to keep the mistake-mini) all for no extra fee. That's why they still got a positive feedback, and I've purchased from them since with confidence. But, really, "shop around" is advice that is hardly ever bad, whether you're talking about out of print RPG books, or anything else that's up for sale anywhere in the world. Never buy anything from the first place you see it, because the odds are good you're just throwing money away. |
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Sep 19 2007, 01:52 PM
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#7
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
tisoz hit on the most important thing. Yeah, a seller may have good feedback at first glance, but if their 98.8% is full of "glowing positives" like
- wrong item, but got my money back - item arrived, but took forever then you might be better off looking elsewhere. @tisoz, I'd have to look, and my laptop is off so I can remote in right now. I know I'm missing most of the "adventures" because I didn't ever use them and really only fancy having them from a completist point of view. Other than that, I'll have to get back to you. :) |
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Sep 20 2007, 05:16 AM
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#8
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Grand Master of Run-Fu Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178 |
Using solely Ebay and used-book stores, plus DriveThruRpg.com and other online pdf sources, I've managed to amass nearly every English Shadowwrun book ever published as well. I'd definitely give Ebay another look, I've never once had a problem.
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Sep 28 2007, 03:33 AM
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#9
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
i hate ebay... i think some kid snagged his dads acct and put up rigger 3 for sale, got my check and kept it... ofcourse, my 20 bucks wasnt enough for ebay to care...
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Sep 28 2007, 05:16 AM
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#10
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Target Group: Members Posts: 52 Joined: 26-January 06 From: Harrisonburg, VA Member No.: 8,196 |
Well, while we're on the subject of SR books...
Too bad none of de German novels were even fan-translated... |
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Sep 30 2007, 02:59 AM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 438 Joined: 21-September 07 From: Houston Member No.: 13,369 |
yeah i know ive toyed with learning german just so i could get the german stuff lol sad I know |
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Sep 30 2007, 03:02 AM
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#12
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Target Group: Members Posts: 52 Joined: 26-January 06 From: Harrisonburg, VA Member No.: 8,196 |
Better than some of the bad Japanese I heard in high school. :rotfl:
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Sep 30 2007, 01:24 PM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 193 Joined: 5-January 06 From: Louisiana Member No.: 8,132 |
I am actually selling a lot of Shadowrun books for about $5 a pop on eBay as we speak. Shamelsss plug time!
Click Here for Listing! |
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