Cost of WW2 Books

The prices of new books here in the UK are so shocking I hardly dare buy a new one without full details like the cost Vs the number of pages and how well the book is written. Some times I hold off for a year or so waiting for the price to fall but more often they go out of print.

Second hand books can be grubby with a nice selection of coffee stains on them, some times I may get lucky at a book fair and pick up a gem or two. Specialized books on WW2 are getting very expensive which in most cases will put people off paying these prices.

What's it like where you are in the world?

Are you facing the same thing or are you lucky?

 

It is the same in Texas. In the 80's I used to buy lot's of airplane books but now even used paperbacks are expensive. It is the same for model airplanes. Used to get them for under $4.00 but now some are outragous in price. And what gets me is they are the same models that I used to get for $4.00 but with different decales and box art, yet the raise the price $20.00 !

If I wanted the latest volume of Jane's All the Worlds Aircraft it would set me back over $500

 

am not sure really how to put this but about 15 years ago you could pick up a 350 page book with 350 photos for a US $ 20.00 bill or less. now you are looking at $ 75.00 to 95.00 US or more. I do realize the changes and expenses incurred for paper, materials, wages and the shipping cost for many as they do the publishing effort across the worlds many waterways.

the time of purchasing a great new title full of photos, maps and excellent text for a "cheap" dollar is lost forever. I do wonder at times about the new reprints of many books of old if they are worth their weight in gold............nah

E ~

 

I just bought After the Battle's 'Blitzkrieg then and now' for £6.50 in a charity shop I don't usually bother with.
Hehehe,
Made my week it has.

On books 2nd hand and new at a reasonable price; seek and you will find. Just takes time and perseverance/obsession.

Of course every now and then you've just got to splash out on that pricey tome. In my experience every seemingly expensive high quality book on a subject I'm interested in has proved to be an absolute bargain in the long run.

Cheers,
Adam.

 

I usually get my books online from whoever has the best deals.

 

I usually buy all online. The dealers don't seem to be interested in selling books. If they were they'd charge normal prices!!!

 

online eh ? suggestion find a reputable book dealer/shop that you can trust and this applies to the antiquated books as well. you'll definately get more bang for the buck. I have several that I have dealt with over the past 45 years. if your in the states and interested in aviation try Aeroplanebooks.
Eagle-editions is another.

 

Same here.
I think the market is small and shrinking, which makes for small series and increases the unit price. Second hand booksellers can have interesting books, but it takes a lot of luck to find a particular one.

 

As Gary Player famously quipped 'And the harder I work, the luckier I get...' The trick with secondhand book collecting is to be constantly looking. But in the UK, many secondhand bookshops are now closing ; they cannot compete with the internet.

For new books, like Col Hessler, I watch out for the best deal online. Amazon, for instance, can come up with some real surprises. Otherwise, in London, the 'remaindered bookshops' ( or 'book warehouses' ) can produce some amazing bargains in military history but again, regular visits are a must ; they sell out fast.

Generally speaking, dealers on 'Bookfinder' or 'Abebooks' are reputable ; I've bought many books this way and have never had a problem.

Business life isn't easy for the specialist publishers ; I think I'm right in saying that no-one ( publishers and most certainly authors ) gets to be a millionaire by producing this sort of thing. Most do it through enthusiasm.

 

I just heard a bookshop near me that had a second hand section is to close which is a shame as I sell my old books to them and pick up the odd good one as well. Not only that they used to hold book fairs and I often picked up a new book greatly reduced price, I shall miss this bookshop.

 

This is why I go to the library!

 

Most of the major bookstores have bargain books and second hand books. I was able to get Miracle at Midway second hand at Hastings. Most of the books are in the bargain books aisles. Mostly picture books and not so great books, but sometimes I get a few gems. My latest aquisition was a reprint of Run Silent, Run Deep. I had seen the movie several times, but I enjoyed the book much more. The one that I really regret missing, was when an employee found a book that listed every known German WWII vehicle with decent pictures. I was able to thumb through it, but I would have loved to had it in my collection.

 

..as the man says, I use the library when I want an expensive title but not bad enough to go without food....just got the new After The Battle Rueckmarsch via the inter-library loan service ...the book itself is worth every penny of the (humongous) retail price ..but, well, something had to give this month...

 

What the heck...if it weren't for my book-collecting and people on internet forums who continually recommend great books, I'd fritter my cash away on trivial things like food, clothing, shoes, etc......

 

I don't mind puting the money in a good book, but it's like buying a cd of a band you don't know.
once you get home, the book (or the cd ) may be disappointing and then the money was wasted, so I'd rather get advice first.

 

Hi Richard,

At a guess, I acquired over half of my military library from AbeBooks.com, some from as far away as New Zealand. A mixture of new and used, the only "grubby" one I have is "The Tiger Triumphs - The Story of Three Great Divisions [Indian] in Italy" - published in 1946 by H.M. Stationery Office for the Indian Government. Having looked for one for years, no matter the condition, I was delighted when AbeBooks listed one for only $34.00 - a chap I know gladly paid nearly seven times as much for a copy a couple of years or so back!

For anyone interested here's the catalogue of my military library: http://www.northirishhorse.org/books.shtml

Cheers, Gerry

 

I don't mind buying second hand books but I like to see what state they are in before I purchase them.

 

I'll chip in here and say that all the books - and that's a fair few - that I have bought from 'Abebooks' have been fairly described and in very good condition ; I've had no 'duds' at all.

Most of the dealers have a high reputation and pride themselves on good service, especially the ones in the USA. It is most definitely not to be compared with e-bay.....

 

Abebooks sellers per my experience tend to be regular booksellers who put their inventories online through the system, whereas in ebay it can be whaterver wildcat who finds a book or two in the attic (not that I have very many bad experiences in ebay, quite the contrary)