Feeling Grouchy: Half-Price Books and Breaking Their Own Rule

Last weekend, I stopped by a Half-Price Books location I hadn’t been to for awhile, half thinking to find some X-Men comics for convenience rather than digging through a bunch of my boxes.

I was disgusted to see all their single-issue comics in bins marked as $1 or whatever some sticker says if more than $1. Considering these comics are primarily ’90s books people are dumping, and in crappy condition to a large degree (“reading copy” at best), and stuff I find in quarter bins all the time locally.

But I was ESPECIALLY disgusted when I–with interest in possibly blowing my “budget” on it–spotted the oversized hardcover edition of Avengers Forever. I figured it’d be $15-$20 depending on whether it was a $30 or $35-$40 book…and was rather shocked to find it was priced at $30…a mere $5 under cover price (hardly 15% off…a far cry from HALF off)!

Even more, it has the hand-written note “OUT OF PRINT” like that’s supposed to be enough.

What gets me is that Half-Price Books–to me–is supposed to be just that: HALF-price books. The premise of the store is half-off the printed price on the books. Because they’re USED. And the store is NOT a Barnes & Noble or Borders or Booksamillion or such. They’re a used bookstore, set apart from just any other used bookstore or chain by the idea that the books they sell are half off cover price.

I don’t begrudge them having a separate section in the store for rare or first editions or otherwise COLLECTABLE stuff. Ok, fine, they’re in a specifically-marked SECTION of the store, that doesn’t bother me. But everything in the main/general part of the store–to me–should stick to the rule the name of the store implies.

If they’re gonna be in the “collector” business, then curate the collection, and keep the stuff they consider “collectors’ items” in their OWN section, and everything ACTUALLY half-off in the main/general section.

And while $1 may be MORE than half-off the cover price of MANY of the comics…these bins were 25-cent and 50-cent bins, now bumped up TO the $1 point. And I’d be REALLY curious how many they actually SELL, at that price. Again–I don’t see them as a “collector’s place” kinda store–they’re “supposed to be” neutral. And comics for $1 just because they’re comics? I’m NOT impressed, and will stick with the higher-quality selection and runs in local shops for 25-50 cents.

Of course, while I grouse about the scale tipping to the upper end away from the half-way mark…I have no problem if they choose to offer something for well over half-off.

I bought the Infinity Gauntlet Aftermath, as it was ALSO a book I’ve been interested in…AND it is priced exactly to a bit better than I would “expect” to find it in good condition at a Half-Price Books.

I can’t think of any comic shop where I’ve seen collected volumes arbitrarily priced higher for being “out of print”–they just sell the thing, in-print or out, and if it’s out of print they simply aren’t able to restock the volume. If it’s in-print, they note the book has sold and restock.

Though where a comic shop will typically have a lot of “back issues” that are “arbitrarily” priced usually at least 25 cents above cover price (what I consider a “storage/convenience markup”) that is generally EXPECTED.

A store dealing in used books and selling itself on the idea that its wares are half-off, one does not EXPECT to find a book nearly full cover price amidst everything that actually is priced at half-off.

Not that my opinion matters or should singly influence a chain…but I’ll continue to vote with my wallet, so to speak. Just as they have the right to price stuff ridiculously like this, I have the right to not buy from them…and to grouse about the matter in public.