Do you have the right to resell that book? Dad's Rolex?

[milanessa]

I did this for my senior biochemistry class and life was good until he decided to ask "What is the molecule on the cover of our textbook" on our final exam

Ooooh - he was on to you.

[vesperholly]

Human Physiology 12th Ed. by Stuart Ira Fox
New U.S. Hardcover = $217
New International Soft Cover = $55.

My question is, why the hell are the US editions so much more expensive?! Maybe there wouldn't have been a market for buying quasi-legally imported international editions if the US books were reasonably priced. This guy should be commended for being so enterprising.

I was a journalism/graphic design student, so the most outrageously expensive book I ever had to buy was maybe a $100 art history book. The "rocks for jocks" classes I took had teacher-published booklets for $15. Then again, I spent a LOT of money on design supplies, since the program was designed not to let us do anything on computers until we were juniors. So, so many pens, pencils, erasers and rulers!

[danceronice]

Admittedly, grad school's a little different since it's assumed to be specialized, but I still spent $268 on textbooks one semester...textBOOK, I only needed one. (Accounting For Non-Profits, which is basically the only comprehensive book on the subject. There aren't much in the way of up-to-date used copies, so we were stuck. The instructor apologized profusely.) I refused to resell books, either, after I resold a $112 calculus textbook I'd bought used and only got $30 back.

[kwanfan1818]

My question is, why the hell are the US editions so much more expensive?! Maybe there wouldn't have been a market for buying quasi-legally imported international editions if the US books were reasonably priced. This guy should be commended for being so enterprising.

To sell books is one of many possible reasons. If the price of a textbook was the equivalent of buying a Rolex watch in a country, not many would be sold.

There are plenty of examples of goods and services that are priced for the market: drugs, software, and consulting services are three. Sometimes the selling strategy is not a matter of profit by unit, but establishing brand, dominating the market share, getting manufacturing quantities of scale, being allowed to do other business in the country, or getting huge tax breaks.

[nubka]

Admittedly, grad school's a little different since it's assumed to be specialized, but I still spent $268 on textbooks one semester...textBOOK, I only needed one. (Accounting For Non-Profits, which is basically the only comprehensive book on the subject. There aren't much in the way of up-to-date used copies, so we were stuck. The instructor apologized profusely.) I refused to resell books, either, after I resold a $112 calculus textbook I'd bought used and only got $30 back.

What did you do with your other books, then? $30.00 is better than nothing.

[madm]

My question is, why the hell are the US editions so much more expensive?!

Here are a couple of reasons for the high cost in general:
- Most academic textbooks are expensive because they are printed in low quantities.
- Hardcovers are more expensive than softcovers.
- Textbooks are expensive to produce since they have extensive technical review, editing, and scientific illustrations.
- Color printing is a lot more expensive to do than black and white.
- One edition is usually good for 4-7 years, before a new edition is needed to stay current in one's field.
- If the printing is done overseas, there are additional shipping costs and taxes.

One problem with the cost of U.S. textbooks is that they are often offered for sale in hardcover only. If softcovers were available (which don't last that long), the price would be perhaps half. Publishers cannot sell textbooks in every country for the same price, so they cut production costs with cheaper binding and paper.

In some countries people make a lot less money and have less to spend on education. There may be government subsidies and tax breaks for academic books. Perhaps the U.S. editions are high priced to compensate for the lower prices in other countries. It's all about what the market will tolerate.