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Times We Live In

Alcoholics AnonymousAlcoholics Anonymous
edited August 2013 in Chit chat
Sometimes I ponder the ridiculousness of sourcing trivial things from half a world away and all the wasted time and energy that entails. It's a major imbalance in the world economy that makes such a thing economic.

Here's the story of a book I ordered online. I spend thousands a year on books and discovered only a few years ago how much cheaper the same book (printed paperback rather than hardcover) can be had if ordered from Asia.


List Price: $256.95 (US, North American pricing)
Amazon Discounted: $161.88 (I save $95.07)
Ebay Asian Entrepreneur: $41.74 (including three day shipping)
Actual Price in Thailand: ~$20

Travel Log (Thailand -> Malaysia -> China -> Japan -> Hawaii -> California -> Tennessee)

Memphis is the main FedEx hub so I expect it to show up in Canada next.


In transit

Aug-30-13, 01:22 PDT, MEMPHIS, TN 38118

In transit

Aug-29-13, 22:30 PDT, MEMPHIS, TN 38118

In transit

Aug-29-13, 13:46 PDT, MEMPHIS, TN 38118

Departed FedEx location

Aug-29-13, 11:37 PDT, MEMPHIS, TN 38118

Arrived at FedEx location

Aug-29-13, 10:28 PDT, MEMPHIS, TN 38118

Departed FedEx location

Aug-29-13, 06:53 PDT, OAKLAND, CA 94621

Arrived at FedEx location

Aug-29-13, 00:31 PDT, OAKLAND, CA 94621

In transit

Aug-28-13, 19:45 PDT, HONOLULU, HI 96819

In transit

Aug-27-13, 21:19 PDT, NARITA-SHI 28200

Departed FedEx location

Aug-27-13, 12:03 PDT, GUANGZHOU 510890

In transit

Aug-27-13, 10:41 PDT, GUANGZHOU 510890

Arrived at FedEx location

Aug-27-13, 10:23 PDT, GUANGZHOU 510890

In transit

Aug-27-13, 06:36 PDT, SEPANG 64000

In transit

Aug-27-13, 03:50 PDT, BAYAN LEPAS 11900

In transit

Aug-26-13, 17:06 PDT, SAMUTPRAKARN 10540

In transit

Aug-26-13, 16:44 PDT, SAMUTPRAKARN 10540

Left FedEx origin facility

Aug-26-13, 07:37 PDT, BANGKOK 10120

Picked up

Aug-26-13, 06:57 PDT, BANGKOK 10120
Post edited by Alcoholics Anonymous on
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Comments

  • fogfog
    edited August 2013
    I made the mistake of ordering books from abroad years ago for a family member who wanted em... the shipping was 4 times the cost of the books, which wasn't shown until far later. books are faked also though, I was surprised to hear.

    sometimes it's cheaper to send stuff abroad then re-import it.

    I think they do that with some prawns or fish, they get shipped to asia, de-shelled then back to the Uk.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6189870.stm

    there was a thing on featuring china the other night, how they make 1/4 of the worlds stuff. I thought it'd be more tbh.
  • chevchev
    edited August 2013
    Here's a book you might like to add to your collection: Ninety Percent of Everything by Rose George. I haven't read it but I heard an interview with her on NPR.
    zx.itch.io
  • VanTammenVanTammen
    edited August 2013
    What upsets me is that is so hard to find a good book store this days...
  • Reformed SinnerReformed Sinner
    edited August 2013
    I remember one bookshop where I could go in there at 16:00 and order a book and they would have it for me by 14:00 the next day. These days, most of the small bookshops have closed down and most of the Waterstone stores are closing as well.

    One type of bookshop that still seems to be around is the comic book store. There are quite a few of those in my area and, if anything, the internet has helped them rather than put them out of business.
  • VanTammenVanTammen
    edited August 2013
    Reformed Sinner wrote: »
    I remember one bookshop where I could go in there at 16:00 and order a book and they would have it for me by 14:00 the next day. These days, most of the small bookshops have closed down and most of the Waterstone stores are closing as well.

    One type of bookshop that still seems to be around is the comic book store. There are quite a few of those in my area and, if anything, the internet has helped them rather than put them out of business.

    It's just a matter of time, I guess. Marvel, DC & Dark Horse are starting to sell digital copies of their comics on their webpages... what puzzles me, is that there are online shops also selling the same digital comics for the same price.

    I don't understand where they are getting the profit.
  • chevchev
    edited August 2013
    VanTammen wrote: »
    What upsets me is that is so hard to find a good book store this days...

    Every major city still has at least one decent book store. There's Foyles in London, and City Lights in San Francisco for a start.
    zx.itch.io
  • MattLambMattLamb
    edited August 2013
    VanTammen wrote: »
    It's just a matter of time, I guess. Marvel, DC & Dark Horse are starting to sell digital copies of their comics on their webpages... what puzzles me, is that there are online shops also selling the same digital comics for the same price.

    I don't understand where they are getting the profit.

    I suppose the original publishers take a slight hit to their own margin in exchange for having it in more places where it is sold, increasing their turnover.
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