Fuzzy math
I bought three paperbacks today for $7.99 each. That feels expensive, because I remember them being a lot cheaper in 1980 or so when I started paying attention. An inflation calculator shows me that $2.99 in 1980 is the same as $7.71 today, but I think paperbacks were actually $1.99 or maybe less back then. I don't really recall.
For a new release in hardcover on special at a national chain like Borders or Barnes and Noble, or at Costco, the hardback price is something just under $20, occasionally as low as $17. This makes the savings on a paperback not very large, especially given the time delay. I'm pretty sure hardbacks didn't cost much less than $20 even back in 1980 time period (someone a little older please correct me if I'm wrong), so the whole pricing seems a bit wonky, in that the paperback savings isn't near what it used to be.
However, I think this actually makes sense. Hardbacks are more expensive not only because of the better materials, but also because that's where the profit is made. I suspect that the relative increase in paperback prices is a way to keep making money off the material after it's no longer new. But if the premium for buying hardcover is down to $10 (assuming one can find the book on sale when new) then it no longer seems worth it to wait.
For a new release in hardcover on special at a national chain like Borders or Barnes and Noble, or at Costco, the hardback price is something just under $20, occasionally as low as $17. This makes the savings on a paperback not very large, especially given the time delay. I'm pretty sure hardbacks didn't cost much less than $20 even back in 1980 time period (someone a little older please correct me if I'm wrong), so the whole pricing seems a bit wonky, in that the paperback savings isn't near what it used to be.
However, I think this actually makes sense. Hardbacks are more expensive not only because of the better materials, but also because that's where the profit is made. I suspect that the relative increase in paperback prices is a way to keep making money off the material after it's no longer new. But if the premium for buying hardcover is down to $10 (assuming one can find the book on sale when new) then it no longer seems worth it to wait.