Beedle Me This
The Solitary Beedle of Yore
So last year about this time last year we happy few in Fandom were told that the book Beedle the Bard would never be available for sale to the public, and Amazon shelled out 2 million pounds for one copy.
We mere squibs without funds would have to be satisfied with the Sotheby's Catalog of the auction of one of the books. The price wasn't too bad on the catalog - 15 American dollars - so I registered on Sotheby's and bought it for myself for a Christmas present. I figured it would be a cute collector's item someday in the distant future when the actual book might be for sale.
This year - just last week - Sotheby's sent me an offer to subscribe to some of their other famous catalogs, for hundreds of dollars apiece. After my amusement passed considering the state of my pre-Christmas bank account, I promptly sent that piece of mail over to my "out box," which is also holds some used sweet potato peels and pumpkin pie cans.
But Sotheby's is so "last year" because right now Beedle the Bard is for sale on Amazon for $100, to be released on December 4th. Or, you can get the cheapo paperback version for Seven Bucks ~ a long way from the 2 million pounds Amazon originally paid. Sales will still go to JKR's charity - The Children's High Level Group - which is fine if they can sell enough of them to make a difference.
That brings me to my inspiration for this journal entry: Amazon has announced a new scam way to market Beedle the Bard. There's a contest in which people vote for items to be discounted for Christmas, and whichever are The Chosen Ones - for instance, Beedle the Bard which will surely be chosen like magic, then you have to stampede with your debit or credit card to buy one of the 1000 copies for half-price. And the first thirty-five - tada! - get a copy autographed by JKR!
Wow, what a deal!!!!!!!!!!
Except . . . when I was reading the negative comments about it on This Page, some people are not too happy. Seems they already pre-ordered the book on the day it was announced and paid full price. So they can take a chance on rushing to order another copy since so many Americans have extra money for multiple copies of deluxe books these days or they can be happy to support JKR's favorite charity.
One person wrote:
Yeah, why should people who didn't care enough to order it earlier at full price be the ones who are eligible for signed copies? You should do it like Amazon UK is, with a random drawing including all customers who pre-ordered prior to the release, rather than the 'first 35 last minute deal grabbers' method you have going here. That would be a lot more fair towards the people who ordered this at full price months ago, especially since releasing all these signed and half-price copies will affect the value of their copies. You basically have just guaranteed a LOSS in value of their books before they even receive them after all.
~ Tiffany A. Kleinhans
And that's another tidbit: There's a disclaimor about the charity:
* Although Amazon is pleased to discount The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Collector’s Edition as part of the Customers Vote promotion, all donations to the Children’s High Level Group charity will be calculated from the full list price of the book ($100).
So does that mean that anyone who buys the discounted book isn't making a donation to charity? Hmmm. . .and JKR is signing these? Doesn't she usually make sure her autographs are sold for charity? Wow - what brainwave figured out this scheme?
I really can't wait to see what happens next in the Beedle the Bard sideshow.
So last year about this time last year we happy few in Fandom were told that the book Beedle the Bard would never be available for sale to the public, and Amazon shelled out 2 million pounds for one copy.
We mere squibs without funds would have to be satisfied with the Sotheby's Catalog of the auction of one of the books. The price wasn't too bad on the catalog - 15 American dollars - so I registered on Sotheby's and bought it for myself for a Christmas present. I figured it would be a cute collector's item someday in the distant future when the actual book might be for sale.
This year - just last week - Sotheby's sent me an offer to subscribe to some of their other famous catalogs, for hundreds of dollars apiece. After my amusement passed considering the state of my pre-Christmas bank account, I promptly sent that piece of mail over to my "out box," which is also holds some used sweet potato peels and pumpkin pie cans.
But Sotheby's is so "last year" because right now Beedle the Bard is for sale on Amazon for $100, to be released on December 4th. Or, you can get the cheapo paperback version for Seven Bucks ~ a long way from the 2 million pounds Amazon originally paid. Sales will still go to JKR's charity - The Children's High Level Group - which is fine if they can sell enough of them to make a difference.
That brings me to my inspiration for this journal entry: Amazon has announced a new scam way to market Beedle the Bard. There's a contest in which people vote for items to be discounted for Christmas, and whichever are The Chosen Ones - for instance, Beedle the Bard which will surely be chosen like magic, then you have to stampede with your debit or credit card to buy one of the 1000 copies for half-price. And the first thirty-five - tada! - get a copy autographed by JKR!
Wow, what a deal!!!!!!!!!!
Except . . . when I was reading the negative comments about it on This Page, some people are not too happy. Seems they already pre-ordered the book on the day it was announced and paid full price. So they can take a chance on rushing to order another copy since so many Americans have extra money for multiple copies of deluxe books these days or they can be happy to support JKR's favorite charity.
One person wrote:
Yeah, why should people who didn't care enough to order it earlier at full price be the ones who are eligible for signed copies? You should do it like Amazon UK is, with a random drawing including all customers who pre-ordered prior to the release, rather than the 'first 35 last minute deal grabbers' method you have going here. That would be a lot more fair towards the people who ordered this at full price months ago, especially since releasing all these signed and half-price copies will affect the value of their copies. You basically have just guaranteed a LOSS in value of their books before they even receive them after all.
~ Tiffany A. Kleinhans
And that's another tidbit: There's a disclaimor about the charity:
* Although Amazon is pleased to discount The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Collector’s Edition as part of the Customers Vote promotion, all donations to the Children’s High Level Group charity will be calculated from the full list price of the book ($100).
So does that mean that anyone who buys the discounted book isn't making a donation to charity? Hmmm. . .and JKR is signing these? Doesn't she usually make sure her autographs are sold for charity? Wow - what brainwave figured out this scheme?
I really can't wait to see what happens next in the Beedle the Bard sideshow.