John Kettler Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Improved my library with the Nafziger Soviet tactical pubs and the Modern Military CD--at a handsome savings, but was rather dismayed at the substantial S&H charges, which amounted to over half the savings. Clearly, postage's gone way up, especially if you have to factor someone's time into the equation. Believe I could've done the entire order in one Flat Rate Priority Mail envelope for about $5 U.S., but then, I don't have to drive through snow! Sure wish the Mac version of CMSF had been available, as would've snagged it! Thought about getting TacOps, but as it is, I haven't even managed a CM game for some time. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 One reason I let my membership to the Military Book Club lapse several years ago was that by the time they added in their S&H I was only saving 5% or less by buying through them. I get a better deal from Amazon, who ship for free if my order totals more than $25, which isn't hard to arrange. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Michael Emrys, I used to belong to it myself and was really annoyed when I had a book, Folger's DRAGONS IN THE DESERT, crack in two when opened because it was the cheap book club edition. It was replaced, but I didn't care for most of the offerings (many book club editions despite promises to the contrary made me) or the autoship idiocy. They used to let me follow out of country procedure in which you had to choose books, but some "genius" killed that. Overworked, harried people shouldn't be on autoship! As for Amazon, it is indeed easy to spend that kind of money. It's really too bad that Half Price. you know what ceased its online business. Terrific and affordable books. Wouldn't you know that brother Ed has a brick and mortar one near his house in Plano, Texas. Raided that a few years ago when I went back for his Executive Masters in Business Administration graduation and came away with some real treasures, including the SOL volume of CONWAY'S MARITIME ENCYCLOPEDIA. alibris is pretty good, too. I love books, but I ate having to move them, and they do take up space in my one bedroom apartment, so much so that I'm donating several boxes of mainstream topic books to various good causes. Must make way for current acquisitions! Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Improved my library with the Nafziger Soviet tactical pubs and the Modern Military CD--at a handsome savings, but was rather dismayed at the substantial S&H charges, which amounted to over half the savings. Clearly, postage's gone way up, especially if you have to factor someone's time into the equation. Believe I could've done the entire order in one Flat Rate Priority Mail envelope for about $5 U.S., but then, I don't have to drive through snow! Sure wish the Mac version of CMSF had been available, as would've snagged it! Thought about getting TacOps, but as it is, I haven't even managed a CM game for some time. Regards, John Kettler We haven't changed the cost for US shipping for a long time, actually. What went up was the shipping to Europe due to the bad Dollar exchange rate. You should have been able to get both books for $11 in S&H, which is $10 for the first and $1 for each additional product. At least if you order them both at the same time. The additional cost, above raw postage, is for handling, which includes picking, packaging as well as administration and infrastructure for keeping up a warehouse (actually, two - one in the US, one in Europe). We don't keep a cent from this, and in fact on some orders lose money. With energy and oil prices going up, I foresee that shipping costs will only increase further. Nothing we can do about that... :mad: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Affentitten Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Damn. Don't complain Kettles. Try living in Australia! And I think I missed the summer sale. Was going to get a couple of games but lost track of time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orwell Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 On the subject of acquiring books, the used shop Abe has a bunch of stuff I've picked up for a dollar each, some a little more. I think the most expensive thing I found there that I've wanted so far was college textbooks, $15 instead of $150. I'm doubly glad they stock those because the required book for the class is useless. It covers nothing but the first section of every chapter of this math class so far. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Moon, I appreciate that, but it was frustrating to see much of the savings eaten up by S&H. I did order them together, but wasn't expecting such a big chunk for S&H, doubtless having been spoiled by a) Amazon and having not made a purchase here since I bought CMAK and the CMAK Guide. Affentitten, Yes, I'm sure it's much worse for the overseas customers. Especially those those with ironbottomed customs officials! orwell, Oops! Should've mentioned that one before alibris, since Abe has been a go to for me for some time. Found some very groggy stuff there, at an affordable price. Glad you found the uber deal on textbooks! I still remember the trauma paying for mine caused me--back in the late 1970s. To think I was shocked, shocked I tell you, that my Remote Sensing (ERTS and U-2) text was $70.00! Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Moon, Had my budget been bigger, I could've done much better by ordering a whole slew of things at once, all sent here. That would've substantially defanged S&H. Fortunately, I didn't order just one item! Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 ...the autoship idiocy. That was the other thing. I got tired of having to send in the DO NOT SEND notice every four weeks, plus the postage was costing me most of whatever savings I had left after their S&H had taken its bite. For a while, they let me have a special deal as a senior member (I had belonged to the Club for about 12-15 years by that time) where I only had to send something in if I wanted to make an order, which was a much more pleasant arrangement. But it didn't last. Overworked, harried people shouldn't be on autoship! And lazy sods like me shouldn't either! ...came away with some real treasures, including the SOL volume of CONWAY'S MARITIME ENCYCLOPEDIA. You bastard! I would love to have one of those, but can't come close to affording one. Maybe I'll stumble across a good used copy some day. I love books, but I ate having to move them, and they do take up space in my one bedroom apartment, so much so that I'm donating several boxes of mainstream topic books to various good causes. I have exactly the same problem. After the fire, I had to hurriedly move everything into storage so that my apartment could be rebuilt. Then I had to move everything back, a process that still continues slowly. I've traded in a pile of those and given away an even larger pile, simply because I need the room and there isn't much. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Michael Emrys, For real fun, try taking the far end unit, 3rd floor, in an upstairs apartment, in a large building which, you discover too late, has only one elevator--on the far end. That nearly did for me in my twenties! The book and series were incorrectly listed. The series is called THE HISTORY OF THE SHIP and the book THE LINE OF BATTLE. It's readily available at all kinds of wildly varying price points, may be in paperback as well, and was even carried (currently out of stock) by Target. you know what, if you can believe that. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 Of course it's not entirely fair to compare our shipping prices with a gigant like Amazon. What would be better is to compare it to the shipping of other companies in the market, and we're doing very well there. And then for anything but books there's of course always the option to simply just download. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 Moon, No attack intended! Was merely observing that it's easy for what one is familiar with to become one's default setting. While there's much to be said for the virtues of just downloading, I've seen too many hard drives, fortunately not mine, die. Consequently, I make it a point to get the physical version, too. Made absolutely sure I had the OS 9 discs when I bought my current iMac for that very reason. Can't restore when you lack the data! Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted August 4, 2008 Author Share Posted August 4, 2008 Moon, My order's already here! You guys are not only on the ball, but you designed and built it. Well done! Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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