LawLibTech

If I'm any indication, 2003 should end on a high note for Amazon.com. I spent most of my shopping time on Amazon with my Amazon.com credit card in hand (virtually speaking), browsing through books, toys, DVDs, digital cameras, etc. to find the perfect presents.

I'll let you in on a secret if you promise not to tell any of my friends and family. Some of the items I purchased on Amazon.com for Christmas gifts are, how shall we say it, pre-owned and/or sold by third party booksellers. I scored several highly recommended $20 dog books for $2. (I'd give you titles, but then you-know-who would know you-know-what.) The condition upon receipt? Excellent. No one wants to take a chance on receiving bad feedback, so I find that more often than not, sellers actually overstate any flaws. Sure, there's also shipping and handling charges, but Amazon requires that those be kept relatively low.

Whether you can get a good deal varies dramatically with the title and genre. Some books aren't any cheaper used than buying new from Amazon, in which case, I give it a pass. Other times there can be dramatic differences between the new and used versions. Mass-market books can be purchased for incredibly low prices.

On the flip side, buyers can also easily become sellers. Think of it as book rental. For example, if you purchase a book, read it, and decide that for whatever reason you're unlikely to ever want to refer to it again, you can sell it on Amazon. If you receive a book for Christmas that is outside your area of interest, don't despair. Just re-sell.

Mind you, this works better for some books than others. Recent releases have a decent value for a short period of time. Most fiction and best-sellers can't be resold at a high enough price to make it worth your while to make a trip to the post office. I've had good luck re-selling classic books on investment (do you know how boring some of those books can be?) , computer-related topics (assuming I had the most current editions), and books on decorating that didn't suit my taste, just to name a few. Whenever I run out of space on my bookshelves, I review the ones I no longer want to see if they have potential for re-sale.

This giving business goes both ways, so I've also spent a fair amount of time refining my wish list. If a friend recommends a book, I immediately add it to my wish list so I won't forget the author/title. When PC World rates a best-buy on a digital camera, I quickly add it to my wish list so that I can keep track of the likely candidates for purchase.

All this hard works pays off. My nephew was happy when he drew my name for Christmas this year, since he knows I keep my wish list current, and so I would be particularly easy to shop for. I'm glad to help. After all, If people want to give you stuff, the best thing to do is make it easy for them to buy you what you want!