They get you...

 They really get you.

I'm privileged enough that I have a Books-A-Million subscription. I've had it for a decade but there's a story behind the acquisition of it. 

About the time I moved to Florida, a cousin had a BAM card. She was using it regularly because she was buying her nieces and nephews gifts from her local store. She had been doing it for a few years and knew that I had stopped shopping at Borders (since it was permanently closed) and didn't really like going to Barnes & Noble. 

Having been spoiled by going to a local bookseller in Brookline for four years didn't help either. 

But where my cousin was paying into the Books-A-Million system for her own sprees, she gave me her rewards card. Subscribers (aka Millionaires) can save on shipping (it's free), get 40% off bestsellers and a few other perks. 

I've used her extra card off and on since she gave it to me. She still pays the yearly membership even though she stopped using the service and I only shop there once in a blue moon. Yes, it's kind of wasteful, but the sporadic times I've used the site, I've actually saved a couple dollars over Amazon. 

The example is when I bought Harold & Maude. It's currently $12.95 in both places as a paperback. The stage adaptation is $10.95 as well. Free shipping from Amazon and BAM sites (as long as you're a member). 

So far, it's a choose your weapon situation. No big loss either way. 

Now the interesting part is Amazon has a Kindle version of the paperback for $9.99, where Books-A-Million does not. The reader version doesn't seem to exist on the latter site. Win for Amazon.

However, the next step is the 10% off for being a Millionaire. This brings the total to $11.65 from BAM and if I recall correctly, I think I still paid under 12 bucks because there was little to no taxes. I don't have the invoice anymore and the website doesn't retain an order history past 12 months. I guess I ordered the book over a year ago. 

I wrote about it somewhere on here. 

Anyway, the whole point of the comparison and posting is that I got an email from Books-A-Million today about there being 15 hours left in the "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" sale this weekend. 

As we were watching something yesterday that spurred me into looking at a couple books online, I looked into the prices of the books. Again, all the same prices across the land and some have Kindle versions where others do not. The 10 per cent off will get a better deal, but after seeing the email this morning, I thought it is a better win for BAM with the freebie incentive since I'd be buying three from the same author anyway. 

Well, I thought wrong. 

I'm going through the Books site and finding what I need. My cart filled up and it says  nothing about getting anything gratis. Damnit. What the eff.

I click around some more. 

Come to find out, the sale is specific to what Books-A-Million deems free. It's select merchandise from the store and not all books are on the list, even though there are plenty of current things to choose from, it has to say "Buy 2, Get 3rd Free" in the book listing, as well as most of the books being "Summer Stock Up Sale!" ready. 

Just an example of the sale info

I think this is an end of summer liquidation, getting ready for fall and winter books, truth be told.

It's a little disheartening because I would have totally purchased the books if they were on sale, plus one more from the author and maybe looked back into the Funko arena because there have been emails about exclusive Pops that no one else has. 

If I had it their way, I'd be dropping $75 or so on four books and a possible figurine. Or not... maybe just $45 on three books. 

I don't know... maybe I'll still do it. I have way to many in my room right now to complete (including the one I'm currently reading.. and almost finished with). 

At this moment, I'll wait it out. 

Which is again, why having a subscription may be wasteful. When I was in Barnes & Noble, they wanted me to buy into the $25 a year membership. I had done research on it and I saw loads of topics that said you need to spend $250 in that one year to make back the 25 because it accounts for sales, their own percentage off and other random things. Someone online compared the need to buy "9-17 books in one year" to make up for the membership, and that's including the fact the books may range from "$15-28" before any discount. 

I don't buy 5 books a year, let alone upwards of 15 or more. My collection is sporadic - things I've picked up from other markets over the years. The last time I purchased something from B&N in store was two and a half years ago. I had a gift card to use (there was little on it as it was a freebie thing) and decided to pick up the Elton John autobiography. If I recall correctly, it was already on clearance for $15 and it was published four months prior. I went home that day and was telling a friend about it. Turns out, Amazon at that moment had it for ten bucks, when every retailer has it for over $30 normally. 

What. The. Shit.

I wasn't going back to B&N and ordering on Amazon. I did that once before for a bigger product, but not for this. The price in gas alone would have been the five dollar differential. So I kept it. 

Right now, Amazon has it for $17.09 while B&N has it for $26.99 (that's with 10% off). As a side note, BAM has it for $30. Win for Bezos' former company with this one. 

Two and a half years though... at 25 dollars a year... only buying one book. I don't know what my cousin pays for Books-A-Million, but if the latter can be cheaper on some things, I'd rather go there than try my luck at B&N. Or even Amazon. It's a crap shoot, really. 

But yeah... get the piles of books down to a manageable size, contemplate buying more, but don't get anything crazy. 

Cheers;