Book Condition
How can a 1978 First Edition Book be listed as "New" ?
Death in the Long Grass by Capstick
Has it been in storage all this time ?
Book Condition
How can a 1978 First Edition Book be listed as "New" ?
Death in the Long Grass by Capstick
Has it been in storage all this time ?
18 replies
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
There are literally hundreds, probably thousands listed as such. They do it to get the 'Buy Box'. If you order it you will be told to wait until it is back in stock, but of course it never will be and eventually you will get an email saying no longer available ! Makes one so angry when you/I have a second-hand one in 'Like new' condition, but never, or rarely a sale.
Seller_RAXEWLxQ2dbmN
Most likely specualtive dropshippers who list millions of titles they don't physically possess in the hope that they can source one as and when they get a sale.
I'm nost sure about the one from Amazon US - does Amazon itself source from 3rd party sellers on amazon.com?
If you check the 'other editions' link, you will see even more 'new' offers under cloned ASINs at exorbitant prices:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Long-Grass-Capstick-Hathaway/dp/B00GGVAJ6W
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Peter-Hathaway-Capstick-Author-Death/dp/B01DHN9WW8
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Long-Grass-Adventures-Hardcover/dp/B00M0L5VGU
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Capstick-Peter-Hathaway-DEATH-GRASS/dp/B00NBKU8CQ
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Capstick-Hathaway-Author-Hardcover/dp/B017QLI6P6
etc &c
The catalogue is absolutely riddled with this rubbish.
Seller_AlYpsVHv0gj21
Back in the days of the old forum (and the forum before that) there were numerous discussions on this subject ( often quite heated!!). I was often at loggerheads with some other sellers as to what constitutes "NEW" I always argued that NEW must be new in the sense it must be exactly the same as when it first came out. But it must also be new in the sense that is not old. The problem here is defining what is "old". To my mind the example you mention is 1978 and is very very old and therefore should not be described as "New" . One reason that I say this is who knows exactly what it looked like 47 years ago? However well preserved a book is there is nearly always going to be some dulling of colour and other small faults.
When it comes to a book only a few years old it is more difficult. Personally I think Amazon should introduce a rule saying that any book over , say, 3 years old cannot be described as "NEW". I believe that this was their reasoning behind saying that you cannot make any further comments about NEW books. ie things like saying "slight shelfwear"
Jilly B is absolutely correct in saying that a lot of the time sellers do it just to get the buybox -- and the worst culprit is Amazon itself
