There… I said it. I feel so much better now, thank you! But I really am.
As I’ve been learning and growing in this new phase of life, I’ve been around mentors and others whom will recommend books to me, either in a talk, conversation, or even in another book. Something like “If you want to go deeper, try ‘Such and so’ from ‘Whoever.'” So I trip over to half.com, and search for the title. Having been “checked out” on reading for such a long time, I’m catching up on books that are not necessarily brand new this year. The good news is, someone in this world has purchased the book, read it, and no longer desires to keep it around. Lucky for me! Unlucky for my night stand, as it towers under the weight of this new material.
You can watch this new problem mount by viewing my current library at LibraryThing. By the way, LibraryThing is a great way to manage your library, and manage loaned books, how many times you’ve read a book, etc. The sidebar with books over there —-> is powered by LibraryThing, and represents a small sampling of my night stand (poor thing).
Half.com is essentially an ebay for books and media, and the sellers range from individuals like you and wishing to create more bookshelf space, to folks that troll used bookstores for bargains, and post them, all the way to bookstores selling new and used wares. And here’s the good news.. Most of my purchases are somewhere around $1.00, plus media rate shipping of about $2.99 to $3.50. Such a deal!
You can also purchase DVDs, CDs, and (gasp!) VHS tapes if you are so inclined. Many times, if I want to purchase a song, especially if it’s not a recent release, someone is selling the whole CD on half.com for a couple of bucks more than the iTunes download – and that’s at full uncompressed quality and no Digital Rights Management (DRM!)
For those epic movies (Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek {did I say Star Trek}) that you wish to keep rather than rent, I’ve found many DVD’s for just a couple of bucks. I keep a record of those (and loan outs) at MovieColletorPlus.com
Your purchases are from individuals a-la ebay, however in half.com’s case, half.com manages all of the transaction and the money. The seller simply prints the shipping label and ships it. I’ve had really no problems to speak of. media mail is the slowest offering of the USPS, but it’s inexpensive, and does the job in 5-9 business days. Sellers have a rating system much like ebay. Purchases are categorised by condition by the seller – sellers would
So check half.com before you pay retail. It’s a great way to save some money. Just make sure your night stand can handle the weight!
~Bryan