# Anyone bought an ISBN number before?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-bought-an-isbn-number-before/149266>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 17, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-bought-an-isbn-number-before/149266 "2003-01-17T18:31:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-bought-an-isbn-number-before/149266/1 "2003-01-17T18:31:52Z")

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Has anybody self-published, and bought an [ISBN](http://www.isbn.org/)?

Was it worth it?

I’m planning on doing a short-run book, and I want an ISBN, so I feel all official, and can sell through real bookstores if they’ll have me, but you have to buy 10 of them at once, for $225.