# Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Pre-Order **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831 "2005-01-21T00:32:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/1 "2005-01-21T00:32:12Z")
It’s almost here. Anyone going to pre-order it? I can’t wait to read it. I’ve kept myself unspoiled just so that I can be surprised by everything. [Amazon Pre-order](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0439784549/103-5114503-8960668) ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/2 "2005-01-21T12:15:24Z")
I put it on request at both of the local library systems. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/3 "2005-01-21T12:29:08Z")
_Going_ to pre-order it? I pre-ordered it last week. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/4 "2005-01-21T14:09:39Z")
If I pre-order the book it won’t be from Amazon. The only time I ‘pre-ordered’ a book from Amazon it arrived days **after** the book was released. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/5 "2005-01-21T14:11:42Z")
I prefer the bookstore riots. Takes me back to my old punk days in LA. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/6 "2005-01-21T14:41:48Z")
I’ll get the book, but see no reason to preorder. I expect to find hundreds of copies at Borders, Barnes & Noble, any local bookstore, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Costco, etc. What’s the point of preordering, and risking an experience like **AngelicGemma** ’s? ---
**Author:** ![Othersider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cab0a1/32.png) [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/7 "2005-01-21T14:54:08Z")
I’ll get the book when it comes out in paperback, like I’ve done with all the others. I’ll read it before then, though. Hopefully, I’ll start reading it the day it comes out, or the day after. And hopefully I won’t stay up all night reading it, _like I have for all the others_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/8 "2005-01-21T15:06:55Z")
A lot of people camped outside Easons in Dublin all night to get a copy of the last book. I walked in at 12pm that afternoon and bought one from the 100’s that were still on the shelves. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/9 "2005-01-21T15:13:26Z")
I did the same thing for the last one. Tonsd of people went to the Midnight Party going on in our local Barnes & Noble. I toyed with the idea of going and picking it up then but sleep won out. When I strolled into the store on Sunday afternoon there were still a ton of books and I picked one up with no fuss or muss. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/10 "2005-01-21T16:22:42Z")
I’ll probably go across the street to Borders if I’m up at midnight. It’s kind of fun to see kids dressed up and so excited to finally get the book. But if that falls through, I have no problems buying it the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/11 "2005-01-21T17:13:28Z")
I’ll head out to the bookstore for a campout. Way more fun that way. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/12 "2005-01-21T19:00:43Z")
> [@Amp](#): > > I did the same thing for the last one. Tonsd of people went to the Midnight Party going on in our local Barnes & Noble. I toyed with the idea of going and picking it up then but sleep won out. When I strolled into the store on Sunday afternoon there were still a ton of books and I picked one up with no fuss or muss. Yeah, that’s what I did last time, but that was before I became a Totally Obsessed Geek. This time around, I plan to be there at midnight and I’m seriously thinking about wearing my McGonagall costume. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/13 "2005-01-21T19:44:03Z")
Just wear it, **Fret**. And do the chilly-glance thing too. ---
**Author:** ![RitzyRae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@RitzyRae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitzyRae)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/14 "2005-01-21T21:34:05Z")
I’ve always wanted to go to a midnight party thing, but only if I can stroll in, get my book, pick up any freebies, laugh at the crazies (in a nice way), and stroll out. Maybe this year. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/15 "2005-01-22T01:18:39Z")
Wait wait wait… this book is out in England? Where can I buy an English (haha, England English) version? ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/16 "2005-01-22T03:13:53Z")
i enjoyed going to the midnight party. i got a few freebies. then headed home and started reading. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/17 "2005-01-22T05:54:59Z")
> [@chaoticdonkey](#): > > Wait wait wait… this book is out in England? Where can I buy an English (haha, England English) version? I don’t think it’s available in England. Where did you get that idea? ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-pre-order/285831/18 "2005-01-22T15:01:43Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > A lot of people camped outside Easons in Dublin all night to get a copy of the _last_ book. I walked in at 12pm that afternoon and bought one from the 100’s that were still on the shelves. (italics mine) I got that idea from here. I must have skipped past the word “last”. (And yes, I know that Dublin isn’t in England, but it’s close, dammit.)