# Harry Potter: Record Price **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533 "2003-02-07T19:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [February 7, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/1 "2003-02-07T19:11:42Z")
So Scholastic announced the price for the new Harry Potter book. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37132-2003Feb6.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37132-2003Feb6.html) $29.95, a record for a children’s book. I’ll still pay it. And I won’t even pre-order it. Going through the 4 foot high riots at the Leesburg book store is part of the fun. ---
**Author:** ![InTransit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@InTransit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InTransit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/2 "2003-02-07T19:14:35Z")
Crud. I’m going to be so disappointed if there are chapters and chapters of a side story that isn’t centra to the plot… the first third of the last book was sort of long winded, I thought. Costco,\* here I come! \*For those not familiar with Costco, it’s a warehouse store that carries things in bulk and for cheap. They often carry just-released books for much much less than list price. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/3 "2003-02-07T19:28:30Z")
Whats wrong with the pre-order price of £8 from [amazon.co.uk](http://amazon.co.uk)? Ok, you have to add shipping onto that, but it still sounds cheaper? ---
**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:** [February 7, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/4 "2003-02-07T19:33:07Z")
THe article states that the online retailers made a guess at the price that they now have to honor. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/5 "2003-02-07T20:06:30Z")
Barnes and Noble still as it for ~$18 plus shipping. May be easier to order it rather than punching little kids out for my copy. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/6 "2003-02-07T20:22:36Z")
When the last one came out, with its MSRP of 24.95, we got it the first day, at WalMart, for $12. I expect much the same this time around. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/7 "2003-02-07T21:58:40Z")
Don’t worry - nobody is actually going to have to pay that price. {url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/books/02/07/potter.price.ap/index.html][CNN.com](http://CNN.com) sez the big outlets will be selling it for US$17.99. I remember paying just under $15 for the last one - this is a third more book for less than a third more money. Not a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/8 "2003-02-08T00:24:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Carnage \* > \*\*Barnes and Noble still as it for ~$18 plus shipping. May be easier to order it rather than punching little kids out for my copy. \*\* That’s the best part!! Take that Billy! ::BAM!!:: My Book, Suzy!! ::Smack!!:: Eat Umbrella, Mom!! ::Schluupp!!:: The credit card is good, checker!! ::Thwomp!!:: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@The\_Man\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_Who)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/9 "2003-02-08T03:34:11Z")
The local Barnes and Noble and B. Dalton are advertising 40% off on their pre-order signs, but I may pay full price at the local independent. We’ll know in 4 months. -Myron ---
**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:** [February 8, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/10 "2003-02-08T13:52:10Z")
Yeah, Tars has it right. Just like the Black Flag shows in my younger days…the riot is half the fun. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-record-price/153533/11 "2003-02-09T02:07:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\*That’s the best part!! Take that Billy! ::BAM!!:: My Book, Suzy!! ::Smack!!:: Eat Umbrella, Mom!! ::Schluupp!!:: The credit card is good, checker!! ::Thwomp!!:: \*\* Exactly! I like to shove past little kids in their wizards costumes and grab two copies of the book saying “I have so much money that I think I’ll buy two extra copies just to throw away” and then at the checkout stand saying “And I’m going to buy all the candy I want and eat it all before dinner.” There’s got to be _some_ advantage to being old; I didn’t stick around this long for nothing.