I love audiobooks. Mostly because the radio stations here suck, and I haven’t bought a new cd in years, but also because I love to read, and I love stories, and I enjoy being read to, and I hate the fact that I have to put down a book to drive somewhere.
But, I hate the idea of paying 30 or 40+ dollars for something I might listen to once or twice. Only one time have I ever paid a full, retail approximately $50 for an unabridged reading of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, read by Maya Angelou herself. And it was worth it.
But I’d like to get the Harry Potter books on tape or CD (preferably CD)–why not, I already have 'em all in paperback and hardcover, right? The cheapest I can find them is $25 each for the first two, and $30-40 apiece for the final three. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love these stories, and I’ve heard they’re great read aloud, but I don’t have an extra $200 lying around. I got all five books in hardcover for less than $50 total.
Is there a good source for used audio books? New is out of the question–Amazon says they list at $50-$75 each, although the sell them slightly cheaper than that.
Have you checked your public library? Ours has a pretty substantial (and rapidly growing) collection. And, YMMV, but I’ve never felt like relistening to an audio book, so actually owning audio books isn’t nearly as attractive to me as is owning print books.
Check your local yellow pages for used paperback book stores and give them a call. Many of the ones I frequent have racks of used audio books (and will pay you for your old ones). Surprisingly, you may also have luck (though with less selection) with thrift stores (Salvation Army, etc.)
(Now, if you really want to try pot luck, head for your nearest Cracker Barrel restaurant. They do an audio book exchange so drivers can trade in the audio novel they’ve just finished for something different to keep them awake on the next leg of their trip.)
Thanks for the suggestion, ChordedZither, I looked up the online catalog at the Eugene Public Library, found they had a couple copies of Sorcerer’s Stone on tape on the shelf, drove out there, found the library which is brand new, and huge, and beautiful, and so well-stocked it made my little heart go pitter-pat. So I found Sorcerer’s Stone, along with a stack of other books and such, and went to get a library card.
Then I got shot down. Evidently, some places don’t have county-wide public library systems. I was completely unaware. Actually, the process took longer than that. I asked for a new library card, the librarian said I needed proof of address along with a photo ID. I asked if a bill or piece of mail would be sufficient, she said yes. So I drove all the way home, to Springfield, found something with my name and address, and drove back to Eugene. Then I got shot down. Apparently you either have to pay property taxes by living in Eugene, or shell out $45, or volunteer twenty hours. Le sigh.
So, I found out that Springfield has a much, much smaller library which charges $3 per item for interlibrary loans with the Eugene library, but happily had Sorcerer’s Stone on the shelf. And a lot of really old children’s and juvenile fiction books, which makes me happy.
Talking Book World has a netflix-style rental program. They probably have info about it at their webiste, http://www.talkingbookworld.com. Amazon has tons of used audio but if you don’t want to buy stuff online, rentals are the way to go. On the other hand, at $3 each, library transfers still beats rentals.
