# What was the first thing you purchased on Amazon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600 "2016-04-08T20:56:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/1 "2016-04-08T20:56:41Z")
While checking out the order status on a recent Amazon order I realized that on the ‘Your Orders’ screen was a pull-down menu that lists every year you placed an order with the company, enabling you to look back and see your entire ordering history. The first thing I bought on Amazon was a [Lexmark #50 Black Ink Cartridge 17G0050](http://www.amazon.com/Lexmark-Black-Ink-Cartridge-17G0050/dp/B00004U9HC) purchased way back on 3/5/2001. Purchased directly from Amazon, it cost me $26.94. If I waited 15 years, I could have gotten it for $17.99 which is the selling price today (and as low as $13.79 with shipping from a third party seller which they didn’t have back then, I don’t think). But that printer is long gone so I don’t think I will take advantage of the savings… :smack: 😃 What is the first thing you ordered from Amazon, when was it (does anyone go back farther than I do) and how much less or more would it run you now? ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/2 "2016-04-08T21:20:12Z")
Huh … how about that. First purchase is some Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman CDs for my grandmother’s Christmas gift. 2001. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/3 "2016-04-08T21:21:42Z")
Mine is Core Java Vol 1 and 2 back in July 2000, but I’m fairly certain that isn’t my oldest amazon purchase. amazon is older than that and I remember ordering stuff when I was a masters student (late 90’s). I remember when amazon announced they were adding CD’s to their sales and that was a big deal at the time. 1998-ish? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/4 "2016-04-08T21:47:17Z")
Mine is a 1997 purchase of “The Cipher” by Kathe Koja (which I’m fairly sure I never actually read). It doesn’t give a price though and returns an error if I try to view the invoice. It does seem flaky though since there’s some research books I know I bought through Amazon but which don’t show in my history. I can believe that 1997 was my first purchase there but there’s obvious holes in my purchase history. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/5 "2016-04-08T21:55:51Z")
My first couple of orders were for books, back in mid-1998, when I thought of Amazon as an online bookstore (which I still _sort of_ do). ---
**Author:** ![mtomm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@mtomm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtomm)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/6 "2016-04-08T21:58:14Z")
It was December 1998: Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? Shel Silverstein Sold by: [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) LLC $14.35 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/7 "2016-04-08T22:02:28Z")
Guess I should mention May 15, 1997 in case someone wants to beat me 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/8 "2016-04-08T22:32:01Z")
A card game called Mille Bornes in January of 2002. Twelve bucks then, close to $55 now. I placed a grand total of ten orders wit them in 2002. I probably do that many in a month now, and with the new Prime free same-day service, there will be more. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/9 "2016-04-08T22:48:49Z")
October of 1998 – [XTC: Song Stories](http://www.amazon.com/XTC-Stories-Exclusive-Authorized-Behind/dp/0786883383?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00) (which I eventually got signed by the band). ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/10 "2016-04-08T22:52:33Z")
November 25, 2000. _Vamp: The Rise and Fall of Theda Bara_ by our own delightful Doper, **Eve** Golden for $19.95 (would now be $13.19 for my Kindle). Which just goes to show that I found my way to Amazon, as to most things on the Internet, through the Straight Dope. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/11 "2016-04-08T22:54:32Z")
My earliest order is 1999, but I know I ordered earlier, since I was pregnant with my daughter Christmas 1997 when we bought (paper!) gift certificates for the nieces and nephews. We were the cool aunt and uncle. I’m positive we bought something in 1996 or earlier, when it was only a bookstore. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/12 "2016-04-08T22:58:57Z")
Cream of the Crop - Best of the Dead Milkmen, on CD, Nov 30 1998. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/13 "2016-04-08T23:02:03Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > My earliest order is 1999, but I know I ordered earlier, since I was pregnant with my daughter Christmas 1997 when we bought (paper!) gift certificates for the nieces and nephews. We were the cool aunt and uncle. > > I’m positive we bought something in 1996 or earlier, when it was only a bookstore. Oh, the earliest purchase listed was Legend of Zelda and Mario Kart for Nintendo 64 ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/14 "2016-04-08T23:03:51Z")
11 May 1999: A. R. Edmonds [Angular Momentum in Quantum Mechanics](http://www.amazon.com/Angular-Momentum-Quantum-Mechanics-Investigations/dp/0691025894). Good times, good times. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/15 "2016-04-08T23:06:26Z")
November 1995 - this [book](http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Interpreter-Cornplanter-Blacksnake-Allegany/dp/0881431087?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_). ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/16 "2016-04-08T23:18:12Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > My first couple of orders were for books, back in mid-1998, when I thought of Amazon as an online bookstore (which I still _sort of_ do). Same here, though the last books I’d have gotten were the Tolkien History of Middle Earth hardcovers. My account only shows back to 2005, but I know around 1999 I bought a book and got a nice mousepad, with a quote from Groucho Marx: > [@](#): > > Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/17 "2016-04-08T23:58:23Z")
Two CDs on the same day in 2004: _The Best of Mary Hopkin_ and _The Best of Kevin Johnson_. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/18 "2016-04-09T00:00:09Z")
I just realized that January of 2002 is not my first Amazon purchase as I was buying stuff from them before I met my husband, and we met in early 2000. Oh well… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/19 "2016-04-09T00:07:12Z")
2 books on the same day, by the same author, February 17, 2011: \* Duplicate Effort \*and _Consequences_, both from the Retrieval Artist series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. It’s actually pretty rare I buy just one thing at a time from Amazon, I usually order a bunch of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600/20 "2016-04-09T00:21:44Z")
Assuming this is my complete list, it was “No Place Like Home”, Volume Four of Tom Bodett’s American Odyssey an audio cassette in 1996. I’m amazed it wasn’t a book. I have an “error” message: There’s a problem displaying some of your orders right now [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-thing-you-purchased-on-amazon/751600.md?page=2)