Beedle the Bard Price War

Found out from Bibliobibuli that next weekend (26th to 28th Dec), OUR local Tesco stores will be selling JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard for the cost price of RM28.99 (RM29 after the rounding) as a loss leader from the local retail price of RM44.95, which is reminiscent of the Deathly Hallows hooha last year.

All I can say is that this is DAMN CHEAP(er), OKAY...!!! When you take into consideration the dimensions of the book (which is the size of a Peter and Jane book) and how many "tales" are in it (five).

I didn't see this in The Star but on The New Straits Times, so here's the piece online.

It's not like they're keeping it at this price forever, it's only going to be RM28.99 for THREE DAYS (After that it's going to for RM32.55, which is STILL cheaper than the brick and mortar bookstores).

Before anyone out there goes postal, moan and groan to me about the other bookstores and the profits that go to charity, here's my two cents.

As a member of the low-income earner demographic who loves to shop and likes to read, I (again) don't give a rat's ass about the bookstores (who still get business from the less patient people who earn more than I do); it's all about the economics for me: if I can get it cheap, I rather get it cheap. [This is coming from someone who would rather buy used books online and hasn't really bought an actual book from a bookstore in awhile now.]

I know the proceeds of the book is funnelled towards charity. But come on, it's the fastest selling book of hers at the moment, it's been on the bestseller lists for a few weeks now. MILLIONS HAVE PAID FULL PRICE FOR THE BOOK!!! MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN COUNTRIES THAT HAVE BETTER (AND GREATER) SPENDING POWER AND EXCHANGE RATE THAN THIS THIRD WORLD COUNTRY KNOWN AS MALAYSIA!! Proceeds from several hundred thousand copies (at best) in a tiny ass country is not gonna make a HUGE dent!

At the end of the day, I'll still be paying for it out of my own (meagre) pocket. And it's not like the money is not going to the charity that proceeds are going to ANYWAY.

In the spirit of capitalism, I might get myself a copy if I ever remember to on Friday.