Bookfinder published a list of the Top 100 most sought after out-of-print books in 2012and a fairly grim list it is. I have read three – the Paul Gallico when I was about eleven, Allegory of Love when I was at university and The Act of Creation many many years ago and I own one other, the Dennis Potter. I sincerely doubt that I will read any of the others. Indeed, I had heard of very few. Do people really feel the need to see Madonna with her clothes off? A quick Google of Madonna nude will surely give you all you want and for free. And it isn’t cheap. Amazon US is selling it new for $262.56 and Amazon UK for £250.00.
Stephen King is the only author to have two books in the top ten. I must confess that I have never read him but are there people prepared to pay large sums for his lesser works? Apparently. Lynne Cheney is still there. When her husband was Vice-President of the United States, it was almost impossible to obtain this porn novel but it can be yours for a mere £35. For $78.90 you can buy Too Good to Be Threw : The Complete Operations Manual for Consignment Shops. Is there someone out there who feels the need to pay this money for this book? Some of my literary buying choices are, frankly, a bit recondite as my significant other never fails to remind me but whenever I feel guilty in the future about paying for a book, I shall merely look at this list and remind myself that people are paying a lot more for a lot worse. Just think, if you don’t know how to make pancakes, you can get Pancakes A to Z for a mere $43.59 plus shipping.