Wednesday, March 28, 2007
I'm NOT Going To Pay A Lot For This Mushishi
David Welsh's post about booksellers' various rewards/loyalty programs got me to wondering: How do others generally buy their comics, particularly their manga? Since I gave up pre-ordering through Previews, I've primarily been buying my manga through Barnes & Noble. I signed up for a membership about a year ago when I was making a large purchase in one of their stores and realized the additional 10% discount would almost cover the cost of the membership. Plus, by signing up for the B&N MasterCard, I got a $25 gift card and an additional 5% back for B&N purchases made on the MasterCard. Overall I've been happy with the membership, but now I find myself wondering: Am I really getting the best deal on manga that I could be?
I know Amazon's prices are generally lower than those listed on B&N's site, but
Plus, B&N's free shipping is much faster than Amazon's. (I've had orders from B&N ship the same day I place them and arrive only two or three days later. With Amazon, you're lucky to receive an order confirmation within three days if you choose free shipping.) And for those occasions where I simply have to have the manga right now, I do like the flexibility of being able to waltz into a local shop and walk out with the latest volume of the freshest manga in a matter of mere minutes.
But I'm also a notorious cheapskate, so if I could be saving a couple bucks, I'd be open to other options, too. So let me know below: Am I paying too much for my manga??? 12:33 AM | |
David Welsh's post about booksellers' various rewards/loyalty programs got me to wondering: How do others generally buy their comics, particularly their manga? Since I gave up pre-ordering through Previews, I've primarily been buying my manga through Barnes & Noble. I signed up for a membership about a year ago when I was making a large purchase in one of their stores and realized the additional 10% discount would almost cover the cost of the membership. Plus, by signing up for the B&N MasterCard, I got a $25 gift card and an additional 5% back for B&N purchases made on the MasterCard. Overall I've been happy with the membership, but now I find myself wondering: Am I really getting the best deal on manga that I could be?
I know Amazon's prices are generally lower than those listed on B&N's site, but
- B&N members frequently receive coupons for an additional 15% or 25% off an item (or occasionally an entire order)
- The 10% member discount applies to all items, even ones Amazon never discounts, like your standard $10 manga volumes
Plus, B&N's free shipping is much faster than Amazon's. (I've had orders from B&N ship the same day I place them and arrive only two or three days later. With Amazon, you're lucky to receive an order confirmation within three days if you choose free shipping.) And for those occasions where I simply have to have the manga right now, I do like the flexibility of being able to waltz into a local shop and walk out with the latest volume of the freshest manga in a matter of mere minutes.
But I'm also a notorious cheapskate, so if I could be saving a couple bucks, I'd be open to other options, too. So let me know below: Am I paying too much for my manga??? 12:33 AM | |