Last week, the University of Maryland team (who are conducting research on BookMooch) told me they wanted to see if they could answer the question: "does a used book's price effect whether someone mooches it or not?"

I thought this was an interesting question, but I wasn't providing the data in the API to obtain a solution. So...

The "best price" data is now available in various forms:
1) as part of the XML and MySQL database exports
2) with a new API call, to obtain the best price for a single book

Note that the data provided includes the best new-book price, best used-book price, and Amazon's own new book price. It also provides data from all the various Amazon worldwide stores. In the future, if I add other sources for buying books (such as ABE or Alibris) those prices will appear in the data feed as well.

Keep it up!

Well, personally, I don't find it very attractive seeing the Amazon price of a certain book in red and all, but since others might find it useful...
Keep up the good work =)

It will be interesting to see what the research shows...but I suspect many members are not concerned with book prices.

My vote would be not to include this info, I think it reduces books available within BM.

I wish books that I want to either own and/or read.

And with a TBR pile that is over 50 books long, I'm usually in no hurry to get a book. (Unless it's for a book club I belong to.)

Which may be a legitimate approach for people in other countries interested in international mooches. . . Certainly more energy efficient.

My husband came up with a criteria: if it's $50 or less, we list it on Bookmooch or give it away. We don't have the room to store books until a buyer comes along "one day". Every 6 months or so, I try to take some of books that aren't moving and Freecycle them, freeing space for other books to be listed.

I listed an obscure book worth $44 on Amazon that was wishlisted and the user was extremely happy to have received it - on his birthday, no less! It's called paying it forward. :)

VintageBooks
Inventory: vintagebooks

Of course it makes good common sense to work with your desire along with the pricing of the two books. DESIRE may win out with me, on it's own, on occasion, BUT not if the least desired book is out of print and selling for forty dollars at amazon.com

Number one...Out of print makes pricing go up, but also means the book may be found far less often, in here, or anywhere. Mooch that one baby, says I,(to me) on the sly. Number two, I am mainly mooching these books to keep. I stock my lit'l library for a future referance library, for i long to write when I am older and wiser? (When I decide I am good enough):} and I enjoy having a library with great books on the shelves about.
The idea behind knowing the price should not be underestimated. It can be a handy tool. STILL...there are some funny inflated books about and here is an example...MARY JANE BUTTERS Books are very popular these days...it is back in fashion to be a "farmgirl" a "tramp" and such...haha
The first of her books has been unavailable at amazon and these were recently listed at half.com, ebay, and amazon used at HYPER~INFLATED pricing...I decided i wanted some of her books and looked out for a decent price, after one week I found her website...(easily found in a search) where you could get them from her NEW and autographed! for only 35.00...hm

Then, I was diligent (about wanting it really cheap!), willing to do more searching and waiting... after two weeks i found one from goodwill, in amazon.com for .98 plus shipping. I grabbed it.
Others were selling that book for $99.00...and well just really high at 45.00 in fair shape &, 75.00 good, 125.00 used, just all over the place.(Not unlike my point here) ANYWAY! ~ I picked up two of her (FABULOUS) books for less than 11.00, now I am looking for two more at rock bottom prices.

So, even though I know that hyper~inflated pricing on books may happen,
that does not mean that the pricing on books at amazon does not have any affect on me...especially when I know (seriously) that one day I may need to resell some books for some fast cash, and who wants to get laughed out at the used book shop, for having nothing that they can resell?.

Books are heavy to be carrying about, so I would want to show up with some that they'll want. It just makes sense to mooch the higher priced first..unless, your DESIRE for another book is Deeper, which totally happens too.
;~})

Keep up the good work,

Faye_Arv

Edited to add: Over the years, I have also been able to mooch some very expensive books I really wanted, because someone was generous and willing to give away a higher-value book.

Like Mimalgato, I feel this display of Amazon prices detracts from the experience of giving and mooching books. From the moment you see the virtual price of a book, automatically add up the shipping costs and start considering, for instance, if it's worth sending internationally for someone who would pay lower SC if buying it from Amazon himself/ herself... I mean, it's not a book for a book anymore, is it?
Well anyway, the subject doesn't seem open for discussion.

@bookel
You have the price display turned off? Can I ask how do you do that?

Before I started swapping books online I did look into selling on Amazon but found that a lot of my books are being sold for £0.01 or only slightly more by larger, more professional sellers. I can't compete with that as even if it doesn't cost me the whole £2.80 postage charged to send out the book it still means that I make a loss after I've paid the completion and closing fees to Amazon.

The only thing I use the Amazon price details for is when I really want a book and either no one is listing it or it's very popular and is being mooched before I can get onto the site. In those cases if the book is being sold cheaply I may decide just to buy it (and most probably list here or the other site I'm a member of) rather than wait and hope I get hold of a copy through swapping/mooching.

Contrast this to the United States, where the selection is better (the book I want might not even be available on Amazon.ca), the prices are lower, the shipping is $3.99, and you only need to spend $25 to get free shipping. People turning down a request because it's cheap on Amazon fail to recognize that the cost for a Canadian to get a book on Amazon is usually 2-4x as high, and that's if the book is available at all.

I've also seen new members empty their inventory altogether. Several times, I have received a reply from a new member that they changed their mind about BookMooch and have decided to list their books on Amazon instead. It seems that adding the Amazon cost is a much bigger obstacle to having new books listed than the dreaded "surplus points" ever were.

Maybe I'm funny but it just makes it more easy to be generous when it isn't somethng that would be hard to acquire. The same idea behind a greater price value on the book being a way for me to see that the book is more rare and i may want to mooch it or lose it. (If not reprinted, which could always happen too).

Anyway, not sure it should be an issue at all since now we know it can easily be foregone by removing it from your page. No one should worry over controlling how everyone else does their mooching, if you want to do that,no offense but, may I suggest you get a book on co-dependancy issues...everyone has a right to play it the way they see fit, no?

Assuming it isn't against any rules, of course. How come everyone seems to want to say how the site should be run? Was it some sort of agreement before, that John would always comply with people ideas on the site? I really feel sort of sad for him!

I mean...it's a nice idea, that the wishes of "everyone" (with a stated opinion) on this site be honored, but an impossible task to be sure, since basically everyones different. Does anyone put themselves in his shoes, what his experience of all this infighting must feel like...I dont know, but I would be feeling so pressured, were this my site, and thats not fun or right. Not a very cool way to say thanks for a great way to get books!

However I was reviewing my wish list and thought I might start buying some amazon used that are not currently available to mooch, and that are not only on my wishlist but on several wishlists to "get them in the system" after I read them. :-)

In this case, I do notice the price. I would be more likely to buy the cheaper used ones first to keep costs down.

I was very happy to see a Madeliene L'Engle book on my wishlist available today, and I want to thank you for giving it to me my friend.
I would smooch you right back, with my next point, but seems that you have vanished like a soft breeze blowing over me hot shoulders!

:~})
Thank You for the gift!