🙋 WANTED Looking for book: "A California Gold Rush History" by David Bowers

SD51

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villagenut

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there are several on AbeBooks.com but boy are they pricey.....600 to 800 bucks
 

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PastorBillV

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there are several on AbeBooks.com but boy are they pricey.....600 to 800 bucks
Yeah, whenever you see prices that high (especially on Amazon), it's usually an indicator that they don't have the item but don't want to go through the trouble of cancelling the ad and later recreating it. They know that no one will pay the absurd price and will figure out that it's simply sending an out-of-stock message.

There's a copy on eBay and the guy offered it to me for $315. My son just won an eBay auction for one at $190. I saw a recent auction that went for under $100! By the way, there are two versions. A regular book and then a special edition with a pinch of gold from the SS Central America plus the author's autograph. Looks like the special edition is about $100 more.
 

CreakyDigger

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Yeah, whenever you see prices that high (especially on Amazon), it's usually an indicator that they don't have the item but don't want to go through the trouble of cancelling the ad and later recreating it. They know that no one will pay the absurd price and will figure out that it's simply sending an out-of-stock message.

There's a copy on eBay and the guy offered it to me for $315. My son just won an eBay auction for one at $190. I saw a recent auction that went for under $100! By the way, there are two versions. A regular book and then a special edition with a pinch of gold from the SS Central America plus the author's autograph. Looks like the special edition is about $100 more.
Yeah, no, it's not that they don't have the item but don't want to go through the trouble of cancelling it. It is very easy to cancel an Amazon listing; it is costly to your Amazon status to sell something you cannot fulfill. Your metrics tank if you do that. It's not simply sending an out-of-stock message. In fact, if you list at a price Amazon regards as outrageous, they automatically cancel the listing, a seller has no say in it. If a book is out there on Amazon at an outrageous price, it's because the market will bear that price, and the seller has it in stock.
 

Back-of-the-boat

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Well I now know what book to keep an eye out for.
 

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PastorBillV

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Jul 7, 2021
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Yeah, no, it's not that they don't have the item but don't want to go through the trouble of cancelling it. It is very easy to cancel an Amazon listing; it is costly to your Amazon status to sell something you cannot fulfill. Your metrics tank if you do that. It's not simply sending an out-of-stock message. In fact, if you list at a price Amazon regards as outrageous, they automatically cancel the listing, a seller has no say in it. If a book is out there on Amazon at an outrageous price, it's because the market will bear that price, and the seller has it in stock.
You've heard it differently than I have from the sellers that I know. either way, we're smart enough to not pay outrageous prices like these!
 

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PastorBillV

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Jul 7, 2021
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what makes this book so valuable? Was it a low printing?
Yes, only 4000 printed and the special version, only 400. The article I read said that they wanted to make a collector's item. It's an unbelievable book with 1000+ pages!
 

CreakyDigger

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You've heard it differently than I have from the sellers that I know. either way, we're smart enough to not pay outrageous prices like these!
I haven't "heard it differently," I've sold tens of thousands of books online, including on Amazon. I know how it works.
 

lostcoast

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Nov 8, 2021
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I've read about the book. From what I understand it's primarily about the origin of and the first recovery of the gold from the SS Central America and less about what the title implies. I would be wrong though, having never read it.

Also, if you're not aware, there is a sequel to the book. "America’s Greatest Treasure Ship: the S.S. Central America – the Second Treasure-Finding Journey"
 

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PastorBillV

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Jul 7, 2021
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I've read about the book. From what I understand it's primarily about the origin of and the first recovery of the gold from the SS Central America and less about what the title implies. I would be wrong though, having never read it.

Also, if you're not aware, there is a sequel to the book. "America’s Greatest Treasure Ship: the S.S. Central America – the Second Treasure-Finding Journey"
My son's copy just arrived, so will be hearing about contents soon (but with 1000+ pages, I'll be hearing about it for a month!).

Didn't know about the sequel - thanks for sharing that! I'll check it out!

Bill
 

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