Emily's Balloon by Komako Sakai

Every day, when I read through the eighty different blogs I subscribe to, I invariably come across one or two links to some crazy or wonderful thing on the internet that I am sure is the most amazing thing ever invented. But yesterday, I discovered, all on my own, something that is by far and away the most ingenious and useful use of the internet ever.

Powell’s will buy your used books over the internet.

All you do is type in a list of ISBNs for the books you want to sell. After a few moments of clicking and whirring, you get back a list of which books of yours Powell’s will buy, and a price for the lot of them. If you like the offer, you confirm and then print a prepaid shipping label. Box the books up, slap the label on, and drop it off at the post office. After they receive the package and make sure you sent what you said you’d sent, the sum of money is deposited into your Powell’s account to be used to buy more books. (Yes, it’s store credit only, no cash. But isn’t that what you wanted anyway?)

I have to say, I hate lugging grocery bags full of books to the local used bookstore, having the employees go through my treasures, reject half of them, and then make me take the rest home. But what’s really jaw dropping about this technology is—How does the Powell’s computer know that it wants to give me $2.62 for Emily’s Balloon by Komako Sakai but that it doesn’t want my copy of Waiting for Gregory? How does it know?!?

Anyway, I for one am all about new technology. Now that I can sell the books I don’t want online, I get my produce delivered, and I have a Francis! Francis! espresso machine, I will never need to leave the house again.

Emily's Balloon by Komako Sakai

Tags: children's books Powell's Books used books espresso machines Komako Sakai