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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Thorin Stoutfoot" data-source="post: 151069" data-attributes="member: 1887">buying from Amazon.com Well, you could buy .pdfs directly from the publisher, so the money goes directly to them, and they don't have to bother printing, advertising, etc. That's a great way to go. I haven't done so yet because it's not cheap for me to print my own stuff. (Inkjets are expensive per page --- once I get a laser printer I'll probably buy more .pdfs)I've also bought from Talon when I couldn't find what I want on Amazon.com. But that's the point of buying from Amazon.com --- they pimp for the publishers (good lord, they pimp really hard --- you'll always see the top ten lists, reviews, and other stuff like that whenever you buy a product from them), they offer excellent customer service --- whenever anything they shipped me was defective, they've always paid for shipping both ways, and they offer good prices, which means that they aren't eating up 50% of the margins like all the other retailers (they're eating up about 20%, with their 30% off policy, and there are ways to get even more out of them). I value efficiency and lower prices above all, since that frees up my money to pay for product and services, as opposed to spending it on distributors/wholesalers, who basically skim 10-15% off the product price for essentially doing what Amazon.com does.If I want to support my community, I join the local role playing club and pay my dues and given them more money. If I want to support enworld, I give them money directly. Much more efficient --- enworld probably doesn't get much more than a 5% kickback from its on-line store, so you can buy from Amazon, save 30%, and give 20% of the discount to enworld and enworld will come out ahead.I realize most people don't make rational decisions when it comes to money, but I try to make those decisions as rationally as possible (and there's good evidence that wealthy people get that way by being rational about money too). Wholesalers, distributors, and retailers don't deserve your money (not unless they provide exceptional service, and come on, is the service at your local game store worth $12 per copy of the CoC book? plus tax?). Charities, your family, your friends, etc do. If you feel guilty, buy your copy of CoC d20 at Amazon, and donate $12 to Greenpeace, the Enviornmental Defense Fund, or buy your friends lunch. Don't give away money that could have so many other good uses.</blockquote>

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