[polkaface]

[ QUOTE ]
I also believe Mason's statement about needing Negreanu to sell more books is foolish, and I've read this entire thread. Let's say 200,000 copies have been sold of HOH1 - if the book were only $15, should we expect that 400,000 copies have been sold? No, because the market has shown so far that only 200,000 purchasers have wanted a copy, despite it's price.

Ok, so let's take into account that it's "too expensive", thus limiting the sales on the books - does this mean that if HOH1 was suddenly $15 we should expect more copies sold simply because now there is a section of people who can afford it? Not realistically, because anybody who is genuinely interested in purchasing the book will find a way despite a $15 price difference.

True, Mason has a point in the fact that a cheaper book will have book stores buy more copies and in turn put more on the shelves, but this does *NOT* translate to a higher number of sales - how often do you have to go from bookstore to bookstore looking for a copy of Harrington on Hold' Em because it is sold out?

I rest my case; I can see why Mason would say something like that, but in the end it boils down to Mason trying to equate price with quality, and quality simply isn't something you can place a number value on, especially since what is quality to man A is incomprehensible to man B, and so forth.

[/ QUOTE ]


Econ 101. In a competitive market economy, people purchase a given amount at a given price. And a different amount at a different price. The quant/price cross for this product at $30 seems to be at 200k copies right now. At $15 I can guarantee you the amount of copies sold would be more than 200k (assuming more than 200k have been printed and assuming there are more than 200k literate poker players).

When using the argument "Despite its price" you are showing an opposite correlation (def of despite is "in spite of"). As in, it sold 500k copies DESPITE ITS HIGH PRICE.... or it didn't sell at all despite its price of $2.

Your argument is essentially that if the book were priced at $5 (or 15) not one single person more would have bought the book. Not even close to the truth. I haven't bought the book. At $5 or $15 I would buy it right this instant.