I am on a quest. I saw a book some time ago that I decided I wanted to purchase, and I've been trying - without success - to purchase it now for several months. Along the way, I think I'm actually starting to believe in conspiracy theories!
Here's the situation. I am currently learning the Isshin-Ryu Kusanku kata. I read about a book by Javier Martinez called "Isshinryu Kusanku Kata Secrets Revealed," and I decided I wanted to buy it. However, it's been out of print for some time now, and it has become somewhat of a collector's item, I presume. I often see it advertised for upwards of several hundred dollars, which is way to expensive for me.
However, I also often see it listed in various places for just a few dollars, as one often would for used paperback books.
So, I purchased a used inexpensive copy on eBay with Buy-it-Now. The seller was a 'Goodwill' store. I paid and waited.
A few days later, they canceled the sale and refunded my money. No explanation was given.
OK, so strangely enough, I noticed they immediately relisted it. I thought perhaps there had been some weird problem on their end; I bought and paid for it again.
A few days later, they cancelled the sale again. This time, they said it was because upon examination, pages were coming out of it. OK, that's a good reason, I guess. I sent them a message and asked them why they kept listing it for sale if they didn't plan on actually selling it; but they did not reply. They also have not relisted it.
A few days after that, I saw another copy listed from another eBay seller, an independent thrift store in Washington, DC. I immediately did a BIN and paid in full.
A few days after that, the sale was canceled. No explanation was given. I emailed the seller, but they refused to respond to my messages.
I then saw a used copy on Amazon. I bought it.
A few days later, the sale was cancelled. Again, no explanation.
Then I saw another copy on Amazon. I bought it.
This time, weeks went by. Eventually, I emailed them and asked when I might get the book. They responded that upon examination, it had markings on some of the pages. I said that I didn't care, send it anyway. They refunded my money instead.
Then I bought another copy on Amazon. This time from a 'reputable' book dealer who had thousands upon thousands of positive feedbacks. Weeks went by. They I emailed them. They said they sent it via Media Mail, and it would take another few weeks, but they had sent it. It has now been three months. I contacted Amazon, and they contacted the seller, who a day later refunded my money. No explanation given as to why they said they had sent it when they had not.
Then I bought another copy on eBay. This time from a company I have done business with before, a company I have never had trouble with. It has been two weeks, they claimed they sent it. I have not received it.
At this point, I'm on a freaking quest! I am obstinate that way. I want this book. I don't care if I'm well past Kusanku by the time I get it and it just goes on the shelf, I want this book! And I'm not a) paying through the nose for it or b) going to give up.
But what I absolutely fail to understand is WHY I can't seem to buy a copy of this book! I mean, I can BUY it, I've BOUGHT it nearly 10 times since December 2010! What I can't seem to do is get my hands on it!
Does the universe just not want me to have this book?
Here's the situation. I am currently learning the Isshin-Ryu Kusanku kata. I read about a book by Javier Martinez called "Isshinryu Kusanku Kata Secrets Revealed," and I decided I wanted to buy it. However, it's been out of print for some time now, and it has become somewhat of a collector's item, I presume. I often see it advertised for upwards of several hundred dollars, which is way to expensive for me.
However, I also often see it listed in various places for just a few dollars, as one often would for used paperback books.
So, I purchased a used inexpensive copy on eBay with Buy-it-Now. The seller was a 'Goodwill' store. I paid and waited.
A few days later, they canceled the sale and refunded my money. No explanation was given.
OK, so strangely enough, I noticed they immediately relisted it. I thought perhaps there had been some weird problem on their end; I bought and paid for it again.
A few days later, they cancelled the sale again. This time, they said it was because upon examination, pages were coming out of it. OK, that's a good reason, I guess. I sent them a message and asked them why they kept listing it for sale if they didn't plan on actually selling it; but they did not reply. They also have not relisted it.
A few days after that, I saw another copy listed from another eBay seller, an independent thrift store in Washington, DC. I immediately did a BIN and paid in full.
A few days after that, the sale was canceled. No explanation was given. I emailed the seller, but they refused to respond to my messages.
I then saw a used copy on Amazon. I bought it.
A few days later, the sale was cancelled. Again, no explanation.
Then I saw another copy on Amazon. I bought it.
This time, weeks went by. Eventually, I emailed them and asked when I might get the book. They responded that upon examination, it had markings on some of the pages. I said that I didn't care, send it anyway. They refunded my money instead.
Then I bought another copy on Amazon. This time from a 'reputable' book dealer who had thousands upon thousands of positive feedbacks. Weeks went by. They I emailed them. They said they sent it via Media Mail, and it would take another few weeks, but they had sent it. It has now been three months. I contacted Amazon, and they contacted the seller, who a day later refunded my money. No explanation given as to why they said they had sent it when they had not.
Then I bought another copy on eBay. This time from a company I have done business with before, a company I have never had trouble with. It has been two weeks, they claimed they sent it. I have not received it.
At this point, I'm on a freaking quest! I am obstinate that way. I want this book. I don't care if I'm well past Kusanku by the time I get it and it just goes on the shelf, I want this book! And I'm not a) paying through the nose for it or b) going to give up.
But what I absolutely fail to understand is WHY I can't seem to buy a copy of this book! I mean, I can BUY it, I've BOUGHT it nearly 10 times since December 2010! What I can't seem to do is get my hands on it!
Does the universe just not want me to have this book?
