[Jo Jo]

I am putting together an inventory of all my belongings for insurance/ shipping purposes, and I have to calculate the value based on the cost of replacing things in NZ for the insurance policy I'm taking out. I've read on here that books are expensive in NZ, but on average, how much do paperback novels cost in NZ?

(I have a horrible feeling it would cost me more to replace all my books than it would to replace all the rest of my belongings put together!)

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

[gil]

The short answer is: A LOT!! Have a look at fishpond for an idea. Alternatively, price them on Amazon and add shipping...

http://www.fishpond.co.nz/

Gil

[Aussie Pom]

Add up the number of books you have and multiply them by an average price. If you are doing it for insurance you may have to work it out in your home currency. I always move with all my books, once they're in boxes it makes no difference compared to all the other stuff we move. They always fit in.
My husband sold all his Sci-Fi books before he came over to OZ and he often regrets it. He came over with 2 packing cases, so pretty much travelled light...he was single and in his 20s. Once you are packing up a family home I reckon in for a penny, in for a pound... put it in.
I love books!!!!

If you are worried about buying books in NZ it is often cheaper to buy books on Amazon, even with the shipping.

Gina

[Tia Maria]

Another good site with prices so you can see how expensive they are!

www.realgroovy.co.nz

I found it really difficult deciding how much insurance to get. With things like books I thought there wasn't much chance of them getting damaged so really I was insuring against a box going missing, (which did happen to us), or the whole lot falling into the sea.

Either way I thought it was unlikely they would all be stolen or fall into the sea so I saved on the insurance and didn't fully insure all the books.

With things like crockery or good furniture I did fully insure as I either thought they were very breakable or an item I would definitely need to replace straight away and wouldn't want to compromise on the insurance value.

Our insurance company wanted replacemet value in New Zealand.

Overall we were quite underinsured but I felt this was a calculated risk compared to what it would have cost to fully insure.

Cheers

Tia

[BkyMonster]

(I have a horrible feeling it would cost me more to replace all my books than it would to replace all the rest of my belongings put together!)

I have that feeling too!
I've weeded out the books I never read, but the ones I want sometimes I'm hanging onto though my OH says we can just get new ones. I'm also planning on stocking some for my future children. ;) Books I enjoyed as a child that I don't know if I'll be able to get. Silly, eh?

Keep the books I say. They may be heavy but they don't take up that much space...right? :laugh

[benandclare]

Yup books pretty expensive here, $26 per bog standard paperback or thereabouts, so soon joined the library :clap

Ben

[Sam B]

And lots more for the latest bestseller or any new book. V pricey.

[Jo Jo]

Thanks for the info. I have counted my bookes - there are over a thousand. Ha ha - at least I know now where all my money's gone!

[Jo Jo]

Final number of books = 1212

Or thereabouts... I keep finding others around the house!

[akp713]

I have several paperbacks here that all cost $25-30 at Whitcouls. If you continue to purchase books quite often once in NZ you should definitely stick to amazon, the selection at NZ bookstores is very disappointing, they're very small. Buying on Amazon they shipped books to me more quickly than when I ordered them back in the US.