****EDIT: 18 december

This has been resolved. If I knew how to delete this post, I would. If I'm blind and you know how, tell me please. When I made this suggestion, I was not thinking about how much it could cost to ship a book on cassette and this is where I went wrong. I'm very sorry. No need to waste your time on this thread unless you have some crazy insight on something.

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I saw a discussion on highly requested books being worth 2 credits, and I suppose this is a similar suggestion but with a set-in-stone not-really-arguable rating system suggestion.

Perhaps this is my own personal bias, but I do not think audio cassettes are worth two credits. Very few people have players any more, and if you went into an electronics store, you would not be able to buy one.

For example, on Amazon.com, the cheapest audio CD of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone is listed at $25.88. The cheapest cassette is listed at $4.99. There are used hardcover books listed at more than that. Admittedly, you can get a used hardcover of the very same Harry Potter book as low as $2.93. (I used the most popular series I could think of.)

These prices come with the added laziness of me not looking to see if perhaps these lowest prices are outliers and every other used copy is actually $10 more or something. I only know that if you walk into a bookstore, they don't really even sell cassettes any more. And their rarity does NOT make them more valuable. If you take them to a used bookstore to try to sell them, there's a very good chance that they will get thrown away or given back to you. (Unless, of course, the store where I work and the others I visit are just anomalies. Good Wills and thrift stores not included.)

Anyhow, the suggestion I am trying to make is that cassettes should be worth one credit and not two.

Janet, suggestions for changes to PBS policies should be submitted directly to them, using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of any PBS page.  Posting in the forums does nothing, since they aren't guaranteed to read here at all.

I order and send cassette-based audio books, and they are definitely worth the "money" to me, particularly for unabridged versions, which can be ungodly expensive.  Amazon sells plenty of new audio books on cassette. 

There are plenty of print books which folks may not feel are worth a single credit, such as many of the cheap Dover Thrift Editions posted on your shelf, but folks that don't feel it is worth it don't have to order them, just like with audio books.

I doubt they'll change it just like they won't make hardcovers 2 credits.  Because some audio cassette books still get requested at 2 credits and some hardcovers are so heavily posted that you can only get rid of them in a deal.  So then the problem becomes how do you decide which ones should be worth 2 and which ones worth 1 credit.  Because what's WL now might be readily available another time.  If cassettes were reduced to 1 credit then people would probably remove them.  The cassettes can be heavy to mail.  Especially when you get a long one that has 10+ cassettes.  (I mailed several when I first joined that had around 20 cassettes and cost more than $3 to mail-and that was a few postage price raises ago).  If someone has audio books on cassette that aren't moving they can always offer a deal on them. If you see more than 1 audio cassette book on someones shelf that you are interested in-you can always ask if they'd give you a deal on them.   I see people run deals on them in the book bazaar quite often. 

I personally don't order them because I only have a cassette player in my car and I only have a 5minute commute.  But lots of people I'm sure still have cassette players in their car and long enough commutes to make it worth getting them. 

I do the audio book virtual box in the games forum and there's members that still trade cassettes. 

The cassette sets being heavy and awkward to wrap safely is exactly why I haven't posted the couple sets I have. Not even for 2 credits.

They're in weird-shaped and flimsy boxes. And the weight adds up with larger sets. Plus, I no longer have a way to listen to them to see if they're still playablde, and the tape dry-rots after a number of years.

I don't think they'll change it in the system. I agree that cd's are requested more often.  Peeple can alway offer or request a deal in the bazaar, espeicially if more than one set.

I was just sent a limited edition version of The Hobbit on cassette, and it was definitely worth 2 credits. It's unabridged 6 tapes for the book and a 7th that has a interview and background info on it. The sender sent the wooden case and booklets that originally came with it. The weight came to over a pound to mail. Just because your tapes aren't moving doesn't  mean everyone else's tapes are just sitting there. Like others have suggested try running a deal on your shelf. Another thing to remember is your still new here which means all your items are at the bottom of the FIFO (first in first out) line. It might take awhile for yours to work their way through the system.

My brand new ( 2009) school bus {always a year behind} came with a cassette player and I order books on tape for 2 credits and offer a deal on them to get them to move from my shelf. If they don't move I can listen to them again. I would not sell my To Kill a Mockingbird on cassette for anything , and I was thrilled to get it here on PBS.  I have alot of deadhead time ; so different strokes for different folks-makes PBS a fun venue for me.

And Lisa, my sister has a nearly 20 year old cassette of Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer that we sing to every year,,,,hahahaha we love it .

I just bought a cassette player to listen to some audiobooks this fall so you can still buy the players, many cars also still have them.  It seems like it would just add complication to a system that is trying to be simple. If someone wants to move cassettes faster they can offer a deal, it someone wants to order one for less, they can always ask for a deal.

Amazon has lots of books on cassettes available as well as the players.

Wow, Elizabeth B. I'm really new here. Attacking my shelf was really unnecessary. I've got a couple bestselling authors, and one larger-than-trade-paperback book that comes with a DVD, so it's not like it's comprised entirely of Dover Thrifts. None of which are abridged, I'd like to add.

Sorry for offending you, but fire for fire burns down the whole town. I am new here and I was just making a suggestion. I tried to find a way to simply suggest things directly to PBS, but none of their headings had anything to do with suggestions and there was no "other." So I'm sorry for wasting your time and I'll just not bother again.

Welcome Janet

I didn't take Elizabeth's post to be an attack on your shelf. She was just stating a fact and using some of your books as an example of what worth is placed on books and audio's. Think of it as advice from a member who has been here awhile. We all try to help new members.

Take the time to read through the topics on the Help link and you will learn how to contact the site and a lot of great stuff. Then you will feel more informed about how this site works.

Putting a chip on your shoulder is not a good way to get started here....really......the forums are great, you will certainly not be wasting anyone's time by asking questions because there is always someone here to help.

Thanks Toni!

Sorry Janet, I wasn't attacking your shelf; I was simply trying to demonstrate other viewpoints using books you might be able to relate to, since they were on your shelf.  No need to get snarky. You want to change the system, having become an expert over a week's membership;  I suggested an official channel for your feedback, as well as the viewpoint of a long-time member who orders audios on cassette.  You invite input, then bite the heads off of those who take time to provide it.

You could also crack open the Help Center and read the document titled, "Why aren't hardcover books 2 credits each?", which addresses PBS' rationale for credit costs and their plans for change in their pricing structure.

Not sure what you mean by "headings" for feedback -- you click on "Contact Us", then "Send us Feedback" and fill out the form with your constructive feedback or comments.

Toni's given you some great advice, I hope you'll heed her counsel.

Well, I'm sorry I misunderstood. The information I was lacking was the thought that cassettes cost more to mail. I felt like I was being singled out because I'd offended you and perhaps I overreacted.

So now all is well and we can all get to the business of swapping!

woo-hoo!!!

peace, love and BOOKS!!

I only have audiobooks on my bookshelf ( 450 now ) and CD's are the most popular. Bookshelf name is "drillo" if you want to browse. Cassettes are still ordered and I don't find they are very hard to mail. Many are lighter than a hardbound book and are less than16 oz in Media Mail for $2.38. I thinned out my bookshelf and now have around 1000 Audio books on Cassette that I am trying to sell as one lot for $200 !  I have put them on Craigslist but only a few inquiries. I will deliver in the Pittsburgh Metro area but It would be a huge shipping charge to send elsewhere.        

Referring to the "cheap" books on the someone's shelf to make your point may not have been an attack but IMO was insensitive. I pick up the "cheap" Dover editions sometimes to qualify for free shipping and find that some of the classics are required reading in schools and tend to be requested. If they're never requested, who cares, the OP wasn't asking why her shelf was or wasn't moving.

You want to change the system, having become an expert over a week's membership;

Fortunately, not every one thinks members need to be here a certain number of years or have a certain number of posts on the forums to offer a suggestion or express an opinion.  In fact, below is a quote from Richard in this month's newsletter:

I am thankful for all of our members.  Whether you've been with us a day or the whole six (!) years, you make PBS a tremendous place where we can all share in the joys of reading, life, and community.

To the OP - Welcome to the site Janet. I don't have a response related to your posts because I don't request or list audio books but you're certainly entitled to express your opinion. Thankfully, the rest of the members were able to respond to your post without getting personal.

Snagfeeposter = +1. 

Bravo snagfeeposter!

Good god people, cut the drama, this has already been resolved! 

I think it must be a full moon.  Seriously.