Wednesday, January 31, 2018

First Amazon Order


Seems this is a thing we're all doing, so here goes.

I very much remember placing this order (or these orders).  Half of my friends were totally excited about this new Amazon thing, and half of them were convinced Amazon would just take my credit card and drain me of money.  Both were right, as it turns out.



For the kids: Buying things online in 1998 was a very novel experience.  Early eBay was full of fraud and scammers.  Amazon wasn't Amazon yet, they were just a company selling books and some CD's.  Also, the comics trade paperback market you all take for granted was just barely sorta getting started.  In 1998, we didn't really understand how to safely use credit cards online - so a lot of people were still just using the internet like you would have a catalog.  Look up what you want, write it down, then call the place you wanted to order from, and read your order, share your address and credit card number.  Thank jeebus for the "basket" and secure checkout online.

At the time, the $20+ bucks were a lot of coin for me to drop. Student years, part-time job, etc...  That part of your life.  Plus, $20 went further then.

This is also a nigh-perfect snapshot of my state in March of 1998.  I was months away from graduating college with degrees in film and history, and the screenplay I was writing for class played loosely with the concepts in the Quantum Physics book I'd previously borrowed from a friend, but I needed my own copy.  And y'all already know how I feel about Blade Runner.

What's interesting is my second purchase, made immediately after graduation (I must have carved out some graduation money for funny money).  I'll let you guys decide what I was up to.



4 comments:

J.S. said...

ORDER PLACED
December 15, 2002
TOTAL
$56.50
SHIP TO
Ryan J. Steans
ORDER # 102-8175655-8391306
Order Details Invoice
This is a gift order

The Science of Superheroes
Lois H. Gresh, et al
Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc.
$17.47
Submit
Buy it again

The Science of Superman
Mark Wolverton, Roger Stern (Editor)
Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc.
$16.07
Submit
Buy it again

Raising Arizona
Joel Coen (Director), et al
Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc.
$16.99
Submit
Buy it again


Apparently my first amazon order was a Christmas gift for you. Go figure...

The League said...

If it makes you feel better, I read those books. Did you really not place any orders before 2002?

RHPT said...

I think my first real online purchase was a VHS rewinder (I think it was from shopping.com). I ordered it online then sent a check for $20 because I didn't trust using my credit card.

And ...

ORDER PLACED
September 2, 1997
TOTAL
$15.11
Wyrm (Bantam Spectra Book)
Mark Fabi
Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc.

No. 2

ORDER PLACED
September 30, 1997
TOTAL
$18.32
Timequake
Kurt Vonnegut
Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc.

J.S. said...

Before 2002 I still thought online ordering was for chumps. (I think I was too cheap to shell out for shipping costs, mostly).