I only have experience ordering books from Amazon in Germany, and that is from well over 10 years ago. While I was able to get some books (including one in a private-to-private transaction) that were a bit difficult to get in bookstores, I have no idea how Amazon compares to other sites, especially in the value-for-money aspect. Hardback books can be rather pricey, too, no matter where you order them. When I ordered the 2002 HarperCollins special edition of LoTR illustrated by Alan Lee in early 2004, they ended up costing me about 39 Euros per book. I still found it worthwhile, as they are of the highest quality (and red when you remove the covers

).