What to Do after SBL? Post and Order Books

Order forms with SBL-AAR discounts until mid/late December

Now that SBL-AAR 2015 is over, and the Thanksgiving festivities have passed, what is the follow-up? I still have posting to do on some key sessions at SBL that I think are worth highlighting (so stay tuned for Philo, Plutarch and Paul). But typically, it's at this time I sit down and go through all the order forms I collected during the book exhibits and with my budget in mind, and calculator at hand, I figure out what books to order online or by old-fashioned snail mail using the book exhibit discounts from various publishers. Some publishers (look at photo above) extend their discounts until mid/late December, and these discounts are typically anywhere from 40-50% off the book cover price. Since black Friday deals seldom include books, this is the best way to get books at the best price for the scholar.
    In the old days when airlines allowed for 2 free check-in bags (think pre-9/11 days), I would take an extra bag with me on the flight, buy all my books at the exhibits, and haul them back home once SBL ended. But with the extra charges and strict maximum weights per bag, this is no longer a good way to buy and bring books home. 
    Now, my routine is to (1) buy books at the exhibits from publishers whose discounts end once SBL is over. I make a few strategic buy's. Then (2) I grab the order forms from those whose discount deadlines extend beyond the meeting and later sit down to figure out what books I really need/want with the limited monetary funds at my disposal. I place my order. And wait for the books to come before Christmas. This routine also saves my back as I get older and books get longer and heavier!
   I do most of my book buying this way, in this season of the year, because no matter what great deals are on amazon or barnes&noble, It's hard to beat a 40-50% discount from the publishers. I have to pay a little extra for the shipping, but it's still very worth it! 
   So if you happen to know anyone who went to SBL, and he or she does not want to use their order forms, grab them from said person and get your deals while they last. Believe it or not, I and my colleagues have done this at North Park many times. We would walk down the halls of the faculty offices, knock on each other's doors, ask how our trip was to SBL-AAR, and then ask: "Do you happen to have an extra copy of the Baker Academic or Eerdmans book order form? You do?! Can I grab this from you?" Nuff said.