Get a Nook Color and Simple Touch E-Reader for $149

NEW YORK (MainStreet) – When the first mass-market e-reader, the Amazon Kindle, came out five years ago, it cost $399.

Oh, how far we’ve come: E-reader prices have now come down far enough that Barnes & Noble can offer two e-readers for less than half of that.

That’s the deal you’ll find today when you head over to the Barnes & Noble store on eBay. For $149 you’ll get two refurbished e-readers, the Nook Color and the Nook Simple Touch, which typically cost $169 and $99 when buying them new, respectively. While some people might balk at buying a refurbished device, they tend to be sold good as new and you can get your money back if it doesn’t work, so it’s has different protections than just buying it used.

Note that if you just want the Nook Color refurbished, it will cost you $129; however, at that point you might as well throw in the Simple Touch for $20 and give it to someone as a gift. Also, be aware that you won’t be able to get the Simple Touch à la carte for $20 – the refurbished device sells separately for $79.

If you’re interested, we suggest acting fast – the site says that a limited quantity are available, and more than 1,200 have already been sold.

Don't want to spend too much? Check out our Deals & Steals hot topic for more bargains. Don't want to spend anything at all? There's plenty of Free Stuff to be had as well.

Matt Brownell is a staff reporter for MainStreet. You can reach him by email at matthew.brownell@thestreet.com, or follow him on Twitter @Brownellorama.