Used Textbooks: What do you do?

[teh fish]

What do you do with textbooks for classes you already used and don't need for other classes? I know Amazon is useful but some of my books have gone waaaay down in value.

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

They end up in my basement somewhere.

[bdcp]

My boys sell back ones that aren't in their majors and accept the small amount that they get for the ones that they'll actually buy back. That's what my DH and I did when we were in school.

[JCTigger]

i sell mine back at the end of the semester to the bookstore one of the guys in my school bookstore told me that you run a better chance of getting more money if you sell them back right after finals or during finals youll get more money for them... or post somehting in the common to sell the books to someone cheaper then theyl get it at the bookstore that is of course if they are using the same version the next semester

[cameron991]

I have sold ALL my old books on Amazon and Half.com. If you set it at a reasonable price they will likely sell before too long. Also around the beginning of semesters the books go very fast!!

Good Luck! :flower:

[ChisJo]

I don't know how each college/university does it, but I find the bookstores NEVER give fair value for the books. I put postings in the areas of the school to sell the books. I am also involved in a book exchange where you can exchange books for classes instead of having to buy new again. It has worked very well. Usually the classes involved are elective classes, but it still has saved me money otherwise.
Otherwise, I keep all my books for my nursing major. They are SOOO expensive, and I am able to use them as reference for all my future classes.
Jo

[Wick]

sell em back to the college bookstore

[teh fish]

sadly, no one uses my textbooks anymore. The bookstore will not buy back my books.

[Lola]

The bookstore sets up a week where they buy the books back for a fraction of the price we paid. I had to research and write a paper on this last spring... I don't really remember much about it, but there's more to it than the bookstore being stingy.

This past semester, 2 of my books weren't being bought back... A "workbook" I never used, and my Communication Theory book. Since I'm a communications major, maybe the theory book will be useful in the future... But I doubt that haha.

[PigSoldier]

My tried and tested method is to hang around outside lectures of the year below, and say 'Psst... want to buy a textbook?' It makes me look like I'm selling counterfeit watches or something, but it certainly gets the job done.

That or just leave them on my shelves. I may have never opened A Look At Symbolism in Baroque Music, but it certainly makes me look like an intellectual to own it! :teeth:

[chadfromdallas]

I sell mine back to the school during finals. I lose a bunch on the deal, but I could really care less about $100 or so every term. Easily made back. :D

[FutureAshleyDukes]

I sold mine back, and the ones that they weren't buying back I donated to the local prison. Odd I know, but they love taking them and it's a TAX DEDUCTION.

[DisTeach]

Sell them back to the boostore if you can (if the class changes book or edition for the next semester, they won't take your book back), or you can try sending out an email to everyone at your college offering a price for that book they can buy off of you. Remember, keep the ones important for your career!

[wdwgirl03]

sell em back to the college bookstore

Same here, only I get ripped off. You pay how much for textbooks and only get a small percentage back. :rolleyes:

[pixiedust23]

Bookstores on campus always rip you off, b/c well youre a college kid and they can. I just graduated in May, but I started selling my books on half.com (part of ebay, but with a fixed price) and made a ton! However you do have to package and mail your books off to other people, but they do direct deposit right into your bank account so its very nice!

[JMD]

Burn them.

[JoeThaNo1Stunna]

I sell all of my books on Half.com, I get about 2.5 X what the bookstores offer. I also buy all of my books on Half.com. Saves A LOT of $$$.

[JCTigger]

Burn them.


I like your idea JMD! and hey it'll save money on your heating bill!

[nmudisneyfan]

My boyfriend put up one of his old textbooks on half.com and in about 2 weeks he had sold it. Plus he made a nice chunk of change.

[pixiedust23]

A friend on mine actually would go through the dumpsters after the semester was over to get all the extra books that people just threw away. He'd usually make over $300 selling them on half.com. Pretty gross, but a rather nice pay out! That's a lot of cases of beast right there.

[Cindy B]

i don't know about all of you, but I sell most of mine on Ebay versus half.com.

Half charges me higher commission, and I don't get a bidding "war". I put my books on Half the week that the semester ends. If I don't get any sales within the first two weeks, the book then goes to Ebay.

I price the book on Ebay competitively, and most times get a higher price than my set price on half.com


I love that idea of searching dumpsters. I had never thought of that. I have been known to grab the "extra copy" books from the free "book" pile in the library and sell those on ebay/half.

[T-CoTink411]

Same here, only I get ripped off. You pay how much for textbooks and only get a small percentage back. :rolleyes:

That is sooo true! I spent almost $500 on books last semester (while I did keep a few of the bigger books for classes next semester) and when I sold back 5 books in December I made a whopping 11 bucks.

It's definitely time to try out amazon.com or half.com ;)

[pooh05]

I sold all of mine back to the bookstore. You can also try selling books on ebay. Thats where I have found lots of my books at. :D

[Linxzy]

I was keeping most of my books, but last year I started selling them at my campus to other students or at the bookstore. Going to try and sell some on ebay.