College Hint #1-Textbooks-Buy Used save a ton of $$

Parents Forum
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<p>I have never seen a used textbook discussion on these boards..</p>

<p>When my son left for his freshman year this last September, I made sure he went on-line and pre-ordered all his textbooks for the quarter from the school bookstore...the cost was over $800...</p>

<p>Now, his is entering his 3rd quarter... lo and behold..he was able to get all his books this quarter for under $200..</p>

<p>As a entering freshman, he had no clue he could buy used books (neither did I), well he just purchased a "good" condition book from half.com for $8.50 (total about $13 including shipping) and the same book at his school Barnes and Nobel bookstore is New-$113 and Used from $85.</p>

<p>Moral of the story...buy early, buy used...save $$$$$$!</p>

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<p>There have been several discussions about buying used text books.</p>

<p>Running a search on the ISBN number will bring up prices at several alternatives. We have found good deals at half.com, amazon used books, ebay (you have to bid but sometimes win a good deal). I used to really like textbooks.com as they offered a really good guaranteed buy back program which made their used books a good deal, but last semester they seemed to have gone more toward a rental program for their used books.</p>

<p>We have also purchased several international versions of books. The accounting books were a huge savings getting the international versions and they were identical except for being paperback - bot a bad thing with a ten ton book! (I am always a little nervous in case they turn out to be different but so far, so good).</p>

<p>My best deal ever was a management information services text book that even used was going for well over $100 online - I googled the isbn # one day and it popped up for $3.99. it said it had water damage but I thought I would risk it for that price which included shipping. I opened the package with some trepidation, half expecting black mold or it to stink of cat pee or something. it was better than some books I’ve paid way more for, looked like someone had spilled a drink maybe. A little wrinkly on a couple of pages but perfectly acceptable.</p>

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<p>My ex and I sold all of our books that the school wouldn’t buy back on half.com. Some people really got some nice deals from us. :)</p>

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<p>we buy used books online and turn around and sell them online- has worked incredibly well for us and saved $$$$ over 4 years.</p>

<p>And I agree about buying the “international” versions of textbooks- no difference except they cost MUCH less and weigh MUCH less !</p>

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<p>S often made money selling his textbooks, as he’d buy them for such good prices that he could make money when he resold them! One thing that he found important was NOT to buy books too soon if he wasn’t positive the book would actually be used in class (not all books are). Many times, you can’t return books you purchase on-line, so you have to resell it. If you’re pretty sure the book will be used, you can take the chance & purchase them. S didn’t consult me but was very motivated because he paid for his books & kept the profits from resale!</p>

<p>He also bought a lot of “international versions” of texts, which did have lower quality paper and were lighter and MUCH cheaper. He found them more than adequate for his purposes. D is in cinema and they don’t have many texts at all, but quite a bit of lab fees. :(</p>

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<p>My son’s school has a policy that if you purchase the book from their book store, they will take it back as a used book. Well, that did not happen for some of my son’s purchases (professors changed editions, etc.). So, we went the Amazon route and took the very nice credit we got for several books. I also shop Amazon for used books. This semester, I picked up his linear algebra book for $6.50. At the book store, they had it new for $195.</p>

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<p>We did very well on half.com, textbooks.com and sometimes amazon. I would buy as soon as the book list came out - prices are lower then. As you get closer to the beginning of the semester, the prices rise. If they didn’t use the book in class, it stayed in the same condition I bought it, and I just re-sold it for close to, and sometimes more than I paid for it.</p>

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<p>Here is a list of tips and sites I have found over the years of having to buy his textbooks for private school. First, I only buy books which have non highlighting or marking, some sellers will not certify to this so I move onto another seller. Buy early, as soon as you get the book list. Media mail is slow, it can take several weeks for a book to reach you. A lot of this info was taken from previous posted here on CC, i am sorry i don’t know who to credit. List is in no particular order. Oh, and sometimes with new books I found I can buy cheaper directly from the publisher than the bookstore.</p>

<p>[Get</a> Textbooks | New Textbooks | Used Textbooks | College Textbooks - GetTextbooks.com](<a href=“http://www.gettextbooks.com/]Get”>http://www.gettextbooks.com/)</p>

<p>[AddALL</a> book search and price comparison](<a href=“http://www3.addall.com/]AddALL”>http://www3.addall.com/)</p>

<p>[BIGWORDS.com</a> | Buy Textbooks | Sell Textbooks | Cheap Textbooks | Cheapest Textbooks | Compare Textbook Prices | Used College Textbooks | New College Textbooks | Textbook Price Comparison | Textbook Buyback | Textbook Price Bot | New and Used Music |](<a href=“http://www.bigwords.com/]BIGWORDS.com”>http://www.bigwords.com/)</p>

<p>[Teacher</a> Classified Ads: Teachers.Net - Classified Ads for teachers. Post and view items for sale by teachers for use in classrooms.](<a href=“http://teachers.net/classifieds/]Teacher”>http://teachers.net/classifieds/)</p>

<p>[Blujay</a> 100% Free Online Marketplace](<a href=“eBlueJay Marketplace”>eBlueJay Marketplace)</p>

<p>[Alibris:</a> Used Books, Used Textbooks, Rare & Out-of-Print Books](<a href=“http://www.alibris.com/]Alibris:”>http://www.alibris.com/)</p>

<p><a href="http://www..com/%5B/url%5D">http://www..com/</a></p>

<p>[Booksavers[/url</a>]</p>

<p>[url=&lt;a href=“HugeDomains.com”&gt;http://www.allamericantextbooks.com/]All</a> American Textbooks - Buying and Selling New and Used Textbooks](<a href=“http://www.booksavers.org/]Booksavers[/url”>http://www.booksavers.org/)</p>

<p>[Textbooks</a> at Amazon.com](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/New-Used-Textbooks-Books/b/ref=sv_b_7?ie=UTF8&node=465600]Textbooks”>http://www.amazon.com/New-Used-Textbooks-Books/b/ref=sv_b_7?ie=UTF8&node=465600)</p>

<p>[Find</a> Textbooks on Half.com](<a href=“Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles & More | eBay”>Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles & More | eBay)</p>

<p>[Textbooks.com</a> - Advanced Search](<a href=“http://www.textbooks.com/Adv-Search.php?CSID=CTT0QD20CTU0MOCCCUOKDMOOM&hp=01-00Search-Form]Textbooks.com”>http://www.textbooks.com/Adv-Search.php?CSID=CTT0QD20CTU0MOCCCUOKDMOOM&hp=01-00Search-Form)</p>

<p>[Cheap</a> Textbooks | Textbooks | College Textbooks | Used Textbooks | Discount Textbooks](<a href=“http://www.cheapesttextbooks.com/]Cheap”>http://www.cheapesttextbooks.com/)</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/524675-textbooks-ughhh.html?highlight=textbooks[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/524675-textbooks-ughhh.html?highlight=textbooks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>[ClassBook.com</a> - Order Online, Not in Line](<a href=“http://classbook.com/]ClassBook.com”>http://classbook.com/)</p>

<p>[Where</a> To Buy & Rent Textbooks Online | myUsearch blog](<a href=“http://myusearchblog.com/where-to-buy-rent-textbooks-online]Where”>Where To Buy & Rent Textbooks Online | myUsearch blog)</p>

<p>[Media</a> & Book Services LLC, K-12 Quality Used Textbooks](<a href=“http://www.buytextbooks.us/index.php?main_page=index]Media”>Loading...)</p>

<p>[Shop</a> for Used Textbooks, New Textbooks, Rental Textbooks & eBooks: Direct Textbook](<a href=“http://www.directtextbook.com/]Shop”>http://www.directtextbook.com/)</p>

<p>You can check Barnes and Noble and Borders online used book sections.</p>

<p>[Prentice</a> Hall Bridge page](<a href=“Prentice Hall Retirement – PHSchool – PHSchool.com – Savvas”>http://www.phschool.com/)</p>

<p>[Corporate_Sales_05</a> (Cindy Webster)](<a href=“English Language Learning | Pearson US”>English Language Learning | Pearson US)</p>

<p>[Cheap</a> Textbook Guide - Davis Wiki](<a href=“http://daviswiki.org/Cheap_Textbook_Guide]Cheap”>http://daviswiki.org/Cheap_Textbook_Guide)
In many cases, Campusi and AddAll show that the cheapest textbooks you’ll find are sold overseas like at amazon.com’s UK website or Blackwells in the UK.</p>

<p>I always verify the book being sold: has the correct ISBN number, is the correct edition, and has no writing or highlighting in it. I try to buy from individuals rather than the large used book sellers unless they are selling a new book. You would be surprised at the number of new books being sold at greatly discounted prices. You can also check Craigslist. Shop around, prices are all over the place. </p>

<pre><code>a few thoughts on online textbook buying:
</code></pre>

<p>1) buy your textbooks as early as possible. thanks to abundant supply and limited demand, online prices are SIGNIFICANTLY better right now than they will be in august.</p>

<p>2) try to buy from mid-sized sellers with good feedback (yearly feedback in the hundreds with 98%+ positive on amazon, for example). youll be far more likely to get an item as described in a timely fashion… and if there is an issue, youll be more likely to have a positive return/refund experience, too.</p>

<p>3) be aware of your rights as a buyer. for example, amazon gives you 30 days to return any book purchase from a third party merchant so long as it is in the same condition as received. restocking fees are often ZERO and cannot exceed 15%. further, amazons a-z program guarantees a return of funds if the item never arrives or does not arrive as described.</p>

<p>(amazon is not alone in having such buyer protection programs, mind you.)</p>

<p>4) use a book price comparison site to find the best deals. unless the books being purchased are inexpensive (popular novels, hackett classics, etc), it is unlikely that any potential savings realized from combined shipping on a site like half.com (amazon does not offer combined shipping discounts) will result in a better overall deal than going with the cheapest individual options. allbookstores.com is a good one for textbooks and will search amazon, half.com, abe, alibris, several textbook sites and the rental companies.</p>

<p>5) dont forget about your local options. it is not uncommon that it will make more sense to just buy cheap books at the student book store. paying $7 for a used novel certainly beats paying $3 plus $4 shipping for the same book when you consider the ease of the transaction. local new and used book stores can be great places to check for these kinds of books, as well.</p>

<p>6) IF a book is being ordered within two or even three weeks of when it will be needed, PLEASE upgrade to expedited shipping. media mail is the LAST thing on the truck. as a result, it can end up being really, really slow. </p>

<p>7) try to find out if a generally included online access code or content cd will be needed prior to ordering used books online. the cheapest options will rarely have either.</p>

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<p>Actually I have done very well with sellers with very few ratings as long as they are 99-100% positive. And they may have completed many more transactions than the feedback shows because parties in a transaction don’t always leave feedback, particularly if they are satisfied. You usually hear about it if they are NOT happy, lol! I don’t have many ratings, but I have completed many more than that number and it is 100% positive. It seems most of the sellers with a small number of feedbacks are probably college students (or parents :))re-selling their books and I have never had a problem with them.</p>

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<p>^ agree. I often buy from folks who only have little feedback. I included tips I copied from others in my list. (again I apolagize for not giving credit where it is due, but I don’t know where I got some of the tips).</p>

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<p>I sell my son’s used HS textbooks on eBay sometime around August 10th every year (after book lists are published), and have come out ahead every time. There’s a huge demand for gently used textbooks.</p>

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<p>^ I have taught my son to not doodle in his books to increase resale value. He used to draw all over them.</p>

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<p>We too have saved a lot of money, but we have had some problems and it can be a frustrating experience. Some sellers just don’t send the books, or they send them 4 weeks later. Until this year, S1’s school did not release ISBN numbers, which made buying used books on line very difficult.</p>

<p>We had some horrendous experience with half.com. They make you then wait 5 weeks to file a claim and they never process the claim. They state if you dispute it with your credit card, they’ll never do business with you again. Trust me, that will NOT be a problem!!</p>

<p>Still, the savings is so significant, it is worth the hassle. I stick with amazon and make sure to order as early as possible in case problems occur. I’d rather they have an extra, used book they can re-sell if the prof doesn’t use, rather than not have a book until mid-way into the semester. A whole 'nother thread–but why do profs list several books as required and then not use them? grrrr. That’s been happening since the dark ages when I was in school.</p>

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<p>Same here, Mamom. </p>

<p>I actually find that I can recoop most of what I paid, even for new textbooks - provided they are in great shape.</p>

<p>His school bookstore will buy back textbooks for 30 cents on the dollar, before marking them up for resale, but I have found I can sell them directly to users for 70%-80% of what I paid for them new.</p>

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<p>I had one issue with a seller on Half, but had no problems getting a refund. I feel that the seller misrepresented by not stating that he was selling an instructor’s copy. We were refunded our money promptly and they covered the shipping costs. I will also add that I have not bought too many books through them. I believe we placed 3 orders and the other 2 out of the 3 went smoothly, so overall I was satisfied.</p>

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<p>How can you get he ISBN numbers without actually buying the books early enough to receive the books for class use?</p>

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<p>How can you get the ISBN numbers without actually buying the books and early enough to receive the books for class use?</p>

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<p>The ISBN number is listed on Amazon if you can find the correct book (or if you bookstore has a physical copy, just write it down off the back).</p>

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</p>

<p>I used to do that until I bought a textbook for a thermodynamics class that used an out of print book from the mid-60s. The copy I bought for $10 had the margins filled with derivations, explanations, and all of the proofs the textbook glossed over. It was great when they’d say, “We know this derivative is related X from Equations 2.5, 4.1, 6.2, and 2.2” and all the equations were there in the margins, as well as the few lines of work to get it all to match up!</p>

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<p>I guess books will be cheaper because paper books will be replaced by electronic books.
Students can also save money by borrowing books from friends.</p>

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<p>the issue isnt that smaller sellers with good feedback are necessarily not as good. (indeed, i am a somewhat smaller seller myself at around two amazon sales per day… which doesnt quite translate into 100 feedback on amazon per year.) </p>

<p>its that you cant depend on a random smaller seller to be as good as a random somewhat larger one. simply, its significantly more likely that the college student with 11 amazon feedback in his lifetime is going to sell you a VG condition book with highlighting than the ‘professional’ with 11 feedback this week… particularly if the professional has a very high feedback rating. its also significantly more likely that the college student will fail to mail the book on time. or will neglect to properly upgrade an expedited shipping request. or will mail you an incorrectly listed book (whether the wrong edition, an international/instructors edition which generally cannot be resold on amazon, or something else). and its far, far more likely that a smaller seller will fail to have a good handle on a buyers return and refund rights should the need for either arise. </p>

<p>its about nothing more than playing the odds. now, if a book for fall semester is ordered in june (when youll generally find the best textbook prices of the year), theres plenty of time to deal with an issue should one arise. if its ordered a week before class starts, spending the extra seven cents or two dollars or whatever to increase the chance youll get exactly what you ordered when you should get it is probably worth it.</p>

<p>(i am discounting the very large sellers here because they almost always do a very poor job describing their books and customer service generally works just a bit better when the person who listed your book is the person packing your book and answering your email should you have a question.)</p>

<hr>

<p>on discounted instructors/international editions, keep in mind that your options when it comes to reselling them will be limited. that you bought it on the student edition (or even an international edition) page via amazon or half doesnt mean youll be able to sell it there at the end of the semester. the original listing was in violation of policy. your listing would also be in violation of policy (and likely would be pulled). same goes for ebay. craigslist and buyback sites like textbooksrus are probably the only two ‘good’ options for selling these kinds of books… and that can really depress resale value.</p>