I've worked in the bookstore business for a few years, and one of our main goals is to get students more familar with bookstore functions. With buyback right around the corner, here are a few of my tips and questions I usually get.

Bookstores don't set the prices of books, publishers and supply & demand do. In a perfect world, bookstores could sell every book for $20-$30 and buy it back for 50%...but the selling and buyback price (with a variance of $5-$10) is usually out of the bookstores control. So prepare yourself...books are one of the only products in the country that one can buy, get usage of, and return for over 50% of cost.

Whens the best time to sell back books?
Usually at the beginning and end of each semester. Finals week (esp in the fall) is the best time. This is when most of the professors know what they're using for the next semester. Bookstores will usually pay the highest dollar then. I've heard that the same company that owns addams bookstore buys back for the campus as well. So if you don't like what the campus or addams is giving you, try Packbackers.

There's legislation in some states (NC not being one of them) do bring down the cost of textbooks. It'll be interesting how that turns out.

The bookstores aren't paying enough...I'd rather try online.
Amazon can be a pain in the ass. I'd suggest half or another route like TWW...but whatever floats your boat. If you bought the book new, you shouldn't expect more than 35% of what you bought it. If you're patent, online can work for you...but be sure you get the buyer to pay for the shipping.

I bought this brand new book and it has no value? or they are telling me it has no value...
It's either old, or you are SOL because your professor ordered a brand new book thats about to be out of print or...
the bookstore doesn't have an order for it yet. Try it again later on...or try to sell it online. Many Community Colleges use old edition books and I'm sure there are students shopping for those as well.

My friend for $50 but I only got $40?
Stores hit their limits with how much they can buyback on a certain title. Once they hit their limits the price drops.

Good luck!!!!

4/23/2007 8:46:45 PM

thanks for the [old] info

4/23/2007 8:48:46 PM

Here is my advice:

1) order from http://www.amazon.co.uk or any other online uk bookstore. prices are typically 50-60% of the same books which are printed in the US and then shipped to the UK.

2) after use, sell them on amazon. you will get a lot of your money back (up tp 80%) if in good consition, and if you price it among the cheapest 3 of the same book, yours will sell very fast. in fact, you can make money if ordered from amazon UK but sell on amazon US. and i did this with many many books.

3) don't listen to propaganda from booksellers.

4/23/2007 9:02:52 PM

1. Don't buy books

2. Don't go to class

3. Fuck a college degree

4. Slang them rocks

5. Learn how to shoot hoops

[Edited on April 23, 2007 at 9:17 PM. Reason : only way you gon get up out the hood]

4/23/2007 9:16:54 PM

^ holla atcha boy

4/23/2007 9:32:06 PM

Quote :

"thanks for the [old] info"

says Mr. Bookstore himself

4/24/2007 11:31:50 AM

I was in denial the first 4 or 5 semesters in school. I bought and sold all my books back to the campus book store. Then I decided to try online and my world changed. Everything was cheaper and I got a lot more money for my books online
Of course I had heard about online each semester but I didn't want to try it until I got fed up. Of course all this was several years ago now.

4/24/2007 11:36:46 AM

http://www.bigwords.com

4/25/2007 9:40:08 AM

http://www.half.com or amazon if you don't like getting raped by bookstores.

4/25/2007 9:55:09 AM

I never sold back any books that were major-related or I felt could possibly be useful again...it just wasn't worth what I could get for them. Irrelevant books I would take whatever I could get for them.

4/25/2007 10:51:36 AM

Here's a tip:

Tattoos are trashy.

4/25/2007 11:41:26 PM

also check online book buyers they pay a lot more and pay for the shipping. In addition, they will buy stuff even when the bookstore won't.

4/25/2007 11:58:30 PM

nvm

[Edited on April 26, 2007 at 12:02 AM. Reason : people dont put shit online...they walk to a store- takes 5 seconds to get money]

4/26/2007 12:01:19 AM

Quote :

"like getting raped by bookstores"

publishers set prices, not bookstores.

4/26/2007 12:20:50 AM

^ initially they do, but not after that first book has been sold and brought back

^^ you dont have to put it online for sale, you type in the ISBN on a companies website and they offer double or 3X more

true you do get your money instantly at the store, but it makes me bitter to know they just offered me 5 bucks and intend to turn around and sell it for 40 or more (yes I know it pays there overhead).

[Edited on April 26, 2007 at 12:48 AM. Reason : .]

4/26/2007 12:46:55 AM

[Ancient] but I'll add...

- Most classes you can get by without the book

- Make friends with other people in your major a year/semester ahead of you and try to buy/borrow books off them

- If you need to get a book, go in halves with a friend (I've done as many as 3 people sharing a book) Then:
- Ask if you can get an older edition of the book (normally there isn't much difference between editions and the prof might say it doesn't matter), they are normally much cheaper
- Order online as others have suggested
- Sell directly to another student or resell online

http://www.addall.com searches a whole lot of online bookstores at once for the best price.

[Edited on April 26, 2007 at 1:54 PM. Reason : .]

4/26/2007 1:54:19 PM

I'm not taking advice from someone named BadPokerPlyr lol

[Edited on April 26, 2007 at 1:57 PM. Reason : .]

4/26/2007 1:57:05 PM