When a book seller says "this is the international edition, its exactly the same but a different cover/isbn" is this trustworthy? Many of these sellers have very good ratings, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this.

1/7/2008 8:33:08 AM

Yes, international editions are generally the same exact textbook, but sometimes just in black-and-white. Publishers can price discriminate because the demand for these textbooks is much different from the U.S.

I've used several in the past, so chances are if the seller has a good rating, you will be fine.

1/7/2008 8:39:03 AM

I've bought loads of International editions online. The "Low-Cost Black and White Edition" is something different than standard "International Editions" which are identical to the USA Hardcovers. You will see they are printed on the same paper, in the same factory, at the same time as the "USA" hardcovers-- but they just slapped a paperback cover with a different print on the front. Link the me product in question through PM if you want and I'll take a look.

1/7/2008 8:42:28 AM

They are fine as long as you don't have any intention of selling them back to any of the local bookstores after the semester is over. If you can find a hardcover edition for virtually the same price as the international I would go with the hardcover, the huge softcover books can be annoying to carry around and use... But all in all, its a great deal when trying to save some $$.

1/7/2008 12:14:12 PM

they technically aren't allowed to be sold to US students on half.com, but it's too rampant to really try and completely remove. I buy them all the time (even though I feel bad about it) because they're usually too cheap to pass up. If you read the inside cover though, they are NOT supposed to be distributed in the US. They are produced for use in underdeveloped countries, etc. where they're supposed to be for students who could never fathom $140 for a textbook.

1/12/2008 10:14:20 PM

In general they are okay, as long as you're not planning on selling them back to the bookstore. Either use TWW or find friends that are taking the class the next semester and sell it to them, if you don't want to keep it.

1/12/2008 10:16:15 PM

^^ Thats actually not really true. They are produced for countries like England, France, Italy, Germany, India, China, Japan, etc.. so that they can be competitive in those markets when foreign publishers are underselling the USA prices by over 60%.

Heres a perfect example of what I'm saying: I bought the FLF306 Textbook which is printed by a French textbook publisher. The NC STATE bookstore sells the book for ~$80. If you go on amazon.fr (Amazon.com out of France) you can get the book for 34.99 US Dollars with $5 shipping. And I'm talking about the exact same book-- not a different edition or version.

Textbooks here in the United States are excessively priced because we (meaning students at large) pay the price without a fight. In Europe/Asia customers would just as soon pass up the US textbooks for the lower priced foreign publisher's texts. Hence, International Editions exist so that the US publishers can attempt to gain revenues in other markets.

So don't feel so bad....

Also, I've noticed several major publishers making sizable donations in the form of textbooks to underdeveloped countries. Of course--- its a fabulous opportunity for a tax deduction! Its all economics...

[Edited on January 12, 2008 at 11:45 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2008 11:41:59 PM

Yes, the information is the same.
Yes, they aren't suppose to be sold in the US. So expect to be stuck with it if you can't hand it down to a friend. Half and Amazon kicked a few major sellers off recently for selling international editions and they can delete your listing if they see it's an international edition. Even if you sell it on half or amazon, the buyer can still bitch to amazon or half and file a claim against you if you send them an international edition. Abebooks allows international editions to be sold on their site, but I'm far less familar with them and how they work compared to the other larger marketplaces. Unless it's too cheap to pass up, you're better off trying to find a used book and collecting the buyback money at the bookstore or selling it online.

[Edited on January 12, 2008 at 11:58 PM. Reason : .]

1/12/2008 11:56:42 PM

^ I personally disagree. Sell back is not such a big perk since there is such a HUGE price disparity between international editions and USA Hardcover Editions.

Heres an example: One of the biggest ripoff's at the NC State Bookstore is the infamous "Principles of Biochemistry" Book. Everyone has seen students dragging this book around campus....



NCSU Bookstore New Price = $130.00
NCSU Bookstore Used Price = $105.00
International Edition NEW Price = $44.82 free shipping

In case I sparked anyone's interest here's the link to purchase it:
http://www.textbooksrus.com/search/bookdetail/default.aspx?isbn=9780131453067

Textbookrus is a reputable company, I've been doing business with them for a while. Their service and shipping are excellent. And for $44, I'll keep the Principles of Biochemistry book.

[Edited on January 13, 2008 at 8:25 AM. Reason : Add Link]

[Edited on January 13, 2008 at 8:25 AM. Reason : Fix Link]

1/13/2008 8:24:18 AM

Whats there to disagree about? Buy the used biochemistry book for $105 at the most (probably cheaper elsewhere). It has a wholesale value now of about $45, which means thats the lowest its going to be for a few more months...but if you sell the book back soon enough you could possibly get around $70 or $75 for it.
105 - 70 = 35
or at the absolute worst
105 - 45 = 60

Compare that to buying the international edition for $45 and the possibility that you may or may not be stuck with it. Unless you can sell the international edition, or if the international edition is far cheaper than the store price (which is almost the case here)...it's a wash. It depends on how much hassle you want to go through and how much you like biochemistry. Personally, I wouldn't crack the book again...but thats just me.

1/13/2008 8:50:24 AM

I like to keep my books and I know a lot of other people do, so its not a wash for me. Its a fabulous bargain. But thats just me and thats why I disagree

1/13/2008 9:09:09 AM

Bought that very biochem book from the same company. I am so happy I did it.

1/13/2008 10:20:35 PM