Online Shopping Sites

By Charles Goodwin

Textbook prices are out of control. It’’s funny how one hears that textbook rental and E-readers should save college students a bundle, yet it often doesn”t really work out that way. So what can you do to beat the high cost of textbooks?

Here are my top thirteen ways to save money on textbooks:

1) Buy the book from last semester’’s owner. Put up some fliers in the department(s) you need books, listing the books you need. Ask around. You can also talk to the teacher and see if s/he knows a student from last semester. This no-tech solution can be surprisingly effective.

2) See if you can get the book from the library. Yes, libraries often have textbooks. You may have to check back frequently to snag it after the end of the previous semester and before everyone else wants it.

3) Share the cost of the book with a study partner. Whatever it costs, that cuts it in half.

4) Buy the book used online and then sell it back at a textbook buyback site like http://www.bluerectangle.com. Your net cost will be the difference between the used purchase price and what you sell it back for later.

5) When buying the used book that you plan to sell back online later, make sure to get a copy in at least very good condition. You”ll need the book to be in good shape when you sell it back.

6) Textbook prices can fluctuate wildly depending on the month. It’’s all supply and demand. When everyone needs the book the price is sky high. Try to get the course syllabus before the end of the previous semester. Then, buy the book in November, April or July. Sell the book back in mid January, early June or late August when everyone wants it. Given seasonal price swings, plenty of people make money with this strategy! Don”t hold onto the book too long, or a newer edition might cut its value.

7) It sounds old-fashioned, but cover your books and don”t write or highlight in them. Bad condition hurts value and you want to re-sell it.

Observe the above seasonality and sell the book yourself via Half or Amazon. It’’s a little more work, but might net you more. Again, the difference between what you paid and re-sold it for is your real cost. The more you resell it for, the better.

9) Investigate textbook renting and E-books carefully. It often sounds like you should be able to save money, but as they say in television commercials, “Your results may vary.” Oftentimes renting and E-books are only net cheaper than buying the book brand new and not re-selling it, which is completely insane. Remember, once you rent a textbook or buy an E-book you have nothing to sell back. Watch out for late fees on rentals.

10) Consider buying a slightly older edition. Make sure to ask your professor first. Sometimes, all that has changed is the cover. For instance, not much has changed about calculus since Sir Isaac Newton, so why a new textbook every year?

11) Never copy another student’’s textbook or buy an international edition. Both are cheap, but both have copyright problems. Also, you won”t be able to sell back an international edition online.

12) Ask your professor if you really need to buy the school-specific version of the book (if that is required). Often, this is unnecessary just to have a cover that says “The Blank University Edition.” It’’s another super fun game some publishers play.

13) Stay out of campus bookstores, both for buying and selling. At the very least I suggest that you consider them as a last resort only. Many campus bookstores seem to consider students a captive market and price accordingly.

Hopefully, you can now navigate the deadly minefield of buying college textbooks with a greater probability of financial survival.

About The Author

Charles Goodwin is a web traveler and man-about-town working to free up helpful information where ever possible. He freelances for a variety of clients, including his favorite textbook buyback site http://www.BlueRectangle.com.