XP - Selling textbooks

Re: XP - Selling textbooks

• NcsuPsych member

  

  May 2011

  Lol the ONLY time I ever bought from a campus bookstore was my first semester, freshman year.
  
  I spent like 800 on books. Freaking crazy.
  
  I always use Half.com. Amazon usually has relatively similar prices, but the shipping is usually better on Half.
  
  I also sell all of my books on Half.com too. The campus "Buy Back" is a joke here. You pay like 90 for a book and they're like "Yeah, we'll give you 10 bucks". . . yeah right.
  
  
  Theres another website, but I can't remember which one it is. Anyways, it searches all of the 'textbook' selling websites and shows you where you can get it for the cheaps. Again though, I don't remember which site it is.
  
  I highly recommend buying and selling off Half.com.

  

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• stacie+luciano

  

  May 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_xp-selling-textbooks?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:4274c077-534c-4856-88f8-b9ef8e9a4d50Post:76437a49-7eb3-4bfe-b226-76704900fa96">XP - Selling textbooks</a>:
  [QUOTE]Cross-posting from Student board, as this one gets a little more traffic... I have to buy yet another book tonight that I'll likely only use for one class, and I'm curious what people recommend for selling books. I typically try to buy all of my books through Amazon, since they are generally about 1/2 the price of the university's book store, but I then don't have the sell-back option that I would through the school. I know Amazon has a buy-back program, but the reviews I've read are awful and I'm a little gunshy to try it. I have been thinking about selling them on ebay or as a seller on Amazon (as opposed to Amazon buy-back), but I'm curious if anyone has other suggestions? I have books spanning a variety of subjects from the past 3-4 years that are just wasting space & collecting dust. FI and I are looking to buy a house (have an inspection tomorrow... if it passes, we close June 30th!!), so they pretty much NEED to go because we won't have the space to take them and I know my parents don't want them. Suggestions?
  Posted by KellyBrian2013[/QUOTE]
  
  Have you tried Craigslist? I know our University lets us post around campus, maybe they'll let you do the same thing. I've had other people come into the same class the next semester and go, hey I have the book, for cheaper than the bookstore. See me if interested. And it has worked.
  
  Your university will only allow you to sell back books you bought there? Weird..

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• midgetthemighty

  

  May 2011

  I always used half.com as well, which I do believe is owned by ebay anyway. I never sold my books on there but I know you'll get more than the buyback programs anywhere and people get them cheaper. Win-win situation all around.

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• KellyBrian2013

  

  May 2011

  Had never heard of half.com - thanks ladies!
  
  Stacie - yeah, my university bites. Though, it's the same story as other posters "Here, we'll charge you $150 for a used book, but we'll only offer you $20 back for it despite it being in the EXACT SAME condition as you bought it... oh, and we'll sell it next time for $150 again." What a joke.
  
  And even if I did buy through the university's bookstore, the sell-back prices are ridiculously low because they won't use the same books the following semester thanks to my program's set-up (classes are only offered once per year, since we are on a cohort program)... it's really obnoxious.
  
  Keep the suggestions coming ladies (and gents if there are any)! I really appreciate it!

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• NcsuPsych member

  

  May 2011

  oh
  also. . if you have a student email address (ending with EDU) . . you can get a FREE amazon prime membership for a year.
  
  So if amazon has your book and they offer amazon prime on it, you'll get free two day shipping, which is also awesome. .
  
  Just thought I'd throw that out there

  

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• julbgordo member

  

  May 2011

  I've gone to two schools, one for undergrad and one for masters and both campus bookstores bought back used books I had purchased online primarily from Amazon.  One of those campus bookstores was a B&N.  They made it pretty well known that they would buy back any book still used by professors no matter where you had purchased it from.  Are you certain your campus doesn't buy back if purchased elsewhere?  That seems pretty unusual today.

  
  

  Aside from that, all recommendations from PPs are good.  Good luck with the house 

  
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• KellyBrian2013

  

  May 2011 edited May 2011

  Unfortunately, I'm positive they won't buy-back from other stores... they require a receipt of purchase to return/buy-back any books AND the book must have the bookstore's logo sticker on the binding. Without those two things, they refuse. It's seriously so ridiculous (the private college I attended for my freshman year bought back books from any source, so I too was shocked when I found out this much larger university won't).
  
  julb - thanks!! I'm so nervous, but at the same time super excited about it... here's to hoping it passes everything (we've got an FHA loan approval, so it has to pass their standards in order for the loan to be approved for this particular property even though we're already approved for the $$ amount)!
  
  ETA This is probably going to be a post-and-run... I have to get some errands done before my class tonight.

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• mmhepb

  

  May 2011

  I'm at the point where I have to keep all my books, but I used to sell my books to Chegg.

  http://www.chegg.com/

  They seemed to offer more than other sites, and I didn't have to deal with waiting for someone to buy them.  

  Also, they rent books, so that's another option if you know you won't be keeping your books.

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• Ccsvball05 member

  

  May 2011

  I use only half.com to buy and sell all of my books. It is really easy to sell them especially if you already have an ebay account. I usually break about even on all of my books which is great since in reality my books cost nothing. I have had books sell within hours of me posting them especially before a new semester starts. Something to definitely look into!!!!

  

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• aegrish member

  

  May 2011

  I sell mine on half.com , I also buy them on there.  I have yet to have a problem with either, and I have always gotten all my money back if not more for the book.

  TRUE LOVE *updated* TASTES AND TRAVELS

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• KellyBrian2013

  

  May 2011

  I'm not even looking to break even, since I know several of the books probably have newer editions out... but even $20 for 10 books would be a HUGE help, and they'd be out of my room! haha.
  
  Thanks everyone! I just read up on the half.com selling policies, and I really like them - I've already got an ebay account, so I may just get started with that. I'll look into Chegg too!
  
  As always, anyone with more suggestions are welcome to post! Thanks so much ladies!

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• aegrish member

  

  May 2011

  Even with older editions I've still made money on almost all my text books on half.com. 

  TRUE LOVE *updated* TASTES AND TRAVELS

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• stephdonjon

  

  May 2011

  Ditto on half.com. Never had a problem when buying or selling. 

  
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• marinabreeze

  

  May 2011

  I'd definitely ditto half.com.
  
  Also, in terms of buying your book, does your school participate in an interlibrary loan program?  I pretty much stopped buying books after my first year of grad school when I found I could check out the book from other libraries in my state and have it sent to my school library.

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