We've all been there. We spend $600 on books at the beginning of the semester. Whether they be new or used. By the end of the semester we are completely broke and hoping to get some money for food (or bombing parts) when we sell our books back. So you finish with exams and take your $600 worth of books back and you get a measely $33.25 back for a book you originally paid $60+ for. Why? Is it because the book is used? It was used when I bought it. Why in the world do you get maybe half back of what you paid? And that's assuming that they take all of the books back because you know the books on microsoft excel and power point are going to change a whole bunch from this year to next. Sorry for the rant but I was hoping to get enough back to finish off my smarty fund. Now I've barely got enough to put 1/4 worth of fuel in my truck. Dang communists.

 

Have you tried selling them on half.com? I have sold a # of books there and most of them have given a decent return. You still get ripped off selling some, but at least the bookstore doesn't get to make all that extra money again.

Nick

 

Tell me about it. When I was in college I spent over $1000 on books one semester. I wasn't a happy camper.

 

Nope and wouldn't you know that I just gave the rest of my books to the bookstore. Maybe I can get them back.

 

I fell the same way. Books have gotten more expensive since I've been in college.

 

I would check them out. They give you info on prices the book has most recently sold for and then you price it yourself. You get a deposit twice a month via ACH into your checking or savings accounts. They are owned by eBay, so paypal is the main method of payment. It doesn't cost you anythign to list the book, but you pay a commision when it sells. Also, you get a flat rate shipping compensation that may or may not cover all shipping costs. If you list a book that hasn't sold recently or is selling for $1 or something like that, you can take it off or choose not to list it.

Nick

 

I love it when they won't buy back because they changed the book. The book changes but the info is the same.

 

Yea, they change a little thing here and there and make it a 2nd edition and now your $100 1st edition is worthless.

 

Books are enough to anger any college student, just like the edit, overpriced food. College, and sometimes the town surrounding it, is a thief. I have probably bought several hundred dollars worth of books, and got very little back. Now, I usually don't even bother to buy a book until I KNOW that I need it. I might have to check out that online book place, thanks for the advise.

 

What's even worse is that they could post PDF versions of ALL books on their server for anyone to download as part of their tuition but then they wouldn't get to bend you over the desk as they pick your pocket.

Edwin

 

Buying books at the college bookstore has always been a cash cow for the bookstore.

+1 for half.com - My son has bought many of his books online and has used half.com with great success. I wish I had this kind of option when I was buying books.

 

Any books that I'm going to buy and sell from now on is going to be from either amazon.com or half.com. I've been lucky so far, I borrowed a chem book, and my calc and physics book I get to use for another year or so (better, that dang physics book was $160!). It's terrible how bad the bookstores get you though!!!

 

Another firm believer of half.com and amazon.com.

Here is my metod to book buying:

1) Go to the book store. See what books they have listed for the classes and write down their ISB numbers and prices

2) Jump on the computer and see what the used prices are and order the ones that are cheaper by $10 or more after shipping.

3) Go back to the book store to get what I can for a reasonable price OR the custom books they have that you can ONLY get at the book store.

Best story about using amazon/half -- A calculus book that was $140 in the book store I found on half.com with some water damage for $5

Worst story about using amazon/half -- Bought a book based on ISBN number and description, when I received it it said "For sale in Indian Subcontinnt Only". The book was the same for the most part, but the pages were WAY off. I really couldn't follow along in class and had to buy another $40 book (still came out ahead in comparison of book store prices).

When the semester is up, I always sell back on half.com. I don't always get a sale on all of my books, but I still end up with more money in my pocked than if I had gone into the book store and sold them.

 

I cant stand buying books, I normally go to class the first couple of days and find out if we REALLY need them, or if I can get by without them.

That being said, I only had 3 books this semester for 5 classes that I actually bought. I borrowed a book from a girl at work for one other class. I paid $90 some dollars for my stats book(which I took last semester, and failed, and sold back before I realized it), and got $53 back. Turns out I got a "d" in that class, so I have to buy the book again. Thinking of changing my major anyhow, I have taken stats and accounting twice now, and have to take them both again.

What I really love is the teachers that say you need the book on the first or second day of class, then require you to go buy their coursepack on like the 2nd week of class that costs $10-$20 more, and wouldnt you just know that you barely use the book, just work out of the coursepack . Thats happened to me twice now in stats, and I'm just about over it. Thinking of going to community college and getting my welding certificate, or to cc to be a police officer

 

half.com and amazon.com are great if the book store will tell you EXACTLY which book you need. When I was in college, they wouldn't. Period. You either bought from them or spend the first few days of class without a book.
Luckily, all of my professors in my major would get a few extra books from the distributor. Since there were only about half a dozen majoring in physics, they would pass out what books they had as extras.