How Can You Maximize Your Return on College Textbooks?

[leroyjenkens]

What's the best way to get rid of these books? I bought them from the college, and I'm not sure how much they'll buy them back for, even though I've kept them in mint condition.
I spent quite a bit on these things, so I'd like to get as much back as possible. I got them new and they're still in the same condition as when I got them.
Thanks.

 

[Ryker]

Do you have a bookstore at your university that buys them back? We have one where you get 50% of the original price back, so that's always a good option you might want to check on. Other than that, I guess you could always ask around if there's used book fairs just before the semester or school year starts, put up some flyers at appropriate places advertising you're selling them or just put an ad on eBay or other sites, specifically designed for the used book market.

 

[mathwonk]

This is not the answer you are looking for, but may be correct. Namely, selling books to students at high prices is a racket, and you are the mark. Often there is no way to resell them for any significant amount yourself. Moreover it is likely, if they are math books, that you have not yet read or absorbed even a fraction of what they contain. Thus if they are GOOD math books, they are worth more to you as books to keep and continue to learn from, than they are as assets to sell. But you will probably get more by selling them directly to other students than by selling them back to a commercial reseller, like your bookstore. What books are they? People here can then advise which ones may be worth keeping.

 

[Astronuc]

The local community college buys back at 20% and resells at close to full price.

I kept my textbooks all through undergrad - except for my English classes - and grad school.

 

[turbo]

What's the best way to get rid of these books? I bought them from the college, and I'm not sure how much they'll buy them back for, even though I've kept them in mint condition.
I spent quite a bit on these things, so I'd like to get as much back as possible. I got them new and they're still in the same condition as when I got them.
Thanks.

I went another way. I made lecture-notes in the margins and marked concepts that the profs emphasized, since those were likely to be featured in exams. I got more money from my texts selling them privately, because of all the notations.

 

[mathwonk]

I still have my textbook from freshman calc in 1960, and from advanced calc in 1964, and from abstract algebra in 1961 (And I have not learned everything yet in the calc books.) I even had my high school algebra books at least up until this June when i retired and foolishly gave a lot of stuff away rather than move it all.

 

[leroyjenkens]

Thanks for the responses.
I'm not sure how much the school buys them back for. I assume it's pretty low, I'll have to call and find out. If it's 50% that would be great, but 20% is a little low for mint condition books. Do they care about the condition, or do they just buy all used books back for the same price?
I know some websites will buy them, but paying shipping will probably make it not worth it.
I have two books. One is an English composition book, which I never plan to read again. And an American history book, which I've already read and probably won't ever read again.

Should I get a Kindle and download any books I need for subsequent semesters?

 

[Ryker]

Thanks for the responses.
I'm not sure how much the school buys them back for. I assume it's pretty low, I'll have to call and find out. If it's 50% that would be great, but 20% is a little low for mint condition books. Do they care about the condition, or do they just buy all used books back for the same price?

Well, our bookstore buys them all for the same price, but they have to be in good enough condition.

I know some websites will buy them, but paying shipping will probably make it not worth it.

Why would you bear the costs of shipping?