How Can You Maximize Your Return on College Textbooks?

  • Thread starter Thread starter leroyjenkens
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Books Semester
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around strategies for maximizing the return on college textbooks, including resale options and the value of keeping books for personal use. Participants explore various avenues for selling textbooks, including university bookstores, online platforms, and direct sales to other students.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the best way to sell their textbooks and expresses concern about the potential low buyback price from the college bookstore.
  • Another participant suggests checking if the university bookstore offers buyback options, mentioning a 50% return on original price as a possibility.
  • A different viewpoint criticizes the high prices of textbooks and suggests that selling directly to other students may yield better returns than selling back to the bookstore.
  • One participant shares their experience of keeping textbooks throughout their education, implying that retaining books may be more beneficial than selling them.
  • Another participant mentions the buyback rate at a local community college, which is 20%, and notes that they kept their textbooks for personal reference.
  • A participant expresses uncertainty about the buyback process and questions whether the condition of the books affects the buyback price.
  • There is a suggestion to consider digital alternatives, such as purchasing a Kindle for future textbooks, although this remains an open question.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best approach to selling textbooks, with multiple competing views on the effectiveness of various resale options and the value of keeping books for personal use.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the buyback policies of their respective bookstores, including how condition affects pricing. There are also unresolved considerations about the costs associated with shipping when selling online.

Who May Find This Useful

Students looking for advice on selling college textbooks and those interested in maximizing their returns on educational materials.

leroyjenkens
Messages
621
Reaction score
49
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.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
leroyjenkens said:
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
leroyjenkens said:
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.
leroyjenkens said:
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?
 

Similar threads

What did you do with your old college textbooks?
  • · Replies 48 ·
2
Replies
48
Views
6K
Review/refresher of college physics: textbook recommendations request
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Where/how do you buy your STEM textbooks?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
How to sell math/physics textbooks in Europe?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
What would be a good book for learning Linear Algebra by myself?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
11K
Other Old but good C++ textbook available for free
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Intro Physics How useful is the "with Modern Physics" section of Tipler's Physics?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
Alonso & Finn Physics Books: Where to find?
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
5K
Algebra Looking for a good College algebra book
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
12K
Other Maximizing Efficiency in Textbook Learning: Tips for High School Students
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K