College students often feel the pain of high prices when buying new or used textbooks through a college bookstore. When reselling these same textbooks at the end of the semester students rarely get more than a small fraction of what they paid for the books back.
Luckily, with a few tips and some creative research, students can purchase or resell their textbooks through other methods and save a great deal of money in the process.
Take Good Care of Textbooks
Students who plan to sell their textbooks at the end of the semester should be very careful to keep the books clean and in good shape. The better the condition of the book, the higher the resale value. Students should avoid highlighting or marking within the text itself. Water damage should be avoided and pages should be kept clean. Students should not dog-ear pages of books they plan on selling.
Research Prices
Students should comparison shop to see which companies or websites are offering the most for each individual textbook they are planning on selling. Comparison search engines exist that allow students to see which website will offer them the most money for each individual book.
Compare the Prices of Others
If a student is trying to sell his texbook through a site such as Amazon he should look at the prices others are trying to sell the same book for. As a rule, students should price their own book for a dollar less than the lowest selling price displayed. This will make the student's text most affordable and more likely to be chosen first.
Take Shipping Into Consideration
When selling a textbook, be aware of shipping costs. A company may seem to offer a good price for a textbook but require the student to pay to ship the book to the it. Look for companies that are willing to pay for shipping as well as pay for the books. Often companies are able to afford this by allowing students to ship through media mail. Students can simply print a packing slip off of their computer, tape it to the packaging they are sending the textbooks in, and drop the box off at the post office.
The best and most affordable way to buy and sell college textbooks is to compare prices and other cost factors and choose the method that pays the most or costs the least. This may take a little time and effort but it is well worth it in the end.
