“Are textbooks made of gold? Why are they so expensive?”
That random comment found on the Internet is undoubtedly funny, yet it is painfully relatable for college and university students. Besides the fact that textbooks are expensive, new editions are coming out every year, making it harder for students to sell their used textbooks. Yet, there are still ways to sell your textbooks at a reasonable price. Read on to find out the best ways and places to sell your used textbooks after your class is over. Get your money back from that unavoidable expense
Ways To Resell Your Textbooks
1. Selling to your campus bookstore
Many college and university bookstores will buy back used textbooks from students, especially if the professor plans on reusing the same edition next term. Most of the time, bookstores will rent those used textbooks back to students to continue making a profit. Smart, right? However, there are some pros and cons to selling your textbook at a campus bookstore.
Pros: Selling your used textbooks at the campus bookstore is convenient and fast as cash is immediately given to you.
Cons: You need to learn whether your bookstore will buyback your specific textbook/edition or not and at what price. Some campus bookstores will either not accept certain used textbooks or pay a very low price for them.
2. Selling Your Textbooks Online
Many online sites like Amazon or eBay will let you sell used textbooks. On most websites, the process is quite simple: you have to create an account, provide the book’s ISBN, ship the item, and voila; now you can sit back and wait for buyers to put money in your wallet.
Pros: It is often quite easy to sell your textbooks online. You do not have to look for potential buyers; let the world wide web and google searches do that part. You can also look at similar textbooks for sale to know what a reasonable price is and avoid getting ripped off.
Cons: You might need to ship the textbooks on your own or pay an extra fee. Additionally, competition from other sellers might create downward pressure on the price. After all, buyers are always looking for the vendor that offers the lowest price.
3. Selling Used Textbooks to Other Students
If you happen to know the professor is reusing the same edition for his or her class next term, why not try to resell your textbook to students that will be needing them? Maybe you will make a new friend in the process.
Pros: When students really need a textbook, they are likely to pay a good price for one, though maybe not the full price that you bought your book at (after all, the book they are buying will be used, not new). They may also appreciate the notes you have in your book.
Cons: Finding students to sell to may be difficult. Students will do their best to get a textbook for the lowest price, be it renting one or finding one online. Moreover, if they do not know you ahead of time, they might not trust you as a seller. Fortunately, there are websites that help connect students on campus for this purpose, such as Student2Student. So, if you want to sell your used textbooks to students on campus, you might to consider such websites.
4. Selling Used Textbooks to Bookstores
While traditional bookstores are being threatened by the emergence and increasing popularity of digital books, the book market still has a place for bookstores and many of them are doing quite well. Some bookstores will buy books (and, of course, textbooks) from owners who do not want them anymore. Half Price Books (HPB) is one such brand that employs this business model. When you bring your book to a local HPB store, an offer will be made based on the book’s condition and how high its demand is. If you accept the offer, the store will pay immediately in cash, similar to a textbook buyback at a campus bookstore. Barnes & Noble is another company that will buy your used textbooks. If you have another bookstore in mind, it is a good idea to call them ahead of time to ask if they buyback used textbooks.
5. Garage Sale
Having other things to sell beside your textbooks? Might as well organize a garage sale. Maybe you will meet a fellow student who wants your books.
Pros: Having a garage sale is quite simple most of the time: display your items and determine your desired price. Then, wait for people to come to your house and buy your things. It’s as simple as that.
Cons: It can be difficult to meet someone who wants to buy used textbooks. But if you have no other way to sell it, why not give this way a shot.
6. On-campus Advertisement
Perhaps your campus has a bulletin board that lets you advertise your textbooks. While posting on bulletin boards often require some sort of school permission, utilizing these boards is a good way to advertise your used textbooks on-campus. By pricing your books at a lower price than those at your campus’ bookstore, you have a higher chance of getting your book sold. Once an interested student contacts you, you can work with them on details such as delivery and payment.
Best Places To Resell Your Textbooks For Money
1. Bookscouter
Bookscouter offers price comparison from over 30 buyback vendors for a potential seller to choose from. After entering your book’s ISBN number, the website will display a list of buyers and the price at which they are willing to buy your textbook, sorting from the highest to the lowest price. After picking the best offer, you can ship your textbook for free and get paid after the buyer has received your book.
2. Amazon
We’re sure you’ve heard of this multi-billion dollar company. Amazon started out as a marketplace for books in 1994; in 2020, Amazon.com has become a website where you can buy (and sell) almost anything, even food (anything that is legal, of course). However, that does not mean the website has neglected the book “aspect” that inspired it to launch. You can buy and sell almost any book on the website if you have an account on Amazon.com. After listing your textbook’s ISBN number and taking some photos of the book, selling it is simply a matter of posting your offer. Easy, right? Moreover, you can view offers from other sellers to determine which price you want to sell your textbook at.
However, there are a few cons to selling textbooks on Amazon. Since Amazon is a popular website, there are many sellers on it. This often creates a downward pressure on the sale price as buyers are most likely to look for the cheapest option.
Quick Tip: How To Get Free Amazon Gift Cards Quick
3. eBay
How does auctioning your textbook online through eBay sound? If it sounds like a good idea, then go ahead onto the website to create an account and set up your PayPal. You will be asked to enter the textbook’s ISBN number, its condition, price, cost of shipping, and any additional information you want to include. Unfortunately, there are auction fees for each sale you make on the website. Buyers also expect the cheapest price they can get, so they will likely not want to pay for the price at which you bought your textbook.
4. eCampus
eCampus is another website that makes selling your textbook quite simple. You can enter the textbook’s ISBN number to see if they are buying back your particular textbook or not. If not, you can create an account and list your textbook on eCampus’ marketplace. You can get paid with a check, store credit, or a direct deposit. Additionally, they have reward programs that allow you to save money on future purchase. If reward programs sound like something you’re interested in, eCampus is a good choice for selling your books.
5. Chegg
Chegg provides quotes for your used textbooks as soon as you enter the book’s ISBN number. If they do not buyback your particular textbook, they will indicate so and ask if you want to donate it (however, since you’re reading this article, you’re probably not interested in donating your textbooks). If you are satisfied with Chegg’s quotes, you can print a free shipping label and drop the book(s) off at a local UPS store.
6. Cash4Books
Similar to Chegg, Cash4Books provides a quote for your textbook once you enter its ISBN number. However, your sell-back order must be greater than $7.50. If your particular book’s quote does not meet this amount, you can add more books to your sale cart until the total value exceeds $7.50. If you are satisfied with the quote, you can ship your textbook(s) for free. You have the option of getting paid via PayPal or a mailed check.
7. ValoreBooks
Like Chegg and Cash4Books, you get instant access to your textbook’s quote upon entering its ISBN number. If you accept the quote, you can create a free shipping label and ship the item over to them. However, like Cash4Books, ValoreBooks also has a minimum selling price. If the sell-back price is equal to or below $15.00, you must add more textbooks until the total for sale price exceeds $15.00. Or, of course, you can simply choose not to sell your textbook to ValoreBooks if the quote is $15.00 or below.
8. Student2Student
Student2Student provides a place for students on the same campus to meet each other to directly sell and buy used textbooks. By specifying your campus and entering your book’s title or ISBN number, you can view the book’s highest price online and the local campus price. If there are interested buyers, your next step is to connect with them and discuss how you want to do the transaction. If you do not want to deal with shipping and getting paid online by someone you haven’t met, Student2Student is a good website to visit.
9. SlugBooks
SlugBooks is similar to the other websites listed on here: enter your book’s ISBN, see a list of quotes from their partner companies, select the best option, and print a free shipping label to ship your textbook to the buyer of your choice. However, SlugBooks is different in that they help you promote your book on Facebook should you choose to utilize their service. Therefore, if you want social media promotion in the process of selling used textbooks, SlugBooks is the place to go to.
SlugBooks also has many comics on their website, mostly done by college and university students. While you’re there, might as well check them out to relax in the midst of the stressful textbook sell-back process.
10. BookFinder
BookFinder is a company that has been praised in publications by The New York Times and Forbes, so you can bet it’s helpful. BookFinder helps you find the highest buyback prices on your textbook after you have entered the book’s ISBN number. BookFinder’s partners include some of the companies that have been mentioned like eCampus and ValoreBooks. After deciding on your desired company, a link will be provided so that you can connect directly to it. The only thing that might be slightly inconvenient is that each company has a different shipping and payment preference, therefore make sure your buyer provides free shipping (if you want this option) and the payment method you have in mind.
11. BookByte
BookByte directly buys used textbooks from you, although they have some resalable conditions your book must meet. After entering your ISBN number, you can view BookByte’s quote for your textbook. BookByte provides free shipping should you choose to sell to them and will pay between 4-14 days after you have shipped the item. You have the option of getting paid via a mailed check or PayPal, so choose whichever payment method you prefer.
Bonus tips:
- Renting out your book(s)
Instead of selling your used textbooks, you can try renting them out. Math textbooks and English novels are often good renting candidates because they do not change much throughout the years, thus teachers feel more comfortable in using the same edition for several terms.
- Renting textbooks instead of buying textbooks
If renting textbooks is an option, you might want to consider doing so instead of buying them. Used textbooks for rent are especially affordable and are available in many campus bookstores and on websites such as Amazon.com. That way, you do not have to pay for the full price of the textbook and do not have to worry about selling it when your class is over.
- Donating your books
If you are having a hard time selling your textbooks, it might be a good idea to donate them. You can donate used textbooks to your local library, school library, or your local Goodwill. Donating to companies like Goodwill helps your community as they use their profit to help those in need.
Conclusion
When selling your textbooks, it is a good idea to check out offers from a variety of sources to see the best available option. Hopefully, this article was helpful to you in selling back your books and we wish you the best of luck in doing so.
