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There is no denying it. College textbooks are expensive.
You can buy a huge Stephen King hardcover book for less than $30
but a small textbook often costs more than $50. Also, your
average campus bookstore has little competition unlike your standard
bookstore, which gives them little incentive to discount books.
Bargains are hard to come by in the college textbook market, yet
you can still shave a few percent off your total bill. This
may not sound like much but when the average bill for a full time
student is $300-$500 per semester, a modest saving like 10% is worth
$30-$50. Not too bad.
Tips to reduce your textbook costs.
- Buy from other students. Bypass the bookstore entirely
-- the cheapest way to get textbooks is still from your fellow
students. The person who took the class the semester before is
perfectly willing to sell his/her book to you for a 30-50% loss
instead of to the campus bookstore (where he or she will have
a 50%-75% loss). Plus, you can bargain with other students.
Try doing that at your campus bookstore! Just make sure the same
book/edition is still used and hasn't been replaced by a new edition
or book. Some colleges make it easier for students to sell books
to each other by having a book sale or a special bulletin board
where students can sell their books.
- Buy used. Used books at your campus bookstore generally
sell for around 25% less than new. Also, used books and
new books have the SAME buyback value at the end of the semester.
Additionally, if your college bookstore doesn't carry used books
or if they are out of stock, many of the online bookstores listed
below on this page also carry used books. You can save even more
on online auction sites and marketplaces like
eBay,
Half.com
and Amazon.com
(with the downside of not being able to return books if you decide
to drop a course).
- "Guaranteed Buyback" books are not necessarily better than
used. Don't automatically assume that a book with a
"Guaranteed Buyback" is cheaper than a used book. Only
buy new books with a "Guaranteed Buyback" when the price
of the book minus the buyback value is less than what a used book
costs. "Guaranteed Buybacks" benefit you the most if
the book is not used next semester or if the bookstore is overstocked
(which happens frequently).
- Look for other college bookstores in your area.
Pick up a phone book and look under "Bookstores, College."
You will be surprised at how many independent college bookstores
there are. Many are located a few blocks from your university
and charge a lot less than the bookstore on campus. Also, some
of these independent bookstores offer more money when buying back
textbooks.
- Check your local Barnes and Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks etc.
Normally, your average bookstore is not as good a deal as a college
bookstore (primarily because of the limited textbook selection
and lack of used books). However, you can find some deals on books
for English and Computer Science courses.
- Check the Internet. Online college bookstores generally
have a much larger selection of used books. Furthermore, you can
find some real deals on auction sites and online marketplaces.
There is one big problem with the Internet, shipping. You have
to pay for it and wait for it. Also, be aware that some Internet
college bookstores do not refund shipping if you have to return
a book. Make sure you read return policies very closely to avoid
surprises. Auction sites and online marketplaces do not generally
accept returns at all unless you get the wrong item or it differs
significantly from the description listed by the seller.
Internet Textbook Stores - Links will open up
in a new window. You can rate stores by clicking on the rating.
| Website |
Used Books?
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Buyback?
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Rating
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Comments |
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Amazon.com's University Store |
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You can find cheap used books through their auction site
in addition to the new books you usually find at Amazon.
- Super Saver Shipping free on orders over $25
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| Barnes
and Noble Textbooks |
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5% off if you use your Student
Advantage Card.
If you have a Discover®
Card ,
visit the ShopCenter
to save 7% on books.
- Free Standard Shipping on orders over $25.
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| Classbook.com |
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eCampus.com |
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- FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OVER $99
- FREE T-SHIRT - (Free on orders over $99)
Code: TSHIRT99
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| Efollet.com |
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Many college bookstores are owned by this co. |
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Half.com
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Half.com is like a fixed-priced (no bidding) eBay. You can
buy and sell textbooks to other people. One of the cheapest
places to buy used textbooks on the Internet! However, there
is one catch - no returns if you decided to drop a class.
|
TextbookX.com |
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Read return policy closely, they will only refund 90%. Formerly
Textbooksatcost.com.
- Free shipping on orders over $49
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| Varsity
Books |
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Walmart.com
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Good prices, plus you can return books to any
Walmart store. |
DISCLAIMER: I have not used all of these companies' services personally
so I cannot vouch for their quality. In addition, I am an affiliate
and/or I accept advertising from some of the companies listed (after
all, I need help paying my textbooks bills as well). However, I
listed these companies due to their market position or their good
reputation and not for any other reason. If you have a bad experience
with any of these companies, please e-mail
me and I will remove the link of the company if I receive many complaints
about it. Thanks.
I am an affiliate of:
|
Shopping for College Textbooks
