College Books SUCK!

[Argo]

My college actually had a web site (created by students) dedicated to selling/buying used books. Beats paying $100 per book.

 

[misle]

My school's bookstore has a website so you can order your books online. Well, I use that to find out what books I need and then I buy them from Amazon and Half.

 

[jamesbond007]

Now an online book exchange would be PIMP!!! Hmm...maybe I can undercut the bookstore and start a business! YEAH! Go econ class!

Ok, I really haven't had anything for breakfast! I'm just naturally hyper!

Yeah, I think I will wait before purchasing books. I have started meeting upper-classmen and making friends, so I will see what they can let me in on as to whether or not this class really uses that book and such.

 

[PingSpike]

Block the emergency exits and set the book store on fire.

 

[mercanucaribe]

:roll:

Everyone's a free market capitalist until sell back time comes.

 

[Gibson486]

Thats why you sell it back during the beginning of the semster when the demand is higher.

edit: next time, go online and find the international edition.

 

[misle]

How much does it cost to sell on Half.com?
I know Amazon is $0.99 + 15% of selling price.

 

[DrPizza]

I've said it before, I'll suggest it again:

Well advertised in advance, it's a perfect fund-raiser for some organization. My frat (Alpha Phi Omega) did this and made THOUSANDS of dollars each semester.

We had a 4 day book sale at the beginning of each semester, including the Sat and Sunday before classes started. The first day was "bring in your books" day. We put a sticker on the corner of each book with the seller's name and the price that *THE SELLER* wanted for the book. We sold them on commission: if your book sold (at your price), we got $1 for the sale. Sales were the last 3 days, although, students could still bring in books to sell during those days.

Some books, of course, didn't sell. These would typically be the ones that were no longer used (and of course, the book stores wouldn't have bought them back anyway.)

However, from the student standpoint: Bought new from book store for $100. Sold at our sale for $60 (bookstore would have only given 40). New buyer bought for 60. Resells following semester for $60. Next new buyer resells for $60.

Compared to the used book price of $80.

So, each student paid $20 less than the book store's price. And, each student sold for $20 more than the book store would have paid. Win-Win situation for the students.
The only one who loses is the bookstore which was making $40 per book by holding on to them for 2 or 3 weeks between semesters.

Being a member of the organization that ran the sale also had benefits: you could pick the cheapest book in the pile (each person sets their own price) and the following semester, you could figure out the maximum price you could ask for your book and still sell it. Thus, I made a *profit* on my textbooks each semester. i.e. bought books for $200, sold previous semester's for $250. Lather, rinse, repeat, profit. Plus, the bookstore won't buy back books with torn off covers, etc. You know as well as I do that if the bookstore is selling it for $80 used, but you can buy it without a cover for $25, you're going to jump all over the coverless version, unless, perhaps, it's a book you want to keep.

 

[Anubis]

sell them at half.com

also buy them there you save a sh!t load of money

 

[spacelord]

Back in the day..

I remember when they would sell us a new book for $80. Then when go back to sell it at end of semeseter it was worth nothing, "because its not being used next semester", which is usually code for "the book sucked, the professor is trying a new one next semester" College bookstores are crooked.

I wish I had half.com when I was in school.

 

[chrisms]

My jackass professor last quarter made us buy 4 books which ended up costing about $200 (this was for a n intro 20th century American history class). Our main textbook was for ALL of american history, although by definition the class only needed to use less than half of it. The other books we never used, they were just collections of documents in American history that he never referred to and I could've just found online. What a douche

I haven't sold back any of my books out of laziness.. probably should do that soon though

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: spacelord
Back in the day..

I remember when they would sell us a new book for $80. Then when go back to sell it at end of semeseter it was worth nothing, "because its not being used next semester", which is usually code for "the book sucked, the professor is trying a new one next semester" College bookstores are crooked.

I wish I had half.com when I was in school.

Or it means the publisher changes a word or two and slaps a new revision number on it, just to sell more books. Some do it every year

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: chrisms
My jackass professor last quarter made us buy 4 books which ended up costing about $200 (this was for a n intro 20th century American history class). Our main textbook was for ALL of american history, although by definition the class only needed to use less than half of it. The other books we never used, they were just collections of documents in American history that he never referred to and I could've just found online. What a douche

I haven't sold back any of my books out of laziness.. probably should do that soon though

Yup, my American History class was like that as well, had like 5 books shrinkwrapped together....course we used most of them

My college bookstore has gotten into the habit of shrinkwrapping books together because once you break the shrinkwrap you can't return it.

Usually just get in touch with the teacher to find out what you really need.

 

[Baked]

Post a for sale flyer on all campus bulletine boards. List the price between new and sellback. It's that simple.

 

[LordMorpheus]

some schools have websites where you can post your books for sale and other students can browse the listing and contact you.

You cut the middleman out, which is huge. The Rice campus bookstore will give you 10 dollars for a book and sell it for 50. This is an accurate figure . . . on the SA (student association) website you'll have students listing and buying the same book for 30 or 40

everyone wins except for the bookstore.

 

[ArmenK]

Use addall.com to buy your books.