How to Sell Your Used College Textbooks

Just like putting a used car on the market, you’ll get more money back if your book is in mint condition. Bookstores understand that college students highlight paragraphs, dog-ear pages and make notes in the margins. But that doesn’t mean everyone will be keen to see all those doodles you scrawled when your professor was droning on about that time he backpacked to Amsterdam.

Try to clean the pages as much as you can without causing further damage. Then, when the next semester kicks off, use painter’s tape to protect the bindings and covers on your books. Instead of writing directly onto the pages, scribble notes on small pieces of adhesive paper, to keep your books in impressive condition until it’s time to sell.

Most universities have their own bookstores, or are located close to a store that will deal in selling used textbooks. There’s minimal hassle with this option, as students won’t have to worry about getting to a post office to ship their items to an online buyer. Unfortunately, the profits are often considerably less than going through an online marketplace – unless you’re getting rid of a used paperback.

If you’re going to sell your college textbooks to a bookstore during buyback season, make sure you get there early. The longer you wait while buybacks are at their peak, the more likely it is that you’ll find bookstores have reached their quotas and are no longer to offer you a good price.

The virtual textbook market can be highly competitive, but selling college textbooks online has quickly become the preferred alternative for most students, because it allows you to offer your books to a wider group of potential buyers.

Browse the internet to find other items that are similar to the one you’re offering, so you can set your prices competitively. A quick way to do this is to jot down the ISBN of your book, and then search for it on an aggregate site that will list pricing from several buyers. Some students use this to get an idea of the item’s value before posting it online or selling it to a friend. This allows you to set your price and target prospective students that live nearby.

Once you’ve settled on a site to list your book, be upfront about the item’s condition. Then, pack it in a padded box or envelope, and use media mail to send it at a cheap rate.

To conclude, you’ve likely spent a lot on textbooks, so why not maximize your financial return? The sale of a used book can get you a little extra pocket change, and help your classmates, who also want to save cash by buying secondhand.

Alison Blankenship helps in the marketing department at TextbookRush. Alison uses her six years of work experience and her past college experience to help improve user engagement and simplicity for college students.