We've all had this happen... it's the end of the semester and we suddenly find ourselves with 5 or more new paperweights - more commonly known as our textbooks. Maybe they were well used, or perhaps we never opened them. Nonetheless, we must make a choice... do we sell these dust-collecting items, or do we keep them for "future reference?" In some cases, keeping them might be practical. The AP style guide or other other manuals for industries that change very infrequently can be used daily. Other items, particularly those in the healthcare or technology field can become outdated seemingly overnight. In these instances, it is more practical to sell the books and recoup some of the cost. When the decision is made to purge the home library, many options are available.

For those that prefer to let someone else deal with sales, there are several options. Many people choose to sell their used textbooks back to the campus bookstore. In some cases, the bookstore will buy books back for a decent percentage of the original price. Other times they will offer only a small amount (sometimes as low as $3 or $4). This can occur when a new version of the book is published or if the professor opts to use a different book for the class. On occasion stores like Half Price Books will buy textbooks if they are relatively new and in good condition. Another option is to go online. There are many websites that will buy textbooks from individuals. Many of these will even pay for the seller to send the books to them. Some of these websites are: Cash4Books.net, BetterWorld Books, TextbookX, eCampus, and PhatCampus.

There are also options for those that prefer to sell their books to an actual person. One is to post an ad on the school bulletin board or in the school newspaper in hopes that another student will buy the book from them. Free ad boards such as Craigslist or BackPage are good options, particularly for those that don't want to pay listing fees or deal with shipping. Half.com (which is part of eBay) and Amazon.com are great options for those that don't mind a small fee or a trip to the post office. On these sites, books that are in high demand can bring a nice price, however, books that don't sell well in the campus bookstore might not do well online either. When selling books online, it is important to be honest with the buyers about the condition of the book. If the book has been around for a while and has seen better days, then it might not sell very well. If it's in mint condition (read: never opened) then it will probably sell for a higher price.

Timing is important whether books are sold online or in person. The best times to sell textbooks are right after the semester ends (if selling back to the campus bookstore, this is often the only option) or right before the semester begins. Those that wait too long to sell their used textbooks might find themselves with a new addition to their library, a new doorstop or material for a nice art project.

Copyright 2009 K. Frost