When I was in college, I almost always sold my textbooks when I was finished with them. I could sell a textbook that cost $100 for $50 or so and only pay half price in the end. Buying them used to start made them even cheaper. I was getting a discount, but if you didn’t know you could sell used textbooks, it’s like you’re making money.

Minimizing your Expense

In order to minimize your cost for college books, you have to be strategic about what books you get. Some people buy old editions or the international edition because they are a lot cheaper. I tried this once and never did it again. In fact, I returned it and bought the right edition. First of all, it was outdated so problems were always numbered differently and it was a pain to straighten things out having to constantly bug other people to let me look at their book.

Second, after selling the book it was rarely cheaper because when you sell an outdated book, you won’t make as much if you’re able to get anything at all for it when you try to resell it. If you’re able to get the book for 10 bucks and you know you’ll rarely use it, that’s a different story. By all means, save as much cash as you can.

For example, I thought about buying the old version of a book for $70 when the new ones were being sold for $135. It was a brand new edition that just came out a few weeks earlier so no one was selling the current edition used. I decided to buy the new one for $135.

At the end of the semester, there were lots of these books being sold used because everyone was selling the book they just finished at the end of the semester. I was able to sell it and profit $90 after fees and shipping and handling costs. In the end, I only paid $45 for a $135 textbook. The used old editions were being sold for $10. I would have been lucky to profit $5 on the other edition, assuming someone would buy it. That book would have cost me $65 in the end, a $20 savings.

Another time, there was a book I needed being sold new for $100 and used (the current edition) for $65. I sold it later for about $50 because it was still a very current edition costing me a total of $15 by the end of the semester.

These numbers will not always work out perfectly. Part of the problem is that new editions are coming out so frequently. You need to get the book at just the right time after the new edition has been out for at least one semester, but not too close before the next edition comes out because then you won’t be able to sell the one you have. By then it will be the “old edition”.

You can’t really plan this because you can’t guarantee when you’ll take a class and what book you’ll need. However, with careful planning, you can minimize your expense as much as possible.

Should you get Rid of your Textbooks?

Some people are worried about getting rid of their textbooks just in case they might need them in the future. They might be needed to help with a later class or they could be useful during your career. If you want to keep the book, keep it. Often teachers like to keep their textbooks for ideas, or law students keep their books as references. There is no rule. It’s important to do what makes you feel most comfortable. However, if the book will have outdated information in 5 years anyway, you can always sell it now and buy a new one later.

Where to Sell your Textbooks

The two places I sold my textbooks were Amazon.com and Half.com. You can sell your books back to most college bookstores too, but you will usually only get a fraction of what you’d get online. If you don’t feel like making trips to the post office, use that option.

Amazon is where I sold most of my books. It’s easy to list the books once you’ve found your book through search. Make sure it is the right edition. Search for the ISBN number to make sure it is the exact right book. Find the “sell yours here” button and follow the steps to list your book.

In the description box, I recommend being as descriptive as possible. Write out the edition, whether CD-roms are included or not, whether or not it’s highlighted or marked, etc. These are all things buyers want to know to make sure they have the exact right book in the exact condition they want.

Half.com is connected to eBay. You could get more buyers if people are looking through eBay, but I didn’t find much difference between Half and Amazon. You do get an extra day to ship it, which can be convenient if you have a busy schedule. I suggest selling your book at whichever site is listing them for a higher price because many buyers are loyal to one website or the other and will pay more as a result.

Pricing your Books

Pricing your book isn’t difficult. First, determine the condition (like new, good, acceptable, etc.) Look at the price listed for other books in the same listed condition as yours. Read the descriptions. Find whichever book is closest to yours. If you want to get rid of your book fast, price it 1 to 5 dollars cheaper. If you want to get as much money as possible, price it a little higher.

Experimenting with price will become easier over time. The great thing about selling textbooks is that because they are required by colleges, they are always in demand and selling them shouldn’t be too difficult.

Maintaining a High Rating

Always be careful about maintaining a high rating and getting a lot of feedback. Package your books well and ship them as soon as you can. Send the buyer an email when you ship the book and ask them to send feedback when they get the package. Include the invoice in the front of the book and ask for feedback there, too.

Do you have any bad feedback? Get the issue worked out with the buyer. Post a reply to the bad feedback explaining the situation so that future buyers know you are a good buyer, especially if the bad feedback wasn’t your fault.

Sell Other People’s Textbooks

If you want to make money selling textbooks above and beyond your own expense, sell other students textbooks. Students want to get more money back than they would at a bookstore, but they don’t feel like going through the trouble of listing, waiting and shipping.

Let all your friends know you can sell their books for them. You’ll do all the leg work and they can still get more than the bookstore will offer. Collect a 5 to 20% fee for yourself. This business is great for college students because it gives you something to do between semesters that earns you money. Plus, it’s easy to get repeat customers every semester.

To expand your business, make more money, and add convenience for your customers, ask them to give you a list of books they need for next semester, too. This way if you get customers that are trying to sell books other people need, you can cut out the middle man. They can pay less, the other can earn more (because there won’t be any Amazon or Half fees or shipping and handling costs), and you’ll save time and earn more money, too.