6 Tips to Sell College Textbooks for the Most Money

1. Skip the On Campus Bookstore
You probably already knew this one, but just to reemphasize, the campus bookstore is one of the absolute worst places to sell and buy textbooks. So save yourself the trip.

2. Don't rush it
Probably the biggest mistake students make in selling their college textbooks is selling directly after their class ends. This is the worst time to sell your textbooks. Everyone is selling their textbooks at that time, and no one is buying. Wait until just before the beginning of the next semester, and you will be able to get more money for your textbooks. (This goes along very well with tip 3).

3. Cut out the middle man
When you sell your textbook to a bookstore, they give you less money than someone will pay for that book later. Why not just sell directly to someone and cut out the middle man? Here are some ways to do it:

1. Put up a flyers around your campus
2. Go to the class for your textbook on the first day, and sell it to a new student.
3. Sell it online. Some places to try:
Ebay.com - online auctions.
Half.com - Allows you to set your own price
Amazon.com - Set your own price in the amazon marketplace.
Facebook - I haven't tried this one myself, but there are book selling/trading groups that will help you find buyers.

4. Shop Around
If you do need to quickly sell your textbooks, and can't wait for an online sell, then take a little time to shop around. Call all of your local bookstores, and see which one will give you the best price. There are also websites that you can log onto that will give you cash for your books. Unlike half or ebay there is no waiting to see if your book will sell. Simply enter your isbn on their website, and they will tell you how much they will pay for your book. Some good ones are:

www.webuytextbooks.com

ecampus.com
booksvalue.com
bookbyte.com
valorebooks.com
textbooksRus.com

You can also go to bigwords.com and it will compare the price of all of them for you.

There are many others also.

5. Don't buy them in the first place.
It sounds funny, but many classes don't require you to use the textbook. Check with your professor to see if the textbook is necessary for your course. Also, you can encourage your professors to start using free online college textbooks.

6. Rent your Textbooks
Lots of schools are now allowing students to rent textbooks instead of buy them. If your school doesn't allow you to rent, then you can try a website that does rentals like:
Chegg.com - Cheap Textbook Rentals

Check the price for buying and selling a book when you buy it, and check to see if it would be cheaper to rent.