Textbook Buyback: At Your College Bookstore or Online?

textbook buyback cycle

At the end of each semester, college bookstores willingly buy back used textbooks while students try to find the most profitable option to sell their books. This process benefits both sides: bookshops or online textbook buyers are refilling their storages, and students can get some money for their used books. Other students also get a chance to buy cheap textbooks. But is it possible to get more out of the textbook buyback process?

What influences the textbook buyback price?

The bookstore prices for used textbook buyback vary depending on the season, the availability of newer editions, and the books' conditions. The buyback period usually starts at the end of the semester. The best time to trade textbooks is at the end of summer and after the New Year, when students need the materials for the new term. Yet, bookstores don't always accept all books: they may only accept textbook buybacks until they get the desired amount of copies, or they can refuse to buy a specific textbook.

If a newer edition of your textbook is available, your chances of selling it to a college bookstore are probably around zero. However, you can still try selling it to some online textbook buyers to get at least something instead of nothing.

Of course, the condition of your textbook sets the price too! If it's weary, has marginal notes and highlights, and misses complimentary materials, a college bookshop will turn down your buyback offer. Nevertheless, even if you meet all these requirements and your textbook is in perfect condition, you can get up to 50% of the original price at the campus bookstore (if anything at all). Is there a better way?

Sell used college books online to get the most of your buyback!

Online platforms give you plenty of advantages over college buybacks. First, the price is generally much better. Second, the price is not conditioned by the season as much as in the bookstore, and you can sell your books anytime you prefer! Online services like BooksRun don't have a limit on the number of copies acquired, so they will still accept more buybacks even if they already have enough copies in stock. Finding the buyer isn't your business anymore; you just get paid back, and that's it!

Just pay attention to book acceptance conditions and shipping terms on the websites providing buyback, as they vary from platform to platform. Make sure to go through all the guidelines provided by the vendor before you ship your books.

Finally, the selling process is extremely easy. First, you search for a book on the vendor's website by entering its ISBN to get the price quote. With the BooksRun buyback service, you can use a barcode scanner to search for books (available on Android or iOS apps). All you need to do afterward is to choose how you wish to be paid and send the textbooks with a printed shipping label.

Updated on November 3rd, 2022