What's the Deal with Book Buyback?
Danielle Serrao
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: News
As the semester comes closer to an end, the LHU bookstore encourages students to compare prices before selling their books.
Books are expensive and, in many cases, students struggle to buy them. But once the books are bought and the semester is over, what can students do with hundreds of dollars worth of books?
The LHU bookstore will buy back any textbook that has a national wholesale value or is being used the following semester as long as it is in usable condition, says Jim Kownacki, bookstore manager. "If a book is being used the following semester, we buy as many copies as we can at half the new price; if the book is not being used a wholesale company offers to buy the book based on national resale values."
" The wholesale price is based on supply and demand, like the blue book value on a car; the longer a book has been around, more copies there are and thus the lower value, the newer the book the higher the value," stated Kownacki via e-mail.
The best time to sell your books is during finals week, the earlier the better. There is a limit on the number of copies of a particular book that the bookstore will buy at half price. These limits are based on the number of copies expected to be sold, which depends on how many class sections are offered the next semester. Bookstore sales associate, Amber Rosati said buyback starts on Friday, Dec. 11, and continues through the week of Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There are also other companies that are invited to come to LHU to buy used books. These companies set up in the municipal parking lot by the levee. The two companies that came last May were Liberman's and Textbook Fetcher. The bookstore sets up a tent outside to make it easier for students to compare prices. "It is extremely rare that they beat our prices," said Kownacki.
Buyback prices are listed on the LHU bookstore website. The list and number of books that are being bought is emailed to students. "It's very disheartening to us when we hear of students selling books to the competition when we are paying so much more money for them. We've had students sell books to them for $20 that we are paying $67. Always compare prices before you sell you books," Kownacki said.
Tips for Selling:
• If a book is missing pages, water damaged or has excessive highlighting the bookstore will not buy it.
• Sell your books early during finals week.
• Only one price is offered regardless of new or used or unopened.
• Always compare prices before selling your books.
Books are expensive and, in many cases, students struggle to buy them. But once the books are bought and the semester is over, what can students do with hundreds of dollars worth of books?
The LHU bookstore will buy back any textbook that has a national wholesale value or is being used the following semester as long as it is in usable condition, says Jim Kownacki, bookstore manager. "If a book is being used the following semester, we buy as many copies as we can at half the new price; if the book is not being used a wholesale company offers to buy the book based on national resale values."
" The wholesale price is based on supply and demand, like the blue book value on a car; the longer a book has been around, more copies there are and thus the lower value, the newer the book the higher the value," stated Kownacki via e-mail.
The best time to sell your books is during finals week, the earlier the better. There is a limit on the number of copies of a particular book that the bookstore will buy at half price. These limits are based on the number of copies expected to be sold, which depends on how many class sections are offered the next semester. Bookstore sales associate, Amber Rosati said buyback starts on Friday, Dec. 11, and continues through the week of Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There are also other companies that are invited to come to LHU to buy used books. These companies set up in the municipal parking lot by the levee. The two companies that came last May were Liberman's and Textbook Fetcher. The bookstore sets up a tent outside to make it easier for students to compare prices. "It is extremely rare that they beat our prices," said Kownacki.
Buyback prices are listed on the LHU bookstore website. The list and number of books that are being bought is emailed to students. "It's very disheartening to us when we hear of students selling books to the competition when we are paying so much more money for them. We've had students sell books to them for $20 that we are paying $67. Always compare prices before you sell you books," Kownacki said.
Tips for Selling:
• If a book is missing pages, water damaged or has excessive highlighting the bookstore will not buy it.
• Sell your books early during finals week.
• Only one price is offered regardless of new or used or unopened.
• Always compare prices before selling your books.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
J. S. Allen
posted 12/04/09 @ 5:04 PM EST
You could try selling them back online. I use http://www.bigwords.com They are a textbook search engine that searches all the online textbook retailers (including amazon, half, ebay etc) and rental sites (including chegg, bookrenter etc) to find you the best prices. (Continued…)
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