Higher education is expensive, and students should look for ways to find ways to pay less for it in the best interest of their futures.
One way to raise extra cash would be to live frugally, take some classes online, or find a side hustle.
The second way is to avoid buying unnecessary items that aren’t necessary for your studies, such as fancy pens or the latest laptop.
But what about the ones that are essential to a particular class or semester, such as textbooks?
In 2021, the average cost of books for regular undergraduate courses was about $1,240.
Taking your dream course shouldn’t be fetter by expensive textbooks. To help you save money while in school, this article will explain how to resell college textbooks for a profit.
Can you resell college books for a profit?
Over 65% of students skip buying textbooks because of cost. There is little competition in the college publishing industry – five publishers dominate the sector, including McGraw-Hill, Pearson, and Cengage. About 80% of college learning material in the United States comes from these five companies. High prices are also making it difficult for students to choose among them.
Colleges and publishers sometimes use a policy called “inclusive access,” in which books are included in tuition fees.
Here, publishers have a certain number of purchases, and in return, they give a discount to colleges. These students can’t avoid paying for these, as the cost is included in their fees. But if you are responsible for buying your books, you do not necessarily have to pay full price. One way students have found to cut prices is to buy used books.
What are the different ways to reselling college books?
There are several ways to sell used textbooks.
Sell to bookstores
Many colleges have bookstores that buy back textbooks.
The stores buy used textbooks, especially if professors plan to use them next semester.
It is probably the easiest way to sell your books, but stores don’t just buy any textbook. Be early because they have specific quotas for the number of books they want. After this, as the quota has been completed, they will not buy the book.
Pro: Books will be paid instantly. As well as being convenient, there are no shipping costs and you don’t have to wait long for a buyer to come along.
Cons: Bookstores pay less than other channels. They plan on flipping these books and making a profit as well, so they try to get them for a very low price. In addition, they have quotas on the types and number of books they can order.
Sell to friends or other people in-person
You need a good network to make this work, but it’s a limited market. Find students who are a year or semester behind you and ask if they would be willing to buy.
Pros: It’s easy to find willing buyers if the price is right. This medium cuts out the middleman and allows you to charge a low price and still get a profit. No shipping is required.
Cons: Students always want to save money, and some will be skeptical of buying from you. Some won’t finish the course and might ask for a refund if they don’t end up needing the book.
Sell online
These days, textbooks can be sold online through a variety of websites. Some websites purchase books directly from you, while others link buyers and sellers.
Gotextbooks.com
A textbook buyer will pay you for your old textbooks online if you sell them to No textbook. They offer instant quotations, free shipping, and payments once the books get to their storehouses.
However, they have a strict list of conditions that all books must meet for them to earn the full amount shown in the quote. If they don’t meet the conditions, the price will be revised, and someone will contact you to pursue approval.
Decluttr.com
Decluttr is a site that sells phones, tech items, CDs, and textbooks.
Using the app to scan a barcode or entering the barcode allows you to get a quote on books instantly. You can then pack the books in a box and ship them for free using a pre-paid shipping label. If the books arrive at their warehouse in good condition, payments are made via PayPal or Direct Deposit to a bank account. You may be paid less if the books aren’t in the condition you described.
Student2student.com
Platform Student2Student connects students who are selling textbooks with students who are interested in buying them.
Exchange sellers can create a listing and meet interested buyers on campus. There is no shipping charge and the service is free.
To connect buyers and sellers at the same school, listings are categorized by the school. There is a comparison tool that buyers can use to find the lowest buyback prices online if no one is selling the book at their school.
Valorebooks.com
Valorebooks is a dedicated online marketplace for buying, selling, and renting used textbooks.
It offers instant quotes and reliable pricing to eliminate negotiations and auctions. The shipping is also free since you’ll receive a pre-paid shipping label.
However, there is a high-quality standard, since the marketplace only accepts books that are in good condition and not extensively damaged. The ISBN of the book must also match the one provided by the platform.
Gotextbooks.com
A textbook buyer will pay you for your old textbooks online if you sell them to No textbook. They offer instant quotations, free shipping, and payments once the books get to their storehouses.
However, they have a strict list of conditions that all books must meet for them to earn the full amount shown in the quote. If they don’t meet the conditions, the price will be revised, and someone will contact you to pursue approval.
Conclusion
Student loans have made college education accessible to many, but the costs don’t end there. Materials make up a significant chunk of these costs, but students can resell them to make money. You have to get a few things right when selling used textbooks, however. Thanks to the online marketplace, there are many platforms where you can sell, but nothing is guaranteed.
Start selling textbooks as soon as you buy them. Look for potential buyers when the time is right. You can save a lot of money by improving sales year-over-year without sacrificing course materials.
For more tips to save money keep following Gogetsaving.com