How to Sell Textbooks to a Bookstore

Although many students choose to sell their textbooks online these days, there are still more conventional options. Check out your college bookstore and local used-title bookstores if you have textbooks left over from last semester. Many will buy textbooks at the end of a college semester, selling them to other students later.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Sell Textbooks to a College Bookstore

1. Try to sell your books during the final weeks of the semester. All campus bookstores have buyback periods at the end of each semester, and many offer extended hours for the convenience of students taking finals. Check with your campus bookstore for dates and times.

2. Stand in the line specified for textbook buybacks.

3. Get your textbooks scanned by the sales clerk. The system will tell the clerk how much the bookstore is paying for each book. If you are satisfied with the prices offered, go ahead and sell your textbooks.

Sell Textbooks to Local Bookstores

4. Search for used bookstores on Biblio.com (see Resources below). Click on the "Bookstores" tab, and then select your state in the drop-down box.

5. Pick several bookstores near your location, and call them using the phone number provided. Ask whether they buy used textbooks. Have the textbooks with you when you make the calls, as they may ask what textbooks you want to sell.

6. Take your textbooks into the store to see whether it will buy them. The storeowner or bookseller may examine the condition of the book and check its year of publication. If you are satisfied with the prices he offers, sell your books.

Tips & Warnings

• When searching for a local bookstore on a website, check the store's information for its specializations. This can weed out stores and save you valuable time. For example, a bookstore specializing in used comic books or antique books would not be interested in buying textbooks.
• If a store buys used textbooks from students frequently, it might even have a list of books it wants to purchase. Take a look at the list to determine whether you have any of those books at home.
• Compare online book prices with the amounts offered at the bookstore. In some cases, you may be able to get more cash by selling through an online bookstore or auction site.

Resources

• Find a local bookstore at Biblio.com