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How to Purchase Used Text Books
January 18th, 2010 by admin
Used textbooks have been the rage on college campuses for many years. With new book prices skyrocketing the average student can’t afford to buy new textbooks. New textbooks cost students between $120 and $250 per class depending on the class and if a student is in Nursing or other science fields, they can plan to pay more. When approaching the used book market students must understand some of the issues that are present when they purchase. First and foremost it is important to make sure that the used book is the same edition that your professor wants. There are many books available that are older editions and they will not be the same as the one on your syllabus. In some cases, the older edition won’t have as much information in it as the newer edition that is required for your class. So, checking the edition before you buy is the most advisable. Depending on where you purchase a used text book you can get a great deal or an okay deal. In most cases though book sellers will want to give you the best deal possible. Another thing to look for though is the condition that the book is in. Do you want a book that someone else has battered around or do you want something in mint condition? This depends on you and your taste. Some books will be slightly tattered or have highlighting in them while others will look like they have never been used. There are many places to find used textbooks and sometimes your best bet is online stores. However, before you go online, check the price of the used textbook in your bookstore. That way you will have something to compare when you go online. Online purchases can take up to two weeks and they will come from different locations. You will want to make sure that you have enough time to get them and study for your first test. Online purchases will also come with shipping and handling charge. Make sure you factor that into the price that you want to pay. You can find hundreds of bookstores online that sell used textbooks by doing a search for discounted used textbooks online or “used textbooks online.” You can also try “cheap textbooks online.” Any of these will bring up several places. It is a good idea to do comparison shopping on three or four of these. Most bookstores will ask you to put in the ISBN number which is the coded number on the back of every book. By using this number, you can be sure that you have the exact book that your syllabus requires. This also helps you to save time because you won’t have to worry that you have the wrong one. Used books can be a great purchase and will save a student both time and money.