Reselling your textbooks is a great way to recoup some of your costs as a college student. You're not going to use that textbook any longer - so you might as well get some money for it!
Students at public four-year colleges spend about $1,225 a year on textbooks. It's an unavoidable expense, but that doesn't mean students can't get their money back.
If you're smart about how you buy your textbooks (or even rent your textbooks), and you make it a focus to resell your textbooks after class - you might not find yourself as hard up as you'd have thought.
Some savvy students have even found ways to make profits when reselling their textbooks. Try these five ways to make money from your textbooks so you'll have extra cash for other expenses.
Best Places To Resell Your Textbooks
Now that you have some different ideas of ways to resell your textbooks, where can you actually do it? Here are our favorite places to do it!
Note: We keep this list in alphabetical order. If you're selling your textbooks, compare your options to get the best price!
1. AbeBooks
AbeBooks is a great place to resell your textbooks, but it does require a bit more work than some of the other places on this list. You setup your own shop, ship your own products, and basically run your own store. However, they do have great prices as a result.
2. Amazon
Amazon is the market leader in textbooks and one of the largest online marketplaces in the world. When it comes to reselling textbooks, Amazon makes it incredibly easy. All you have to do it enter the ISBN number, and you can quickly list your textbook. You do have to ship out your own book when it sells. This was my primary way to resell textbooks in college.
3. BookScouter
BookScouter is another textbook selling search engine that compares 35 different vendors for you to sell your textbook. If you like an offer, accept it, send back your books, and get paid.
4. BooksRun
BooksRun allows you to sell both your textbooks and eBooks on their website. This is one of the only companies we've seen that facilitates eBook sales. Similar to the other companies, you simply enter you book information, accept the offer, send it in, and get paid.
5. Campus Books
CampusBooks is a search engine to help you find the best places to resell your books. However, they also help you streamline the process. You search their site, print the label, and then get paid. Most of the companies they search offer free shipping labels as well.
6. eBay
eBay is the best auction site to sell your textbooks. This has the potential to get you top dollar, but on the flip side, there is more work involved in reselling your books here. You have to take pictures, but the listing together, and wait the 7 days plus payment time.
7. Knetbooks
Knetbooks is more well known for textbook rental, but they also have a textbook resell option. One of the factors that distinguishes them is that they have a direct deposit option that allows you to get paid right into your bank account.
8. Sell Back Books
Sell Back Books does exactly what the name suggests - gives you a quote on your books so you can sell them back. You simply enter the ISBN, get a quote, and if you agree, you pack and ship the books to them. They'll pay you via direct deposit.
9. ValoreBooks
ValoreBooks advertises that it can help you get the most cash for your used textbooks. Like most of the other options, you simply enter your ISBN number, get a quote, and ship the textbook back to them. They can then pay you by check or PayPal.
10. World of Books
World of Books is designed for both US and UK college students to be able to resell their books by getting an instant offer. The also offer free shipping and fast payments once received.
Ways To Resell Your Textbooks
There are multiple ways to resell your textbooks - and each has pros and cons.
1. Sell Used Textbooks to The College Bookstore
Most college bookstores will buy back used textbooks, especially if professors plan to use the same text next semester.
Pros: Bookstores will often pay you cash within minutes. Some people feel that convenience is worth more than money.
Cons: If you sell your books to a bookstore, don't expect to turn a profit. College bookstores need to make money reselling the books they buy from you. That encourages them to pay you as little as possible.
2. Sell Your Textbooks Online
Many students buy textbooks online to save money. If you already have books, you can use those sites to sell books to other students.
Pros: Websites like eCampus make it easy to compare buyback prices so you don't get ripped off. Selling online is also really easy. Just enter the book's information, wait for it to sell, and collect your profits.
Cons: Shipping textbooks might be inconvenient if you don't live near a post office. The good news is that some websites will pay your shipping expenses.
3. Sell Used Books Directly to Students
Some of your underclassmen will need to get the same textbooks you bought last semester. You can sell your books directly to these students.
Pros: You can potentially make a profit by cutting out the middleman.
Cons: Finding a buyer isn't always easy. Even students who want to save money might feel uncomfortable paying you for textbook. There's also the possibility that students will drop some classes. When that happens, they may come to you for a refund. You don't have to give them their money back, but it's an awkward conversation that can make you look like the bad guy on campus.
4. Auction Textbooks Online
Use auction websites to advertise and sell your old textbooks. Of course, we're thinking of eBay here.
Pros: If you have a popular textbook, you can make a tidy profit from buyers who bid against each other.
Cons: Since students who use auction sites expect to save money, they're often unwilling to pay the full value of textbooks.
5. Know The Peak Resale Dates
Based on historical data from textbook resellers, here are the peak dates each year. May 4 through June 15 is historically peak textbook selling.
Based on historical trends, we think that May 11, May 18, and May 27 through 30 will be the peak resale dates this year.
Bonus Idea: Rent Your Textbooks During the Semester
You can rent your books instead of buying and then having to resell them.
Pros: Students are willing to spend more money on textbooks when they really need them. By renting your textbooks during the semester, you can get money from students who didn't plan ahead. You also have the opportunity to make more cash by renting your books several times.
Cons: There's no guarantee that you will get your books back. Even honest people might simply forget to return them when they're done. That means you'll have to waste time finding them.
With a little planning, it's possible to make a profit reselling your textbooks. Which method works best for you?
Editor: Clint Proctor Reviewed by: Ashley Barnett
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
Robert has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Forbes, where he has been a regular personal finance contributor for over a decade. His work combines both professional expertise and personal experience – he successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey and has helped thousands of readers do the same.
He is committed to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. You can learn more about Robert on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.