The Spectrum

Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: Features

Media Credit: The Spectrum/ Kate Brindisi

Sacred Heart University students, as well as other college students nationwide, face a common problem as one semester ends and another begins.

After finals are over and students head home for a well deserved vacation there is the question: "How do I get the most money back for my textbooks and be able to afford next semester's books?"

For several years now, textbook costs have been rising and, along with rising tuition costs, textbooks are becoming more difficult to budget for.

The proverbial question remains, who will give me the best deal?

Part of the answer is in the understanding of textbook buy-back practices.

Buy-back rates are set by the bookstore and used book wholesalers.

The stores pay the best buy-back rates on books that are going to be used on campus again next semester.

But, for the most part, the bookstore will only offer one-half of the new book price for new books and one-half of the used price for a used book.

These rates are also based on current store stock and prices that may vary from store to store and website to website.

SHU's own bookstore advertises on campus and on their website as, "Cash for Books."

The website indicates that it is simple, just sell your books back to the bookstore.

There is a section that helps to explain how prices are set.

Several factors are taken into account to determine how much you will get for your books.

The first is condition: books must be in good conditions with bindings, coverings and having all printed pages.

Believe it or not, the amount of highlighting, underlining and any other makes students make to help them learn the material may decrease the book's resale value. Another factor in resale is whether an instructor has ordered the text for next semester.

This increases the book's value. The SHU website indicates that this will make the book's worth between "30% to 70% or more of the original price," stated www.sacredheart.edu

Sell early because textbooks will be purchased until the bookstore reaches the shelf stock limit.

In essence, the bookstore does not want more copies than it will need.

If the SHU bookstore has reached its limit on a textbook for next semester, or it is not requested for next term but it is a current edition, they may purchase it anyway.

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