Now the semester has ended, it's time to sell that book you use to prop up your table. But getting rid of your books is not about saving space; selling books back is about getting the most money possible.
Book buy back started yesterday and will run until the last day of exams on May 5. Director of Dowdy Student Stores Wanda Scarborough said students receive half the price the store will sell the book for next semester.
However, the bookstore can only take back a certain number of each text. Waiting until the last day to take a book back might result in a new addition to your bookshelf. Textbook Manager of UBE, Tony Parker said his store does not take books the professor does not request. He also said the store will not accept books that have no national wholesale.
Parker said if UBE can use a book next semester, they will give the student 50 percent of the purchase price back.
UBE will extend its hours during the book buy back period, and Dowdy has trailers set up around campus for students' convenience.
If you miss the deadline to sell back, Scarborough said Dowdy always buys used books. Selling them back at a later time, however, may result in a loss of money.
Scarborough also said there is a small possibility that a book could be bought back next semester if students still need it.
Another option many students are trying is selling their books on the Internet.
EBay and Amazon.com allow users to sell books directly to other students and get a fair amount of money in return.
But it pays to read the fine print.
Cheapbooks.com is part of Amazon. The Web site says putting an item in its marketplace doesn't cost "until your item sells." After someone buys the book, Amazon receives 99 cents plus a sales fee.
Textbookx.com is another book selling Web site. It claims sellers can receive up to 300 percent more than typical buy back prices.
Other sites, such as ecampus.com, will buy the book from owners themselves. Most of these places offer free shipping and will pay what the book is worth. In some cases, if the text is in high demand, the amount increases.
The people at bookbyte.com offer an additional 10 percent for in-store credit. They also accept lab manuals and study guides as long as they can be used again.
This is especially useful if Dowdy or UBE will not take a book back because the accompanying CD is missing.
If every other option fails, you may try asking your teacher to inform their class next semester that they can buy the required text from you for a cheaper price than bookstores.
This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com