College Textbooks Cost TOO DAMN MUCH!!!

Hatake Kakashi · 09-08-2010, 07:18 PM

Yeah, so I'm returning to college to enter a career which I truly feel a calling toward. Pharmacy was nice and all, but I got into it for the wrong reasons and found I didn't really enjoy it. Currently, I'm in pursuit of my Master's in Education, with a major in English.

Trouble is, as many of you probably know, textbooks are sickeningly expensive. I've checked Amazon, Half, Barnes and Noble, hell, I even checked Hastings. And to my dismay, though I found some sites with a slightly lower price than my college's bookstore, the shipping makes up the difference and I'd only end up leaving myself with an inconvenience in time. So I'm checking with you savvy folks to see if any of you know where I could get my hands on books for a low cost. I'm looking to buy, but I don't care if they're new or used as long as they're in good condition. Would any of you care to provide a few pointers?

In case some of you know, I've got the ISBNs handy:
9780077224790
9780547204888
9780136035930

Thanks so much in advance for the help or advice.

Specterbane · 09-08-2010, 07:32 PM

I can't remember all the tricks I ended up hearing about. I had engineering internships so I had money to back during college and was willing to pay to avoid hassle (I don't recommend it now though).

The tricks I remember off the top of my head are to look for older editions that are used. Once a book releases a new edition the price get jacked back up for the reprinting and the old edition's value goes down. Look around for those if you can, otherwise think about checking Craig's list if you haven't done that yet. I'll put some more tips if I find any.

BitVyper · 09-08-2010, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Alternatively, if you're INCREDIBLY lucky, someone will have scanned and made a PDF copy of your textbook. such things are rare.

Getting less rare, so I'm told, but that would be piracy and I can't in good conscience endorse ripping off publishers who rip off hundreds of dollars from people who make under 10000/year.

Edit: Sometimes it's worthwhile to hold off on purchasing textbooks for a week or so anyway, just to see which profs are using them daily, and which ones are using them daily (to prop up the one short leg on their desks).

mauve · 09-08-2010, 07:33 PM

University library. Check the catalogue-- you might find the same book or an earlier edition.

Local bookstores, especially of the independently-owned buy-sell-trade variety. School bookstores pay crap for used books, so local resale bookstores ofen end up buying students' old books at the end of term.

Second hand shops like Goodwill or St Vincent dePaul. These are awesome for more common books like novels you need for literature classes.

Amazon, etc. I know a lot of my fellow students scoured Amazon and ebay for their textbooks, although I never used it myself.

Offer to go halvies with another student. If you know someone in the class, go halvies on the books and buy one copy you can share/ make copies of.

Nikose Tyris · 09-08-2010, 07:34 PM

Some schools let you rent your text book, for 50% or more off.

Alternatively, if you're INCREDIBLY lucky, someone will have scanned and made a PDF copy of your textbook. such things are rare.

Specterbane · 09-08-2010, 07:43 PM

Quick link dump of what I've found from your ISBNs

Also there's this option which might be cheaper in total, but do the math before making any decisions.

Best of luck, hope it helps and Mauve is totally right about the University Library. Check there first chance you get.

Hatake Kakashi · 09-08-2010, 09:46 PM

Thank you, everyone, for your answers. I'll look into every last one suggested. And if anyone else has any other ideas, please feel free to post.

Jagos · 09-08-2010, 10:54 PM

halfbooks.com

half.com

Magus · 09-08-2010, 11:37 PM

I ended up getting books one year from Penntext.com, they are a local company but you may be able to find what you want from there if know the ISBN numbers, as I'm sure colleges across the U.S. are often using the same textbooks. They really saved me a bundle. No idea what shipping to wherever you live would be, though.

There was also Cheapbooks.com but I remember not liking them at all.

Pretty much every other year I just got my books from the university because they seemed to have used copies of almost everything.

Professor Smarmiarty · 09-09-2010, 02:56 AM

Don't buy textbooks. You won't need them. You mightneed them once or twice a year for help during an assignment but library should have some form of short loan for in demand books or at least heaps of copies.

09-08-2010, 07:33 PM	#4
mauve So Dreamy Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Someplace magical Posts: 6,863	University library. Check the catalogue-- you might find the same book or an earlier edition. Local bookstores, especially of the independently-owned buy-sell-trade variety. School bookstores pay crap for used books, so local resale bookstores ofen end up buying students' old books at the end of term. Second hand shops like Goodwill or St Vincent dePaul. These are awesome for more common books like novels you need for literature classes. Amazon, etc. I know a lot of my fellow students scoured Amazon and ebay for their textbooks, although I never used it myself. Offer to go halvies with another student. If you know someone in the class, go halvies on the books and buy one copy you can share/ make copies of. __________________ Yoo Hoo!

09-08-2010, 07:43 PM	#6
Specterbane Safety First Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Land of Gumdrops and Ice-cream Posts: 746	Quick link dump of what I've found from your ISBNs Also there's this option which might be cheaper in total, but do the math before making any decisions. Best of luck, hope it helps and Mauve is totally right about the University Library. Check there first chance you get. Last edited by Specterbane; 09-08-2010 at 07:59 PM.

09-08-2010, 10:54 PM	#8
Jagos FRONT KICK OF DOOM! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Howdy pardner... Posts: 6,399	halfbooks.com half.com __________________ Copyright musings World ramblings Scifi stories

09-08-2010, 07:32 PM	#2
Specterbane Safety First Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Land of Gumdrops and Ice-cream Posts: 746	I can't remember all the tricks I ended up hearing about. I had engineering internships so I had money to back during college and was willing to pay to avoid hassle (I don't recommend it now though). The tricks I remember off the top of my head are to look for older editions that are used. Once a book releases a new edition the price get jacked back up for the reprinting and the old edition's value goes down. Look around for those if you can, otherwise think about checking Craig's list if you haven't done that yet. I'll put some more tips if I find any.

09-08-2010, 11:37 PM	#9
Magus Archer and Armstrong vs. the World Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7,164	I ended up getting books one year from Penntext.com, they are a local company but you may be able to find what you want from there if know the ISBN numbers, as I'm sure colleges across the U.S. are often using the same textbooks. They really saved me a bundle. No idea what shipping to wherever you live would be, though. There was also Cheapbooks.com but I remember not liking them at all. Pretty much every other year I just got my books from the university because they seemed to have used copies of almost everything.

09-09-2010, 02:56 AM	#10
Professor Smarmiarty Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: K-space Posts: 9,758	Don't buy textbooks. You won't need them. You mightneed them once or twice a year for help during an assignment but library should have some form of short loan for in demand books or at least heaps of copies.