Why aren't my used books worth more?

A good college education doesn’t come cheap these days, and that includes the price of textbooks. To help make textbooks more affordable for students, the AUM Bookstore tries to stock as many reduced-price used textbooks as possible. Where do we get the used copies? Mainly from students like you who no longer need their books.

Buying back used books benefits you in two ways. Students get money for books they don’t want any more and they are ensured there will be a supply of used books for the next term.

But students may be unhappy with the amount of money they receive for their used books. And they’re even less happy if the bookstore is unable to buy back certain books. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about buyback and the answers.

Why do I get more for some books than others at buyback?

The value of a used book depends on whether that particular book is going to be assigned by an instructor for the next term. Books that are going to be used on this campus next term generally have a higher value than books that will be sent to wholesalers for resale somewhere else.

If the bookstore receives an order from an instructor that the book will be assigned again next term, then the bookstore will buy back copies for resale here. Usually the bookstore will pay half of the price new or used, depending on its condition.

If the book is not going to be assigned the next term, the bookstore provides a national wholesaler to offer you a price for the book. Wholesalers buy used textbooks that will be resold for use on other campuses across the country. The wholesale value is set by the wholesalers, not the bookstore. This value is often a much smaller percentage of the original retail price. That’s because the wholesaler must add in the cost of shipping and other normal business expenses to the resale price.

Why did my friend get more for the same book than I got?

The national market value for a particular book may fluctuate a lot, based on the changing supply and demand for that book nationwide. Edition lives are now shorter thus creating shorter periods of high demand.

If your friend received a higher value from the store and you got the lower market value, then it was probably a matter of timing. The bookstore may have already reached its quota (based on projected class enrollment for the next term) by the time you brought your book in.

Or, if you sold your copy before your friend the bookstore may not have received the instructor’s book order yet and therefore could only offer the lower national market value at that time. The AUM Bookstore cannot buy back books for resale until the instructors send in their book orders for the next term.

The bookstore won’t buy back some books. I bought these books just a couple of months ago. How can they be worthless?

There are many reasons why a book might be turned down for buyback. The store and/or the wholesaler may have reached quota. Possibly the book is not being used anywhere next term, particularly if it is a highly specialized or customized, as you would find with many upper level courses. The publisher may be replacing the book with a new, updated edition next term. The book may be part of a required package of items that cannot be sold separately. Your copy may not be salable due to broken cover, missing or torn pages, stains, water damage or missing CD.

I paid a lot of money for my books. Why doesn’t the bookstore give me more for them?

Used books are provided by the AUM Bookstore as a less expensive alternative for students. Paying more at buyback means the store would have to raise the retail prices of used books.

Why doesn’t the bookstore sell used books for the same price that they were bought at buyback?

The AUM Bookstore must add an amount to the price of all merchandise—including used books—to help cover the store’s normal operating expenses, such as staff wages and benefits; university administrative fees, freight, store hardware and upkeep.

Five tips for selling your selling textbook back:

1. Take good care of your books. Damage, heavy wear and tear, or excessive marking can make your books no salable.
2. Don’t discard any reusable CDs or other materials that came with the book.
3. Don’t wait too long to sell. During finals week is the best time. Any later may be too late—purchase quotas may have been reached by then.
4. New editions are more in demand. Older editions already have a lot of used copies in circulation. Also, editions two or three years old may be on the verge of being replaced.
5. Keep your books secure! Theft of textbooks is very prevalent. Thieves target books at sell back time.

This information provided by the National Association of College Stores.