MONEY SAVING TIPS FOR BUYING & SELLING TEXTBOOKS

 Students do not get a lot of guidance when it comes to textbook buying.  We at Beat The Bookstore want UT Students to be well informed before they purchase their first textbook. So, some guidelines to follow are:

·          UT has 2 bookstores: Beat The Bookstore & the University Co-op.  Check pricing and availability at both before purchasing.

 ·          Hold off buying Study Guides, Workbooks and Optional Books. Often, they are not used. Talk to your professor before you buy them. In this case it pays to wait!

 ·          Buy your novels and small paperbacks early! These are the ones that tend to run out first, so get them before they're snatched up.

 ·          Consider only buying the core book for each class. Wait to talk to your professor before purchasing other items.

 ·         Purchase books from on-line marketplaces such as Amazon at least 45 days before you need them.  Often, they can take 2 months to arrive.

 ·          Sell books immediately after finals to ensure you get the most for them.  Textbooks are subject to quotas.  If the quota is reached the price paid drops.

 ·          Ask a lot of questions.  Talk to current UT students about options.  They are a good source of “Do’s & Don’ts” Ask bookstore staff if they are aware of your books going out of edition soon.

 ·          Ask your professor if older editions can be used.

 ·          “University Only” custom textbooks have no resale value if they go out of edition.  Often standard editions used at other schools around the country are 100% the same or very close.

 ·          Make sure you keep all CDs and other items that came with your textbooks.  Often you cannot sell the books back if you do not return these items with them.

Compiled by Beat The Bookstore Staff w/ Input from UT Students