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Best place to buy college textbooks?

911paramedic

911paramedic

Diamond Member
I've been looking around all morning and cant seem to find a decent place to buy books. And it never fails that on the first day of class somebody says, "Oh yeah, got this for three bucks."

Any recommendations?

TIA
 
Originally posted by: DLeRium
half.com by FAR

I've gotten NEW shrinkwrapped books there for far less than the used book price at our local bookstore.
Click to expand...

This.
 
If the book comes out with a new edition every year, it also pays to get last years edition if you can get away with it. Most times, they just update the example questions at the end of each chapter or other minor updates and slap on a new edition number so they can continue to charge ridiculous prices while screwing the students out of a resale but if you check, the text is usually the same.
 
Originally posted by: DLeRium
half.com by FAR

I've gotten NEW shrinkwrapped books there for far less than the used book price at our local bookstore.
Click to expand...

Noes.

Addall.com


It will check em all for you, sometimes half is cheapest, sometimes Abes, sometimes other places.

Thought if you are buying several textbooks watch shipping to see if it doesn't make sense to pay a little more to get them all from one or two places.
 
Originally posted by: A5
Originally posted by: DLeRium
half.com by FAR

I've gotten NEW shrinkwrapped books there for far less than the used book price at our local bookstore.
Click to expand...

This.
Click to expand...

They seem to be very close to the price at the bookstore. New book is same as a very good used one at the college. (I do prefer new though.)
 
This is one example:

Human Anatomy: ISBN 9780077213404

Used at school: ~$125
New at school: ~$185

I can find it new for the used price, but I do have a histology book, a couple of sociology books, etc. I added them all up in the "buy online" at our school and it came out to just under $400. (Used when possible.)
 
Originally posted by: ChaoZ
http://www3.addall.com/New/sub...n=&state=&dispCurr=USD
Click to expand...

The "new/used" part has me a bit scared, I hate previously highlighted books.

I also found this in CA for $102, but school starts on the 17th and 14 day shipping isn't going to cut it. I need faster shipping if I buy online.

I know it's only two weeks out, but the bookstore doesn't release the titles because they want you to buy from them. Fookers.

EDIT: I know I can pay a few bucks more for three day shipping, I don't mind that.
 
Anyone who says "half.com" or "amazon.com" or any single retailer has never looked at addall.com

Another vote for addall.com


Oh, and for what it's worth (for you high school students) - prepare to really get screwed over. The new trend that's just starting to take hold is for colleges to get their own special editions published. They pick the textbook, a few pages are added, a few pages removed, and then it gets a new cover. Inside the cover, it gives the source of the original text. Very little difference, but you're screwed into puchasing the college's edition & prevented from saving money buying used elsewhere.
 
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Anyone who says "half.com" or "amazon.com" or any single retailer has never looked at addall.com

Another vote for addall.com


Oh, and for what it's worth (for you high school students) - prepare to really get screwed over. The new trend that's just starting to take hold is for colleges to get their own special editions published. They pick the textbook, a few pages are added, a few pages removed, and then it gets a new cover. Inside the cover, it gives the source of the original text. Very little difference, but you're screwed into puchasing the college's edition & prevented from saving money buying used elsewhere.
Click to expand...

QFT, my microbiology book and lab book cost $400 alone. 😕
 
Originally posted by: 911paramedic
Originally posted by: A5
Originally posted by: DLeRium
half.com by FAR

I've gotten NEW shrinkwrapped books there for far less than the used book price at our local bookstore.
Click to expand...

This.
Click to expand...

They seem to be very close to the price at the bookstore. New book is same as a very good used one at the college. (I do prefer new though.)
Click to expand...

well a new book isn't going to flucuate in price that much. The bookstore isn't the one marking the book up to stupid high amounts. It's the publishers who adjust a misspelling and then release a $110 math book as a new edition but change the question order so you get fucked on assignments, that set the high prices.

edit: except in the cases where the school has "special" editions published, then they are just trying to get more money.
 
People still buy textbooks? I stopped buying books for all my classes in my 2nd year. Any time I'd need it for homework problems, I'd ask someone in class if I could borrow it or go to the library and use one of the many copies my professor had on reserve there. Saved me a boat-load of money.
 
Another vote for the library. It can be difficult to dependably access texts for lower level lectures with hundreds of students, but by the time you're in smaller (<100 students) courses, the texts will almost always be available. Sure it can be inconvenient to go to the library, but once you're there, it's hard to be an unmotivated bum & not actually study. As opposed to when the book sits on your desk all semester & is easily ignored, haha.
 
you know, it all comes down to how picky you are. bought a previous addition for last physiology class for 5 dollars shipped (used of course). Yeah, i didn't have few new pages and an updated intro, and it was highighted...but who cares??? you can easily get a loan copy in the library and photocopy the pages. saved myself 70 dollars.

are you a bio major? if you plan on going to grad school, MS/PhD/Professional school, you WILL end up using those books again. I just finished up my MS in Physio, I did not buy a single book, however, I did go back to my old physiology books for reference, ALOT.

Typically, I have one book for each subject, chem/bio/physio/neuro/micro/immunology and maybe a biochem book, bought all this in undergrad, info here should be sufficient to get you through most classes. If you need something clarified you can always google/wiki/ask your prof. New data normally comes from journal and review articles which you can download for free through your library services.
 
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Anyone who says "half.com" or "amazon.com" or any single retailer has never looked at addall.com

Another vote for addall.com


Oh, and for what it's worth (for you high school students) - prepare to really get screwed over. The new trend that's just starting to take hold is for colleges to get their own special editions published. They pick the textbook, a few pages are added, a few pages removed, and then it gets a new cover. Inside the cover, it gives the source of the original text. Very little difference, but you're screwed into puchasing the college's edition & prevented from saving money buying used elsewhere.
Click to expand...

That's nothing. Some are pushing online, so you pay 80% you would for the physical book, can't resell it, can only access it online (so you lose access once the class is over). Oh, and did I mention that you have to buy it in order to get the code to be able to do the online assignments (which are like 35% of the grade). The best part is that they didn't bother to tell anyone this stuff, so most people had already bought the physical book, which the school bookstore won't take back.
 
I already have about five different anat books, a bunch of physio books, and a two year old histology book. I think I will go with my latest anatomy book and see if I really need the new one or not.

My library limits you to two(?) hours if you check out an actual textbook, and limits its use to the library. I don't think that will work with a 5 unit (dissection of a cadaver involved) anatomy class.

The good thing is so far (knock on wood) most of this has been "difficult review" type work for me, I've done most of this in the process of becoming a paramedic.
 
This may not be helpful, but I've found at my school its actually a much better deal to pay for a new book and sell it back for 60% of its price. When I buy used and sell it back I only get 25% and in the long run it costs me more to do that.
Of course, I have no idea what the buyback rates are at your school.
 
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