MacInsiders Logo

Similar Threads
Article Article Starter Category Comments Last Post
buying textbooks akikokoyoki First-Year / Prospective Student Questions 16 09-12-2010 08:17 AM
Question About Buying Textbooks Desda First-Year / Prospective Student Questions 3 07-07-2010 06:24 PM
Buying Textbooks love_saskuran First-Year / Prospective Student Questions 2 08-14-2008 12:38 AM

Buying Your Textbooks (new and used)

 
Buying Your Textbooks: A guide for new or used
By Chad Fullerton

STEP 1: Look up your book list for the year

First you need to find out what books you need. To do this, go to the Titles Bookstore website and click your department(s). Then, if your course requires textbooks... you will see the course code listed.

Click here to view the book listings

STEP 2: Print out or write down your listings

Keep your list handy. Write the books down (title and author) on a sheet of paper or put it into a Word Document and print it out for reference

STEP 3: Get the books

Now this is where you have a whole bunch of options. See below:

GETTING YOUR BOOKS NEW

To purchase your books new, find out where your books will be located. Textbooks are in different places depending on if you're a first-year or upper-year student. They could be in the temporary bookstore, The Tank, or in Titles Bookstore itself, etc.

Click here to find out where your books are located

GETTING YOUR BOOKS USED

There are four ways to get used books. Used books are great because they are cheaper, and all students love to save money... right? Before getting a used book make sure that it is the correct VERSION or EDITION that your professor wants because sometimes the professor will order a newer edition of a textbook and use it for the class... it may have articles or chapters that are new and aren't found in older editions. Usually students try and sell off older editions from previous years, so be careful!

METHOD #1: TITLES BOOKSTORE

Yes, Titles Bookstore doesn't only sell new books! They sell used ones as well. When you were looking up your textbook list in Step 1, if you CLICK the textbook title it'll bring up a page showing the price of a NEW book, and a USED book as well as how many are in stock. If there are USED books in stock... then head over to your bookstore area on campus and try to pick up a used copy of the textbook!

METHOD #2: FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE

Facebook's Marketplace feature is a fantastic way to buy books because it is easy to use, and everyone selling books on there are from McMaster's network... so they are local sellers that you can meet up with and get a bargain price on your books! Plus you can message the user instantly over Facebook to get in touch with them.

Go to Facebook, login, click MARKETPLACE on the left, then click FOR SALE, and choose the BOOKS category. You'll now see only a listing of used books students are selling! Search for the title of your books from your book list from step 1!

METHOD #3: TITLE's USED BOOK CLASSIFIEDS

Yes! Titles has a classifieds as well, very similar to Facebook's Marketplace. CLICK HERE to go to the search page, then type the title or ISBN code for your book. It will bring up listings of books students are selling and the price they want. If you find a bargain, e-mail the student using the e-mail or contact number they provided in the listing! Simple!

METHOD #4: UNDERCOVERS MSU-RUN USED BOOKSTORE

As previously covered on MacInsider's, the MSU has a new bookstore they are opening on Sept 4th that is just for used books! It works by letting students (you) sell your used textbooks. All you have to do is bring your books to the used bookstore and they will try and sell them for you (at a price you set). The MSU then takes a 20% commission fee if the book is sold. How sweet is that? Now you don't have to waste time trying to e-mail back and forth with somebody and set up a meeting place to make the money/book exchange. Instead, the books are sitting there in the Undercovers Bookstore in the basement of the Student Centre that you can pick up, touch, and purchase right away! Go and check them out on Sept 4th... books will be coming in each day so keep checking back often. Once again... its in the STUDENT CENTRE BASEMENT across from the UNDERGROUND COPY CENTRE.

More help, check out these MACINSIDERS forum threads!

Used Books = Save Money!

MSU Used Book Store

marketplace listings

Books

First Year Textbooks

Where to get my books?


Goodluck! Hope my little article helps you out!

--Chad

bellaaa, Desda, Richa all say thanks to Chad for this post.

Euphoria likes this.
Published by
Chad's Avatar
MacInsiders Founder/Admin
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,120

Article Tools

Deleted Post
Old 09-01-2007 at 08:07 PM   #2
Amara
Senior Member
Real name: Amara
Program: Science
Year: First
Residence: Wallingford
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 114

Thanked: 1 Time
Liked: 0 Times
question:
can i use my debit card when buying things on campus or n e where in hamilton?

or should i have cash with me?
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 09-01-2007 at 11:32 PM   #3
Chad
MacInsiders Founder/Admin
Chad is online now
Chad's Avatar
MacInsiders Staff
Real name: Chad
Program: Communication Studies & Multimedia
Year: Alumni
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,120

Thanked: 1,203 Times
Liked: 1,731 Times
Titles accepts cash, credit card, and debit.

And if you fill out an application ahead of time, you can also use your student card like a credit card that gets charged to your student account that you can pay back later.
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 09-10-2007 at 06:44 PM   #4
lorend
MacInsiders VP
lorend's Avatar
MacInsiders Staff
Real name: Danielle
Program: BA (Hons) CSCT and Anthropology, BA (Hons) English & Indigenous Studies
Year: Alumni
Residence: Whidden
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,615

Thanked: 913 Times
Liked: 507 Times
I hope all of you have been hunting for the best deals possible on your books...
__________________
McMaster Combined Honours Cultural Studies & Critical Theory and Anthropology: 2008
McMaster Honours English with a minor in Indigenous Studies: 2010
Carleton University Masters of Arts in Canadian Studies: 2012 (expected)

We are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed in universities, looking uncomfortably into the world we inherit. -- Port Huron Statement



  Deleted Post Deleted Post


Old 08-20-2008 at 12:55 PM   #5
alibuss
Member
Real name: Ali
Faculty: Business / Commerce
Year: First
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5

Thanked: 0 Times
Liked: 0 Times
K im paranoid so i would much prefer to buy the required books before classes start. So i was wondering what the return policy is on books? So for example, i buy a required book and the prof says u dont need it can i just return it? I know coursework stuff i cant return but what about books? And does the policy change between new and/or used books?
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 08-20-2008 at 01:11 PM   #6
kokosas
MacInsiders Staff
kokosas's Avatar
Real name: Sabrina
Program: English and Classics
Year: Third
Residence: Edwards
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,707

Thanked: 213 Times
Liked: 23 Times
Quote:
Originally Posted by alibuss View Post
K im paranoid so i would much prefer to buy the required books before classes start. So i was wondering what the return policy is on books? So for example, i buy a required book and the prof says u dont need it can i just return it? I know coursework stuff i cant return but what about books? And does the policy change between new and/or used books?
I would REALLY stress against this. If you do anything to damage the book, if you OPEN it, you won't get the full price back if it was new. They test to see if you've opened the book when you return it by placing it on its spine for a couple of seconds, if the pages start to open they deem it as 'used'. With Used books you should be able to return them so long as it's before Sept 20th and you have the reciept.
__________________
Sabrina Bradey
Hon. Classical History and English Language and Literature


alibuss says thanks to kokosas for this post.
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 08-20-2008 at 01:20 PM   #7
alibuss
Member
Real name: Ali
Faculty: Business / Commerce
Year: First
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5

Thanked: 0 Times
Liked: 0 Times
Im so torn! lol so when would u suggest is the best time for buying books? Before the second week of classes? And another question: Whats wrong with buying REQUIRED books be4 hand? Dont u always need them? Like with optional stuff it depends and i understand that but what about with required books? Annnndddd lol course works do u buy that after even if you 100% know ur not going to change any of ur courses around?
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 08-20-2008 at 02:13 PM   #8
kokosas
MacInsiders Staff
kokosas's Avatar
Real name: Sabrina
Program: English and Classics
Year: Third
Residence: Edwards
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,707

Thanked: 213 Times
Liked: 23 Times
Quote:
Originally Posted by alibuss View Post
Im so torn! lol so when would u suggest is the best time for buying books? Before the second week of classes? And another question: Whats wrong with buying REQUIRED books be4 hand? Dont u always need them? Like with optional stuff it depends and i understand that but what about with required books? Annnndddd lol course works do u buy that after even if you 100% know ur not going to change any of ur courses around?
Well, see here's the thing: I buy my books before my class because of two things a) I know all my profs for my classes, I've had them before, and they all are heavy textbook users. b) I can't switch around my classes even if I wanted to, they're all required.

So in telling you not to buy them, I'm being a hypocrit, the reason why I tell you not to buy them though is because you don't know if your prof is going to start your first lecture by saying "I won't really be using the textbook, your tests will be mainly based off lectures" and in that case you may find yourself regretting buying the text. If you want to play it really safe don't buy them. If you're pretty sure that you're gonna need them then buy them, but don't open them, don't damage the corners, keep them in a bag and put them away safely that way if you DO have to return them the bookstore can't accuse you of having used them. And keep your reciepts always, not only can you not return anything without it but you can file books for tax purposes.
__________________
Sabrina Bradey
Hon. Classical History and English Language and Literature


alibuss says thanks to kokosas for this post.
  Deleted Post Deleted Post
Old 08-20-2008 at 02:16 PM   #9
alibuss
Member
Real name: Ali
Faculty: Business / Commerce
Year: First
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5

Thanked: 0 Times
Liked: 0 Times
Thanks!
  Deleted Post Deleted Post



Article Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new articles
You may not post comments
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



McMaster University News and Information, Student-run Community, with topics ranging from Student Life, Advice, News, Events, and General Help.
Notice: The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the student(s) who authored the content. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by McMaster University or the MSU (McMaster Students Union). Being a student-run community, all articles and discussion posts on MacInsiders are unofficial and it is therefore always recommended that you visit the official McMaster website for the most accurate up-to-date information.

Copyright © MacInsiders.com All Rights Reserved. No content can be re-used or re-published without permission. MacInsiders is a service of Fullerton Media Inc. | Created by Chad
Originally Powered by vBulletin®, Copyright © 2019 MH Sub I, LLC dba vBulletin. All rights reserved. | Privacy | Terms