Selling Your Textbooks *updated*
By CHAD FULLERTON, MACINSIDERS
It's that time of year. Today was the last day of classes, and you no longer have a use for that textbook once exams are over. So what do you do with it? Well, you have two options... keep it for reference in future years, or sell it and make some money back!
If you chose the second option, then here's two places you can go to sell those
textbooks!
1)
UNDERCOVERS
Located in the basement of MUSC, across from the Underground print/copy centre is a store run by the MSU to help you sell your
textbooks and/or buy next year's courseware at an affordable price! Simply bring all your
textbooks you would like to sell to the Undercovers staff and they will put them on the shelves to sell. Once your material sells, you can go back to the store and collect your money! Simple as that! All Undercovers does it take a small cut of the profits from selling your book. It's a great way to sell since you don't have to worry about meeting strangers and bargaining with anyone, plus you get to sell in a location that will be flooded with students looking to buy
textbooks in the summer and September. Note: they also buy and sell books, CD's, and DVD's! It's a great choice if you're looking to set your own price and get a good deal on selling your books.
2)
FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE
By now you've probably heard of the Facebook marketplace or used it for yourself. If not, you must check it out! Simply login to Facebook and select the 'Marketplace' on the left. You will instantly have access to a whole variety of categories and items being sold by students in the McMaster network and locally. Simply click what you want, and message the seller to bargain with them or offer to buy the item! If you're selling
textbooks, you can list your item for free and include a photo and description. The only downside to this method is that you will need to meet up with the buyer yourself to make the exchange. If you're not comfortable meeting strangers, this may not be for you. Also, when meeting with the buyer be sure to do so in a public place that has a lot of people around, such as a coffee shop or on campus (Mills Lobby is a very popular place!). When you do sell, be sure to tell the buyer what colour clothes you're wearing so they know how to find you!
3)
TITLES BUYBACK
Titles Bookstore has a "Buyback" period where you can go down to the "Hole-In-The-Wall" located adjacent to the main bookstore, and sell your books directly back to the bookstore so they can resell them to students as 'used books' (which is a lot cheaper to buy than the regular price, as mentioned in other articles we've written). The advantages is that you get cash back right on the spot and don't have to wait, but the disadvantages are that usually the amount you get back is lower than what you could have gotten if you posted in a classifieds or online marketplace and waited for a buyer. Second, you aren't able to negotiate price (they tell you what they'll give you and you can accept or walk away and sell elsewhere). So if you're looking for a quick way to get some money for your books without the hassle of posting and waiting on classifieds/marketplaces, go for Buyback.
4)
TITLES ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS
If Facebook marketplace isn't your thing, you can always try Title's online classifieds. Previously known as "bookswap", the service allows you to type your book information into a classifieds page online and sell your books that way. Students can then browse books for sale online and see your price and contact information. It's nice because you're able to set your own price, but the downside is that, like Facebook, you need to meet the buyer in person to make the exchange. I've found Facebook's Marketplace to be easier to use, and there is of course a lot more students on Facebook, but why not use both? They are both free to list your items.
Click here for the Titles classifieds.
4)
MACINSIDERS MARKETPLACE
And finally, you can always post your ads for free in the MacInsiders Marketplace. Classifieds appear on the homepage in the marketplace box for all users to see, and it's free to post. We've recently revived the marketplace and are starting to promote it more, so your ads will get decent viewing over the next month or so, and then we'll promote the rotation of ads on the homepage
Click here to view the MacInsiders Marketplace.
