For broke college students, Dec. 9 will mark the beginning of one of the most anticipated and disappointing times of the year - textbook buyback week.
Typically during this semi-annual event students wait in obscenely long lines so that they can get back a fraction of the cash they spent on textbooks just a few months ago. For many students this experience can be somewhat of a letdown, as often times vendors will not buy back certain textbooks or only offer a nominal sum for them.
"The University of Memphis bookstore will buy back your textbooks for 50 percent of their original price only if they are going to be used by a professor the next semester," said Dominic Raby, University bookstore textbook manager.
"If they are not, we base the value on wholesale price and the student will receive between 0 and 15 percent of the original value.
"We will not buy back any old or out of print books."
For example, the three-book bundle required for all intro level American history courses cost more than $100 at the beginning of the semester. The University bookstore is currently only buying back one volume out of the bundle for just $8.
Management at the Tiger Bookstore declined to comment about the process.
In situations such as this, many students opt to just keep the books.
"Usually I end up keeping almost all of my books," said Jeff German, sophomore international business major. "I really don't see the point in spending $60 on something, using it for three or four months and then turning around to sell it for $3."
Some students are using the Internet as an alternative to standing in line at the store. There are a variety of Web sites that buy back used textbooks at competitive prices, and many offer free shipping.
A few enterprising students market their used books independently on Web databases such as Facebook, My Space and Friendster.
"I would always sell my books either to friends or through My Space and I usually tried to buy my books the same way," said Clara Johnson, a recent theater department graduate. "I really hate waiting in lines and just dealing with the bookstore in general can often be a trial."
Many students also sell their used books the old-fashioned way, pinning up a "for sale" notice in the hallways. Students should be extra careful with this method to make sure they get exactly what they are looking for.
"I once bought a used math book I found an ad for on a bulletin board in the theater building and it was the right book, but it turned out to be the wrong edition," Johnson said. "I couldn't use it and I couldn't even sell it back."
No matter which method you decide to use this year, it is always best to research exactly what you need to buy or sell and exactly what it is worth. In a variation of the old axiom, let the buyer and seller beware.
