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The Best Way To Purchase Used Books
Used books are usually cheaper, Purchasing used Books is the best way to save money. Here are some tips:
1. Shop for books at thrift stores. Books get dumped in these places by the ton. Sure you are going to have to sift through hundreds of discarded Mary Higgins Clark and Dean Koontz novels, but it's worth it to find some Steinbeck or Austen for under a dollar.
2. Don't buy the classics new. If you go to any large bookseller, you may see that they have a section of classic books all newly printed for only a few bucks. If the book was written over fifty years ago, and it is considered a classic, do not buy it new. You can find the classics available for pocket change in almost every used-book outlet.
3. Go to Garage sales. If you are not too choosy about what to read next, garage sales are a great place to find obscure and cheap used books. You will learn a lot about the host of the garage sale whether you want to or not. Feel free to make judgments but keep them to yourself.
4. The used book store is an obvious alternative to buying new books. Unlike garage sales and thrift stores, these places are likely to sort their books and have sections devoted to different genres. This means books will be a bit more expensive than those found in heaped piles.
5. If I am looking for a specific book, I shop online. A book at a retail store had to be delivered there. Is it really much worse than having something shipped to my house? Plus, I can find used copies of specific books online. This saves paper by eliminating the need for new books. It saves a bit of gas money, too.
6. Shop around online. Most likely just about any price you find online will be cheaper than the bookstore, but check as many sites as possible to find the cheapest possible book. Check out online auction marketplaces. While you won't be able to find as many books at auctions, you may be able to find screaming deals.
7. Resell your books. If you don't foresee that you'll need a book after the semester ends, try to resell it as soon as possible. Find out what your campus bookstore and local booksellers will pay, and consider putting up flyers around campus and/or selling it online. If your book is in high demand, you may be able to sell a book online within a day, and at a much higher price than you'll get at the bookstore. See the Related wikiHows below for more information on how to do this.
8. Inquire about earlier editions. If the current edition's used price is still too much, use the book name to find an earlier edition: enter the book title in the search box and remove any references to what edition it is. Before buying, ask your professor or TA if the earlier edition is acceptable. It is often not acceptable because of changes to editions and page numbers, not to mention content, and you don't want to have to pay for a book twice.
9. Check out local bookstores. You may be able to find a good deal locally, especially once you factor in shipping charges. Even if you can't quite match an online price locally, you'll be able to see the book before you purchase and you'll get the satisfaction of helping local merchants.
Nothing hits your party pocketbook like a trip to the campus bookstore. Reselling books may recoup some of your investment, but not all. Don't take out the extra loans.
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