How to Find
Cheap Used Textbooks and
Sell Them on Amazon

By Joe Waynick
August 19, 2012

Buying and selling cheap used textbooks can be a lucrative way for college students to earn extra money.

There are many low paying, entry level jobs in college towns but most of them still require set hours that don't always work with class schedules.

In addition, once a semester starts, most of the flexible part-time jobs are scarce, taken by fellow students in need of employment.

I’m not talking about launching a full-time endeavor. Most students simply don't have time for a home-based business. Instead, I'm suggesting you take a little initiative and buy cheap used textbooks from fellow students and sell them for a profit.

Online Profits Top Campus Bookstores

Reselling used text books just below the regular market price online can make you a ton of money. All college students know how much these books fetch. Even used text books can cost from $100 to $300 dollars each, depending on the course.

You have a built in market when you sell current, in-demand textbooks to students.

In addition, your customers don't have to worry about finding book store locations because you either sell them online or deliver them in person at college campuses.

Resellers pay far less and reap handsome rewards when textbooks sold. For example, cheap text books are often donated to charities or sold at garage sales because they don’t always mean that much to someone who has already finished school.

Getting Excited About Thrift Stores

Are thrift stores good sources for textbooks? You bet they are! Often thrift stores carry very expensive textbooks, and since they don’t know their true value you can get them for just a few dollars.

Once you get started, you can sell college textbooks online for a return as high as 1,000%! That's a money making goldmine.

Finally, you can find textbooks at a used book sale selling all kinds of books that can be resold for a nice profit.

Textbook buyback at the campus bookstore is also an option for many students, but this option doesn't pay very much. This is where you come in.

When buying used textbooks secondhand either from students or used bookstores, you’ll be able to pay a little more than the campus store and sell them for a little less, and still make a lot of money.

Outsmart Competitors

Everyone looks for textbooks in cheap book stores. But you'll beat the competition by being different.

Should you decide to sell cheap used textbooks, be prepared to spend time online searching for used books at AbeBooks, and offline in thrift stores looking for suitable books that have value.

You must verify the selling price and demand for specific textbooks are worth your time so you know which ones will earn the most money.

Once you post your inventory online, your prospects will be just as happy to buy used textbooks from you as you are to sell them. In fact, used textbooks are some of the most profitable products on eBay and Amazon. A lot of students earn extra income as an e-Bay seller.

It’s a win-win because you're able to build mutually-profitable relationships with bargain hunting students if you don’t mind putting in just a little bit of time and effort.

It's a Ready-Made Market

Cheap used textbooks are always in high demand and students are always looking for a deal. You'll be there selling textbooks online at prices that beat the high prices at the campus store.

Best of all, you’ll not only double and triple your money but when you sell a used discount text book you'll be helping fellow students save money on their college education!

Joe Waynick is author of several eCommerce books covering the bookselling and publishing industry. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeWaynick.

* * * * *

Top of Page: Selling Cheap Used Textbooks

Previous Page: Finding Cheap College Textbooks

Home Page: Making Money Online Selling Used Books

Enjoy this page? Please help spread the word! Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Would you like to comment on this article?

Has this article been helpful to you and/or your business? Would you like to add a point or two I may have missed?

Use the form below to create your own webpage on this site and share your thoughts about the article. You can even write an entire article of your own! In fact, comments consisting of 300 words or more receive priority consideration.

Blatant commercial messages will not be posted. In addition, SPAM or inappropriate comments or pictures (in my sole opinion) will be ignored.

Nevertheless, a SHORT promo for your business and a link back to your website at the end of your comments are permitted.

Sign-up For A
FREE Weekly
Bookselling Tips
Newsletter
Enter eMail Address
Enter First Name

We promise not to sell your information to anyone.

Click to learn more and sign-up with Endicia Dazzle for a FREE TRIAL!
Click for FREE trial!

Click this image to learn about the Dell PDA with barcode scanner attachment

Click to learn
why you need
this device!

Click this image to learn about the Socket Scan Card for your PDA

Click to learn
why the this
Socket Scan
Card is best!