The Official College Textbooks & Books Thread

[dream3r]

It's that time of year again, the upcoming fall semester is just around the corner. I couldn't find the post from last year, so here goes with some tips on how to save some money.

First and foremost, never ever buy from the local bookstore! Always buy online since you can save some serious dough from places like Half, eBay, Amazon market place, etc (last year I picked up a book that retails for $130 for only $35 shipped and it was brand new!!).

Secondly, if you really need to have the book at hand for the first week of school, "borrow" it from the local bookstore. In other words, buy it from the bookstore and also online with you credit card, and while the online order is enroute to you, you've got that local bookstore copy handy. Once the online book arrives, return the other copy to your local bookstore. That worked for me last year, but it could be a YMMV for your campus bookstore, so check their return policy before proceeding. Some stores need proof that you dropped the class before letting your return the book, while others just don't care (lines are long during the first week!)

As for sites to check out for textbook comparisons, here are a few that I'm familiar with:

Price Camparison Websites

http://www.CheapAssBookSearch.com
http://www.BestWebBuys.com/books
http://www.CampusI.com
http://www.CampusBooks.com
http://www.AllDiscountBooks.net
http://www.FetchBook.info
http://www.BigWords.com
http://www.BestBookBuys.com
http://www.AddAll.com
http://www.GetTextBooks.com
http://www.CheapAssStudents.com

Retailer Coupons

Alibris.com
NEWS3 - $3 off $30
NEWS5 - $5 off $50

Barnes & Nobles (B&M)
Save 15% off any item

BooksaMillion.com
WELCOME - $5 off $40
FREESHIP25 - Free shipping on $25+

Borders (B&M Only)
30% off Paperbacks
20% off Books (Texas Only)
30% off Any Regular Priced Item

Buy.com
$10 off $75+

eCampus.com
10T200 - $10 off $200 + free shipping
FREE200 - $10 off $200 + free shipping
RR1756438 - $5 off $100

ValoreBooks.com
GETMORE - 5% OFF

 

[smurf]

bump! thanks..got 4-5 books from these stores...decent prices

 

[cinalu]

Buy.com now offers 10% off Amazon.com pricing on over 900,000 books!
Plus get Free Shipping on book orders over $25! Some restrictions apply - See below for details.
Shop smart and save at Buy.com!

10% Off Amazon.com on over 900,000 Books!

Q: What is the "10% Off Amazon" Promotion?
A: Buy.com is now offering 10% off Amazon.com pricing on Buy.com's entire catalog of in-stock books.

Q: When does this promotion begin?
A: Begin? Why, this promotion is already in progress!

Q: What if I find a book at Amazon that is priced lower than Buy.com?
A: Buy.com will provide post-sale refunds based on a price comparison of the price of the identical, new, and in-stock book(s) offered for sale by Amazon.com on the Amazon.com website (excluding any shipping and handling charges and taxes).

Q: How do I submit a price match?
A: If you find an in-stock book that is more than 90% of Amazon's price for the same book, please click here to email us via our webform. Please be sure to include the URL to the Amazon sku AND your existing order number in which you already purchased the identical book from Buy.com.

 

[benwin]

any reviews about these sites????


Can anyone tell me their experience buying used books on a1books.com and abebooks.com?

 

[spazntwitch]

any reviews about these sites????


Can anyone tell me their experience buying used books on a1books.com and abebooks.com?

I've purchased from both of these sites. The items came as advertised. :bigok:

 

[Spoofee]

Very nice compilation!

 

[killasnake]

Hey thanks this well be useful for next semester