I’m in my third year as a college student, and each semester I’m more surprised at the many different (and cheap) ways I can buy my textbooks. Of the many incidental expenses students face, buying books is one of the biggest and most painful. In my short time at FAU, I have become an expert of sorts on getting the most bang for my buck. (I bought a book from half.com this semester that cost me just $6 plus shipping.) Here’s a short list of what’s out there – the good and the bad. Happy book hunting!
FAU BOOKSTORE777 Glades Rd. Boca Raton, FL 33431(Located on the South end of the Breezeway)Store Manager: Phil SilvermanPhone: (561) 297- 3720Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Pros:Convenience. For the on-campus student with no transportation, this location is ultimately the best. This place is fantastic for the students who do not live on a budget.
Cons:Unfortunately, FAU is a primarily commuter school, so this is actually one of the most expensive places to purchase books. The campus bookstore is owned by Barnes and Noble Bookstores, which sell mostly new textbooks for outrageous prices.
BEAT THE BOOKSTORE1501 NW Boca Raton Blvd.Boca Raton, FL 33432Store Managers: Erica and John GarwoodPhone: (561) 392- 9495Hours: Mon-Sat 9 am- 7 pm
Pros:This place gives students selling their books back the best price. No more selling a $75 book back and getting $9 – you get more money back here. The reason most places give students very little money back is because the demand for the book is very low, depending on how many they already have in stock and what professors will be using it the next semester.There are 23 locations nationwide. Why is this good? More demand, which equals more money for you. This store puts the book into the entire Beat the Bookstore system and browses through other universities who may be in need of that particular book. John Garwood, who runs the store with his wife Erica, says that they usually find a home for a book that would normally be discontinued at FAU.If they don’t have the book on their shelves, they browse the other universities and have it shipped here with no extra cost to the student.
Cons:The store is less than a year old. The way the store works is they only sell what has been sold to them. They do not buy from publishers and wholesalers, like most bookstores students buy from. If they don’t have it in stock and it’s not at the 23 other locations, then the student must face other – possibly more expensive – bookstores.The difference in prices between Beat the Bookstore and FAU’s campus bookstore on some books varies only by a few dollars – a $9 difference on average. Still, some books are more than $20 cheaper at Beat the Bookstore. It really depends on how many are in stock.
BOOKSMART670 Glades Rd.Boca Raton, FL 33431Co-Owner: Dave WulfPhone: (561) 394- 6085Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Pros:Location. It is within walking distance from the university. All those on-campus students can take a nice stroll across Glades Road if the campus bookstore isn’t right for them.Comparatively, the prices are definitely less. Ranging from $3-$30 cheaper, it’s definitely the best for your buck compared to the previous stores named.Booksmart will almost always have your book. The only time they won’t is if it’s sold out (which does happen). They pass on the savings to you by buying from wholesalers and publishers.
Cons:The sell back from student to store is a bit shady. Dave Wulf, one of the owners of Booksmart, says that a student will usually get a third to one-half the amount that the book would have sold for new. For instance, if you bought a book for $75 used, and it was originally $90 new, you would probably get back anywhere from $30 to $45 – if Wulf is true to his word. Unfortunately, I have been a part of the sell back game at Booksmart, and I’ve received very little for a book that cost me many pretty little pennies. If the demand is not high for it, or it is not being used the next semester, they usually don’t pay a student that much for it, if anything at all.
AMAZONwww.amazon.com
Pros:This online site sells more books than any bookstore franchise you will ever step foot into. They will most likely have your book in stock. They deal directly with publishers, wholesalers and, remarkably, with other individual buyers/sellers. If they don’t have it, it’s probably not that popular around the country for enough people to sell it.The prices are usually significantly less, depending obviously on the book and the condition you are looking for. A new book on the site can range anywhere from half less than the used average to double the new price at a college bookstore. Sometimes, in order to find the bargain, you may have to do some digging.
Cons:There are actually instances where the book is not in stock, but it (again) depends on the book. Since it is not right in front of you, you can’t be sure if the book you are buying is by the correct author or if it is even the right edition. Not all people are honest like you are in cyberspace. They may say great condition, but when that sucker has 23 pages missing, it’s not so great anymore.Unfortunately, there are some cases where you have ordered a book online and you get to the class, only to find out that you don’t need it. What to do? You’re pretty much stuck with it until sell back season. Very rarely will sellers feel your frustration and take back the book. You bought it, man.There is this tiny factor called shipping. You may want to factor that into your payment as well as your time schedule. It can take anywhere from three days to three weeks for your book to arrive. If you don’t know your books until you receive your syllabus, then this will definitely not work for you.
HALF.COMwww.half.com
Pros: As a customer of this site, I usually save more than half on what I would have paid at any bookstore. So far, I have found just about every book I’ve needed to get for my classes. However, I can’t say that all nursing/business/English/ engineering majors will all have the same wonderful experience as me. Again, it takes some digging, but usually you can find a bargain on here.This site is brought to you by eBay. Fortunately, there are usually many copies of the same book owned by different people. Sometimes publishers, wholesalers and other discount online bookstores are part of the selling. Most of the time they sell it for cheap – much cheaper than campus bookstores. There are some that can be bid on and others that can be bought straight from the owner with no waiting hassle.
Cons:This is (again) an online store. You cannot physically see it, touch it, throw it up and down (or at a wall) or even lick it if you’re into that sort of thing. Again, not everyone is honest out there. While for the most part you are dealing with individuals telling the truth about their product, you will never know for sure – until the day it comes in the mail.This is not Rooms To Go where they have same day delivery. Most of the time, the book gets to the buyer within a three-to-five-day period. It can take up to 14 days for a book to arrive – even longer if the seller doesn’t send out the book until the very last day to do so. (Damn them.)
