colourful books stacked against blue background Credit: Unuchko Veronika – Shutterstock We all know how criminally expensive textbooks can be – if you can make some of your money back from them, it’s got to be worth a go. The sooner you get shot of uni textbooks, the better. They become outdated quickly and, the more relevant they are when you sell them, the more money you can make. Below, we’ve listed the best places to buy and sell your uni books, as well as some advice on what to look out for in the book-selling game.
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Table of Contents
Consider postage and packaging costs
Credit: Louis N – ShutterstockPostage can be pricey, meaning that it’s possible to make very little income using sites like Amazon and eBay to sell your books.That’s where newer sites like WeBuyBooks.co.uk and Fatbrain are a bit more transparent – they cover the postage costs, so the valuation they give you should be the exact amount that you’ll see in your bank account (unless they decide your books aren’t in good enough nick when they arrive). -
Check the book’s edition
Credit: Warner BrosYou might have a super old and rare book on your shelf without even realising it. If you’ve got a really early edition of a book, particularly one that’s fiction and therefore pretty timeless, it could be worth a small fortune.The edition of a book could be the difference between a price tag of a few quid and thousands of pounds – it’s definitely worth checking out. -
Compare book websites to get a good price
Credit: Solis Images – ShutterstockIt’s likely that your book valuations will vary widely from one site to another, and each site mentioned below has its own advantages.When researching each book selling website, think about whether it would suit your particular type of book. For example, if you’re looking to sell a textbook but you can’t see any other academic books on the site, it’s probably not the right one for you…We suggest where to sell books for good prices below. -
Photograph your books before sending them
Credit: Syda Productions – ShutterstockWhen reselling your books online, you’ll need to send them in for the site to evaluate them – but be wary. You have no control over how the books will be handled during postage.We’ve read some angry reviews from users claiming that their valuation was reduced substantially due to water damage that wasn’t there when they posted it. Before you post them, be sure to take lots of photos to prove their condition. -
Profit from out-of-print fiction books
Credit: GiphyWhile selling textbooks should bring in a decent amount of cash, the market for second-hand chart fiction and children’s books is pretty much dead.If you are selling fiction, you’ll make more money with the more obscure titles in your collection, or books that are out-of-print. There’ll be much less competition in the market, meaning the price of yours should be higher. Kerching. -
Facebook groups
The chances are, there’ll be a group on Facebook for people on your course where you can share exam tips, module recommendations and (most importantly!) sell books.Facebook groups are the easiest way of tapping into the crop of students in the year below who need to buy the exact books you own – your ideal market.If you want to get rid of your uni texts quickly, it’s a good idea to bundle books from certain modules together and sell them in bulk.Also, don’t throw away books just because you’ve made notes inside them – this is one of the rare instances where your scribbles might not actually decrease the book’s value. They could actually come in handy for some students.Plus this method of selling books means you don’t have to pay any postage or fees, as you can just meet buyers on campus to hand the books over.Talking of Facebook groups, join our Student Deals, Freebies and Competitions page for the best deals and money-making tips. -
eBay
If you’re not already on the ball selling everything you possibly can on eBay, now’s the time to give it a whirl. They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that’s definitely true with eBay.It’s free to list up to 1,000 items per month – any more than that, and it’ll cost you £0.35 per item. For all items, eBay charges you 10% of whatever they sell for (including postage fees), but if the item doesn’t sell, you don’t pay anything.We have a whole guide on how to work eBay like a pro – make sure you check this out before you get started on selling your books to really maximise your profits.If your books are in high demand or are out of print, you could end up making a good chunk of money.
