Sell Used Textbooks for Quick Cash

Like most other college students, I find myself short on cash more often than not. My campus job doesn't pay all that much, and most of my checks go right back to the school to help offset tuition, room and board, and book fees. As a result, I never have enough pocket money to cover incidentals, so I've got to come up with a good way to generate some extra funds. A couple of friends have suggested that I sell used textbooks whenever possible, which seems like a logical place to start.

Most students simply sell used textbooks at the campus bookstore, but I think that's a huge mistake. The bookstore is acting as the middleman in the transaction, so of course they're going to offer you less money than your texts are actually worth, before turning around and selling your old books to the next student for more than they paid you. People know this is happening, yet they don't seem to mind because of the convenience. However, if you're willing to spend a bit of extra time trying to sell used textbooks via other outlets, you can definitely make some decent money.

One way to sell used textbooks is to post fliers in the dorm lobby and around campus. Other students at your school are likely going to take the same classes at some point, so there should always be good demand for the titles you just got done with. Plus, if you sell used textbooks to classmates at your own school, you don't have to worry about packing and shipping the items. And you can even trade some titles instead of selling them -- as long as you do your homework and understand how much each book is worth.

If your campus options run dry, you can always sell used textbooks online. The Internet makes it easy to connect with students around the country that are looking to buy second-hand books; you just have to figure out where to find them. Auction sites are one option, but those places have been falling out of favor in recent years because of the fees they charge for each listing. Instead, I'm going to try a few sites that let users post free classified ads, since I know a lot of people have great success selling books that way.

Since I only have a limited amount of books at any one time, I know that I'm not going to get rich this way. But with a little extra effort on my part, I can sell used textbooks for a nice profit several times a year, which is a whole lot better than letting the books collect dust on my desk -- or letting the bookstore rip me off by giving me less than the titles are worth!