New or used? Paper or plastic? While the decision to buy used textbooks rather than new textbooks is a very individual and subjective question – one we cannot answer directly for you – we can offer some helpful hints to help you with the decision.

 

First, an overview of the used textbook market. In most any industry, a supplier offers a new product at a price which quickly encounters competition from that same product offered as used. This will likely never change. The market for college textbooks is perhaps more sensitive than many others for at least two reasons. First, it is a bit of a monopoly. If a professor requires a particular book for a college course, the student’s choices may be limited. Simply substituting brand X for brand Y may not be possible. Secondly, there is a perverse process at work here: while the professor is the “customer” of the textbook publisher (the professor decides which book to purchase), it is actually the college student who must pay the bill.

 

 

Obviously, many will choose (even need) to circumvent the new price, necessitating the purchase of used textbooks. But, while a lower price is nice, other factors must be considered. Used textbooks generally offer a cheaper price than new college books (although not always!), but price isn’t everything. You will want to consider the condition of the book, whether or not it has notes and highlighting (this might be a good thing, depending on your preferences), the viability of an older version and whether the price difference justifies buying used rather than new.

 

Of course, you can only buy the used textbooks you want if they are available. Your college bookstore may or may not have them in stock, or if they do, the supply will be limited. By searching a larger book inventory (like, say the internet!) you are much more likely to find just the cheap textbooks you need.

 

The best way to do that is to compare textbook prices online. We are happy to offer you our quick and easy free Price Comparison service to shop for used textbooks.