You’re a student, and you’ve just finished your last exam, or maybe you just graduated. Now that your academic career is over, it’s time to deal with the books that are gathering dust on your shelf. Those old books just sit there, taking up valuable space.
But getting rid of textbooks can be a pain sometimes.
In this post, you’ll learn ways to get rid of textbooks and maybe earn some cash while you’re at it.
College textbooks are expensive. As a student, you know that textbooks are one of your most significant expenses. It can be hard to keep up with the high cost of books and supplies—especially on a tight budget.
If you’ve just finished a semester, rather than throw away those textbooks, use one of the methods listed below to get rid of old textbooks. You’ll be helping out another student and make a little money from it to help with other expenses.
7 Ways to Dispose of Old Textbooks:
1. Trade-In with the Campus Bookstore
At the end of the semester, college textbook buyback is a way to eliminate old textbooks, workbooks, and study guides that are not needed for the coming year.
Find out if your campus bookstore has a trade-in or buyback program. Most of them do, and they’ll pay you cash for your old textbooks.
The catch is that not every single textbook will get accepted by each store’s trade-in program—they do have some criteria for what books they’ll take back. So remember that while some of them might not be accepted for trade-in, you may still be able to sell your old textbooks for cash at another outlet.
You may want to check with the individual stores about which books are eligible for their programs before heading down there with all your old books!
Also, remember: just because the campus bookstore doesn’t buy back one of your books doesn’t mean it’s not worth anything. If they don’t accept it as part of their buyback program, ask them if they know anyone else buying textbooks for cash.
2. Use Your School’s Book Swap Program
If your school has a book swap program, it’s probably the easiest way to get some cash for your old textbooks. The process is simple: you bring your books to the designated area on campus and hope that someone else will want them more than you do.
If someone is interested in buying your old books—and even if no one takes them off your hands today, there’s always another chance tomorrow!
The only downside is that not all schools have these programs set up yet. But if yours does not yet have one (or if it doesn’t offer what other schools do), there are still ways to earn money by selling back textbooks online or through other means.
3. Sell to a Local Bookstore For Store Credit
Sell to a local bookstore for store credit. If you have a favorite used bookstore or one close to you, consider selling your textbooks to them for store credit. They will either pay cash or give you a store credit card that functions the same way as a gift card.
Shop around for the best price on textbooks. Depending on how much time and effort they want to put into selling their books back, students can get anywhere from $50-$150 per book depending on the book’s condition and how many copies are in circulation (more copies means less money).
The best way to determine a textbook’s value is to look at its previous sales history (the more sales it has, the more value it has).
Book Stores that buy old books include:
4. Advertise Them on Craigslist
How to list your textbook:
- List the title and author of the book, as well as its ISBN. The ISBN is a unique identifier for each book that lets buyers know exactly what they’re buying. If you don’t know this information, see if you can find it online or in your other textbooks—it’ll save you a lot of time in the long run!
- Include any additional details about the condition of your item(s). Is it new? Has it been used before? Are there any missing parts or defects? Even if an item is still in good condition and looks new, it’s always nice to include these details so potential buyers know what they’re buying.
- List whether or not any editions are available for purchase (if applicable). For example: “There are three different editions available: one hardcover edition published by John Wiley & Sons; two paperback versions published by Random House/Vintage Books.” This will help people determine what version suits their needs before making an offer on yours!
5. List Them for Sale on Amazon
To list your book on Amazon, you’ll need the ISBN. Once you have the ISBN, go to Amazon and enter it into their search bar. Your book should appear in a list of similar books on their website.
The fun part is setting up an account with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). This will allow you to sell your used textbook online through their platform without worrying about shipping costs or customer service issues—Amazon handles all of that!
6. Donate Old Textbooks to a Local Library
Another great way to eliminate old textbooks is to donate them to a local library. Libraries are always looking for books, and they can be used in many ways. For example, they can be given away or sold to raise money for the library.
Or, if you’re looking for an excuse to spend more time reading outside of class, you could donate your old books and borrow new ones from them! You can find book donation programs through the American Library Association.
7. Donate Them to a Thrift Store
Donating textbooks is one of the easiest ways to dispose of them. Not only does book recycling help others, but you will also feel good about keeping more trash out of landfills!
If you want to donate your textbooks, several places will take them. You could donate them to a local charity or thrift store. Many organizations accept books as donations because they’re in demand and are helpful for their programs. Thrift stores accepting book donations:
- Goodwill Industries
- St. Vincent De Paul
- The Salvation Army
- Local thrift stores or shelters
Final Thoughts on How to Get Rid of Old Textbooks
Sorting through the stuff you no longer need is a great way to declutter your space and eliminate old textbooks simultaneously.
Many thrift stores mentioned above will gladly take much of the stuff you no longer need, not just your textbooks. You’ll have more room and give new life to books and other items that would otherwise be thrown away.
We hope this article has given you some ideas about how to do just that.
