It's that time of the semester again when students are selling back their textbooks in search of a little extra green. It is textbook sellback season, and bookstores across Western New York are open for business.
Depending on the value of their books, students can expect to receive cash for their academic leftovers. Jennifer Wiseman, a customer service representative from The College Store, feels that students are taking advantage of current textbook sellback offers typical of the end of the spring semester.
"Tons of students have been selling back their textbooks this week, and we expect a lot more in the next few upcoming ones as well," Wiseman said. "Now is the prime time for students to sell back their books. The later students wait, the more the value decreases in the amount they get back due to the semester's closing."
The UB Bookstore is a popular spot for selling back textbooks due to its location on campus. Even though other stores are accessible, especially for students who have off-campus transportation, the Lee Entrance business is still a top choice.
"I sell all my books back to the UB bookstore and nowhere else," said Matt Sonricker, a sophomore exercise science major. "You just can't beat its location and convenience on campus, and I come to campus every day, so it's right there."
The possibility of getting a few extra bucks is always welcome, especially when it's in exchange for textbooks that will more than likely never be needed again. Although there are some rare cases of students who actually keep all their textbooks for future reading, the overwhelming majority would prefer the extra money sooner rather than later.
"Fifty-five dollars is the most I ever got back for a textbook, which was pretty nice," said Jordan Brouk, a sophomore nursing major. "Overall, I'd say the textbook-money exchange is a decent deal, yet it could definitely be better."
Anything over $50 is a pretty nice wad of cash to receive at the end of the semester, and it is the typical amount received for textbooks ranging from $200 to $300, according to Wiseman.
The fairness of these buyback offers is questionable because many students feel that they overpaid in the first place. Matt Barrow, a senior communication major, believes that the bookstores reap the benefits of this end-of-semester ritual far more than the students do.
"The bookstores, hands down, bring in the real benefits of students selling back textbooks," Barrow said. "Many don't take back certain books after a time period, and the books they do take back are paid for in a seriously reduced amount then what you originally paid."
Over the last few years, selling back textbooks online has improved with Web sites such as Half.com and Valorebooks.com. However, for many students, selling back books online is a painful ordeal, especially when it is so much quicker to just take them to the UB bookstore for quick cash.
The uncertainty of a buyer is another thing that makes some wary of using the Internet, as the wait for someone to take an interest in certain course books could easily take months. Even worse, a student may not find a buyer at all and will be stuck with a textbook they neither need nor want.
Other stores like Bucks4Books and Greeks & Sneaks, located near campus, offer students more than one choice for places to sell at the end of the semester. Bucks4Books has two locations, one on Millersport Highway and the other on Main Street. Greeks & Sneaks is located within a stone's throw of South Campus on Main Street.
According to www.bucks4books.com, the company claims that they buy back more titles, pay more than their competitors and even donate a percentage of every book's proceeds to fund literacy.
Whether students this semester decide to sell back using the Internet or local businesses, extra cash is always better than dusty books on a shelf.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
