FAQ
Do you have a textbook you no longer need? Looking toget some money back for that textbook? Don''t want to mail your book away somewhere and wait for your cash?
Several Campus Bookstores have merged their Textbook buy-back lists for access by students on or near participating campuses.
The purpose of the facility is to increase the resale market for used books, to make more used books available for resale at Campus Bookstores at reduced prices, and to provide more options for students to help manage their textbook budget.
How is price determined?
The pricing formula is simple. Generally if a book is used at BGSU, we will buy the book for 50% of the new price.
What can I do if the offered price is too low?
You can sign up for BuyBack Alerts and we will notify you if our price changes. Also, you can sign your book up on Campus Classifieds, where other students can search for it and buy the book directly from you.
How firm is the price?
The demand for the book is finite and is maintained in real time. The demand decreases instantly with every sale and can expire quickly as other students line up at the end of the term to sell their books.
What happens if demand expires before I can sell my book back?
Sorry, but the store will not buy a book after demand for it expires. You can list the book in BuyBack Alerts or Classifieds. If you sign up for BuyBack Alerts, we will let you know if we start buying the book again.
What happens if I am notified by email and demand expires before I can sell my book?
Sorry again, but we cannot buy the book due to the real time nature of the system.
Do you buy study guides or CD ROMS?
It depends on the book. A general rule is that if a study guide or CD is unwrapped (the plastic shrinkwrap is removed), we will not buy it back. Also, if the product has an access code that is not reuseable (eBooks, online study guides, etc.) we will not buy it back.
What is an ISBN?
International Standard Book Number. All books have one and each edition of a title has a different ISBN. The ISBN can generally be found on the back of a book, just above or below the barcode. There are two kinds: ISBN-13 and ISBN-10. ISBN-13 will start with ''978'' and have 13 digits (9780073327136). ISBN-10 will have only 10 digits (0073327131); the final number will also be different from the ISBN-13 version.
When signing up a book for BuyBack Alerts or Classifieds, it is best to use the 10 digit ISBN. The images below will show you how to find the ISBNs on a book. Note that not every book will have ISBNs in the same places.
On some new books, both ISBNs will be shown near the barcode and be clearly labeled.
The University Bookstore labels used books with a special barcode. These barcode stickers will only display the 13-digit ISBN.
Most books will also have both ISBNs listed on the same page as the copyright information, just a few pages inside the front cover.
This image shows a close up of the text inside the red circle. In this book, both ISBNs are listed and clearly labeled.
Can I sell a book I originally purchased used?
Yes; you will receive about 50% of the new list price.
Does the previous edition of my text have resale value?
Not usually, and the system buys based on ISBN to ensure the correct and most current edition is purchased.
Can I sell back books in any condition?
We want used books--not abused books--and reserve the right to refuse to purchase damaged books or books that are unlikely to be repurchased by other students.
Why are there not more titles on the list?
Late adoptions, a change in editions, or a different book being used on the same course are some of the reasons. Only those books that are certain to be used on a campus make it to the list. Ask your instructors to adopt early and adopt the same book to help increase the numbers and value of used textbooks.
Used Books Home
