Buying Textbooks Online

A recent national survey reports that textbook prices have been increasing each year, a fact that's hardly surprising to anyone who has recently visited a college bookstore. What maybe more surprising is that textbook prices have increased on an average of two to three times the rate of inflation, bringing the average US student's textbook budget to around $1,000 annually. Combined with ever rising tuition, some students and parents have found some creative ways of cutting their college costs on the Internet.

Buying used textbooks

Hardly a new idea, but a little cost comparison will show that the Internet has provided competitive pricing that is much lower than the national companies that sell used textbooks for college bookstores.

Many professional used booksellers specialize in used textbooks at significantly cheaper prices. Read more about buying used textbooks.

Buying an older edition

Textbook publishers put out new editions of textbooks every three and a half years, on average. Often the changes between editions consist mostly of changing the page numbers and the order of chapters. The contents often remain considerably unchanged. You can ask your instructor if their lesson plan will work with a previous edition.

International edition textbooks

Publishers sometimes offer lower cost editions of textbooks for foreign markets. Many booksellers on Biblio.com offer these cheaper editions. Read more about international edition textbooks.

Buying online

A few things to keep in mind when buying a textbook on the Internet:

Order early This will ensure the best choices. The cheapest copies go first! Also, your book maybe shipping from a long distance, even overseas, especially in the case of international editions. Order a few weeks in advance of your class and choose the fastest shipping option to make sure that your book arrives in time.

CD Roms and extras If the description of the book you are considering doesn't mention a CD-ROM, it probably doesn't include it. Used copies and international editions may or may not include the supplementary materials.

Ask the bookseller If you aren't sure if the copy you are considering is what you need, contact the bookseller directly. They can answer most questions quickly, helping you avoid a mistake that may cost time and money.

Ship by air When the price difference between economy and air shipping is just a few dollars, don't take any chances. Economy shipping will get to you, but may take anywhere from a few more days, to a couple of weeks extra in transit. Once the book is shipped, you won't be able to change the shipping method.

By taking a little time to research your buying options, you can save up to 75% on your textbook purchases! Some examples of the fantastic savings that you can find on Biblio.com: