Principles of Beating the System, For Fun and Profit

It’s a familiar story—cash is tight, cheap beer at Uno’s beckons, and that untouched wad of Hamiltons on your roommate’s desk is starting to look mighty appealing. Perhaps you should consider the pursuit of honest fast cash through the re-sale of your old textbooks for a better return. Or should you?

Rumor has it that selling books to the Harvard Book Store is more lucrative than toting them over to The Coop, but FM wouldn’t suggest going there unless you want to haggle with a bitter 15-year-old clerk. The Harvard Book Store only takes books in brand-new condition, and they offer a measly $42 for “Principles of Economics” (list price: $154.95).

Surprisingly, The Coop forked over $78 for the book, and they were willing to buy back the copy of “Moby Dick” that the Harvard Book Store rejected for $1.50. Get there fast—a book might sell for less from one day to another, depending on how many students try to get rid of their copy on that particular day.

Maybe it’s time to pursue other markets—the widest profit margin FM found for “Principles of Economics” was the average selling price of $89 at Half.com, where the book has gone for as much as $195 (net profit $40.05). Just post a listing for your book, and then mail it to your buyer.

The final analysis? If you have thick text books, use Half.com. If you’re an English major, hold on to “Moby Dick” - it’ll make an impressive door stop after graduation. If you’re smart, maybe you should dip into your roommate’s stash after all. Buyback just does not seem to cut it.