Book Buy Back Season at Mt San Jacinto College

It is that time of the year again! The time where the school semester is over and the Mt. San Jacinto College Book Store is buying back your books! Now, most people find this to be a lose-lose situation. The people who are aware of this opportunity know that the book store only gives you 50% or less back on the original price of the book. Many students tend to sell them back to get make a little bit of money back or to get rid of the clutter on their desks. Well, I have another alternative to the solution!

When the semester is over, try to compare the prices of what you will get back at the book store versus what you could get on Half.com or Amazon.com. In order to do this you will need the book store website for your campus, this is the link to the Menifee campus: http://eagleshop.msjc.edu/msjcme/

...and this is the link to the San Jacinto Book store: http://eagleshop.msjc.edu/msjcc/.

The book store will be buying back books the last few weeks of May into the beginning of June. Now, I know that I have bought a book that was well over $100 and would be able to sell it back for $50-75. It was a bummer, but hey, at least I got some money back right? Well, now you may be able to earn the exact amount or more! I sell most if not all my school books on Amazon. Granted, most of the books do not get bought until the new semester starts, but I earn a profit or break even. I have never once earned under what I had originally bought the book fro at the book store.

Some supplies you will need to do this would be an Amazon or Half.com account which you will link to a PayPal account which in return in linked to your bank account. PayPal will enable you to receive your money where you can transfer the money you earn into your bank account. Amazon, PayPal and Half.com accounts are FREE, they will never charge you to open an account or maintain it. Amazon will take a percentage of your profits from books you sell, but it is usually minuscule unless you sold a book for $200, they will take roughly $12 of your profit. Secondly, you will need to stock up on Bubble Mailers and Priority Mailers so you have something to ship your books as they give you two options to ship. Lastly, you will need packing tape (preferably the clear kind) and scissors.

There are two great features to Amazon and PayPal that I highly recommend you use. They can print shipping labels and receipts. Of course, they charge you for it but you can print it directly from your home without having to go out and wait in that long line at the Post office. The charges will come directly out of your bank account that you have linked directly to PayPal or Amazon, whichever label feature you decide to use—they both work. They produce a label you cut out which you tape to the Bubble Mailer or Priority Mailer which has a bar code. DO NOT TAPE OR CUT OFF THE BAR CODE, the Post Office uses the bar code to scan the item so they may ship it. A scale is recommended but not necessary if you can estimate the weight. PayPal also generates a tracking code you will enter when someone buys your book. You will need to play around with Amazon and PayPal to get the hang of the process.

All in all, it is a very simple process. You will earn more at the convenience of your own home. You can also buy books on Amazon and Half.com or rent at Chegg, and of course the Book store. You can also use Craigslist but be wary meeting strangers. There is nothing wrong with selling your books to the book store or buying from the book store either. I just wanted to give you an alternative to saving money as well as earning your money back. I use it a lot and have had a ton of success! You will too!