budding gigolo primitive spends money on books

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6282630

Oh my.

armyowalgreens  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:31 AM
Original message
 
Okay, my books for this semester cost 700 dollars...

This is getting ridiculous. I pay 50-200 dollars for a book and then I sell it back for 5-10% the original cost.

I spent about 1200 dollars on books last year and got back 80.

How in the world could anyone think that these prices are affordable?

On Edit: Forgot to mention that the 700 dollars is for USED books. It's closer to 800 for brand new books

joecool65 (64 posts)      Wed Aug-12-09 06:32 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. Ever buy a new car?

Same principle.

armyowalgreens  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:33 AM
Response to Reply #1
 
2. That's 700 dollars for used books.

Confusious  (803 posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 07:26 AM
Response to Reply #1
 
20. Yea, but U use a car ALL the time
 
not just for 4 months.

Nickster  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:35 AM
Response to Original message
 
3. I always go to half.com and look for books there first. Saved a ton of money that way.

armyowalgreens  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:36 AM
Response to Reply #3

4. I tried that this year. I would only save about 30 bucks.

Most of the books I need are not easily available for some reason. I only found 3 or 4 online.

comtec  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 07:14 AM
Response to Reply #4
 
15. OF COURSE NOT

damn caps lock.

This is the ever=present scam of higher education.

Your best best is to try to buy books from other students from last semester's course.

That aside it's just a scam IMHO.

And of course there are very few E-books of college material out there. possibly because they're a bitch to scan, considering that the professors are C O N S T A N T L Y changing books or 'updating' or some bullshit like that.

Generally I would try to talk to hte professor before class and ask him/her what books i ACTUALLY have to have, and would the previous revision (usually DIRT cheap) suffice.

This worked about half the time, and I could save myself a couple hundred a year (yes even in 94 it was that ****ing expensive) from NOT buying books.

I personally love old text books. There are often interesting things written in them. in fact that's how I decide which (if there's a selection) used book i buy hee hee  (talk about the half-blood prince)

mnhtnbb (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:39 AM
Response to Original message
 
5. Ouch. My son's books this semester were only $200+--but that's half what they were spring semester.

He's a German major. Are you buying science texts?

On edit: One of his German classes had no required texts at the student store. I suspect they'll be downloading info from the internet. I guess I better put the savings into a separate account to help fund his study abroad semester next year!

armyowalgreens  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:41 AM
Response to Reply #5

6. I'm buying books for 2 majors, a science class and a french lab.

It's 18 credit hours worth of books.

But even when I was a single major last year, my books still ran over 500 dollars.

Sherman A1  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:48 AM
Response to Original message
 
7. I would try to contact folks in the classes this semester that you plan on taking next semester and see if you can work out some deals directly with them. Giving them 50% of the price would be a win-win for both of you. I would guess that you have an idea of what you will be taking next semester so check out where those classes might be meeting or whatever you need to do to contact some of the students, but do so now. Can't fix what has happened, but you can take steps to improve the situation for yourself and perhaps someone else.

armyowalgreens  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:50 AM
Response to Reply #7
 
9. hmmm that's a really good idea.

I've never thought about working out a deal before hand. Usually I'm searching for sellers after the semester is over.

Sherman A1  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 07:20 AM
Response to Reply #9
 
18. Yeah, we are all like that and all creatures of habit but with a little planning you might come out a bit better. It might not work out 100%, but even if you only save on one book or class, you are ahead of the game by that much.

And my charge to you for what might be a really good idea, is to pass it on to some of your friends and them to their friends so that maybe you can help one another.

Good Luck, study hard, get a high paying job (because I need you to help pay for my Social Security) !

mnhtnbb (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 06:51 AM
Response to Reply #7
 
11. Great idea. Any computer nerds wanted to set up a system for people to contact each other directly for this purpose and cut out the middleman--well, might
be another multi-million dollar idea.

flying_wahini  (805 posts)      Wed Aug-12-09 06:53 AM
Response to Original message
 
12. College books have been a scam for a long time.
 
the price goes up, but nothing else changes.

Chemisse  (504 posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 07:14 AM
Response to Reply #12
 
14. They are poor quality bindings too 

My daughter used to go to the library and use the copies there for some of her classes.

ejpoeta  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 07:13 AM
Response to Original message
 
13. there is a reason the bookstore won't give you the iSBN numbers for the books.

I remember my sister telling me that they wouldn't let her see them. they don't want you to be able to go online and get them or anything. It's such a racket!! They will list things as required on the list when they aren't, but you aren't going to know that because you get your books before school starts. They LOVE to pull that.

My sister said the teacher told them it wasn't required AFTER she had bought the book.... me thinks the bookstore has a reason to tell you it's required!! And then they'll issue a "new" version, which is the same version with the chapters moved around. There ought to be a law!! Then when they buy them back for like $5... they turn around and sell it again to make a big profit.... I don't understand how they get away with it. IT's ridiculous!

leftyclimber  (1000+ posts)      Wed Aug-12-09 07:16 AM
Response to Original message
 
16. Is this from the bookstore?

I've been able to score some pretty good deals going to half.com, powells.com and occasionally Barnes and Noble's online used books. I'm a grad student, so it's not unusual to read 5 or more books per class I take. Mind you, it's rare we use actual textbooks in my grad program, but even those can be a lot cheaper online.

700 bucks for books is insane.

ETA: Oops, should have read the thread first. You already checked half. Do keep Powells in mind, though. They're both huge and reliable.

armyowalgreens  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 07:18 AM
Response to Reply #16
 
17. Yeah that is from the bookstore...

But it would still cost about 650 bucks to buy them online. Most of the books I need aren't available at the sites I have searched.

Raineyb  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 07:24 AM
Response to Original message
 
19. One of my books costs nearly 200 dollars through Amazon.

Unfortunately, there is no buying it used it comes with software (which won't be any good after April 15th) One is a brand new book which I won't be able to get used either (available for preorder through Amazon though). And another must be new because when I type in the ibsn number (which I did get from the school bookstore) it never shows up. I'll probably be hitting close to 500 bucks for books.

And they're not even hard cover these days. You used to get a hard covered book. Now, it's a bloody paperback but the cost hasn't come down.

AngryOldDem  (1000+ posts)      Wed Aug-12-09 07:30 AM
Response to Original message

21. Thanks for the warning.

I have a kid going off to school in about two weeks. Better to get the sticker shock now, rather than in the middle of a crowded bookstore. I was thinking she'd get off in the neighborhood of $500, but now I'm not so sure.

Back in the day (early '80s) I think my textbook bill per semester was perhaps $150. And I always made a point to buy new, because I could not stand marked-up texts.

Textbooks are one hell of a lucrative racket because those in charge know they have a captive audience where market forces don't apply. Spend $200 and get maybe $20 for it at the end of the term -- that's just bullshit.

Aren't most college textbook publishers blue companies, by the way?

armyowalgreens  (1000+ posts)        Wed Aug-12-09 07:37 AM
Response to Reply #21
 
22. I wouldn't worry too much...

I'm buying books for 18 credit hours worth of class (2 different majors). So I'm a little above average price wise.

I'd say it will probably cost 500 dollars for books for your kid. But it could be a little more or a little less.

[JohnnyReb]

Capitalism hating socialist book writing professors sure think their work is worth a lot in that socialist controled utopia known as the college campus.

[GOBUCKS]

Not only do these socialists turn capitalist when it comes to books they write,
a major source of income is kickbacks from other socialists when a professor
requires his students to buy their books.

[Ralph Wiggum]

The most I ever paid as an undergrad for books in a semester was probably $200/$250.  Business school books weren't cheap, and a lot of them you could never sell back because they were too outdated the moment they were printed.

[jtyangel]

He is so full of horseshit. Those books are either in really really crappy condition when he returns them or he's doing it so late or taking classes that everyone else is so he gets practically nothing back. I just checked and the books I return in very good condition I get back about 50-60% of their original cost to me(I buy used). I try to go in within a couple weeks of finishing classes so I don't get shut out if they end up with too many books. I bet he wants some kind of supplement for his books now too


Ralph...most of my books have been business related too. The most I've paid in a semester was about 300 bucks for books and that's for 4 classes or 2 business classes with the big chunky books without a used option.

[jtyangel]

Oh, I see more comes out in the story as he reveals it. I hate those idiots. They always leave out details and the fact hes taking way over regular full time hours figures heavily in it, not to mention the fact that he's already brought it down by about 200 bucks IF he was willing to buy online which tells me he waits until the last minute and HAS to buy new for that semester. I have no sympathy. You know the books are expensive so it pays to get this worked out ahead of time to get the best deals. I still challenge how much he gets for buybacks too--80 bucks in a year? I've done better then that each and every semester with only a couple of exceptions where the professor used the book only one semester. And I've always used my turn ins towards my next textbook bill to help rollover the costs.

[Ralph Wiggum]

He is so full of horseshit. Those books are either in really really crappy condition when he returns them or he's doing it so late or taking classes that everyone else is so he gets practically nothing back. I just checked and the books I return in very good condition I get back about 50-60% of their original cost to me(I buy used). I try to go in within a couple weeks of finishing classes so I don't get shut out if they end up with too many books. I bet he wants some kind of supplement for his books now too


Ralph...most of my books have been business related too. The most I've paid in a semester was about 300 bucks for books and that's for 4 classes or 2 business classes with the big chunky books without a used option.

Of course he's full of shit, he's a DUmmy.

In case you're interested, I have 'Introduction to Taxation" and "Advanced Taxation" textbooks from the early 90's at bargain basement prices for you.

[jtyangel]

Of course he's full of shit, he's a DUmmy.

In case you're interested, I have 'Introduction to Taxation" and "Advanced Taxation" textbooks from the early 90's at bargain basement prices for you.

Do you want me to fail? 

[jukin]

Graduated almost thirty years ago and still have everyone of my books concerning my major.  Why on earth would you sell those that are going to be the reference for the rest of your career unless your career is school?

[jtyangel]

Graduated almost thirty years ago and still have everyone of my books concerning my major.  Why on earth would you sell those that are going to be the reference for the rest of your career unless your career is school?

I have done the same with the books specific to my major or that I thought would be good references(I have kept my office 2007 books for example--shut it, thundley! lol), but I will add a caveat: there are a lot of online resources to business texts and publications anymore that the necessity to keep manuals around doesn't seem as necessary as it was 20 years ago. I've needed clarification on a text at times and have put a search in on the scenario or term and come up with many publications or business websites that explained it or discussed it in a different way.

On that note, classes are a lot of work still, but boy is it so much easier with a computer and internet access now. I took classes before and after the dawn of regular computer usage and this is a like a dream when it comes to writing papers and getting initial references materials together.

[tuolumnejim]

Heh, I've got a new set of the OED that I'm going to post for sale at our local College in Columbia Ca. it would be funny as hell if a DUmmie had their parents buy mine.  

[GOBUCKS]

Heh, I've got a new set of the OED that I'm going to post for sale at our local College in Columbia Ca. it would be funny as hell if a DUmmie had their parents buy mine.  

You should PM poor stupid Beth Ferrari. Doug got pissed and tossed hers in the fireplace.
Of course, when you can't spell, using a dictionary is a bitch.

[BlueStateSaint]

You should PM poor stupid Beth Ferrari. Doug got pissed and tossed hers in the fireplace.
Of course, when you can't spell, using a dictionary is a bitch.

Actually, "bitch" is one of the milder terms I'd use for her.

[The Village Idiot]

Capitalism hating socialist book writing professors sure think their work is worth a lot in that socialist controled utopia known as the college campus.

Your best best is to try to buy books from other students from last semester's course
not a bad idea, I wonder where he/she/it got it?

[USA4ME]

Now you know why they need some gov't bureaucracy to hold their hands from cradle to grave.  Idiots can't even figure out how to buy college textbooks on the cheap.

.