Buying your textbooks.

Buying our textbooks is something that we are very familiar with; buying university type of textbooks is something we are also very familiar with.

So there are a few places that I normally get my books from:
1. NUS Co-Op / Clementi bookstore
Books from Singapore are way way cheaper than books in the US (and presumably the UK as well), because we buy the International Student Edition. For example, a textbook that goes for USD $200 can be bought in Singapore for SGD $50+ from the Co-Op bookstore. I haven't bought books from the Clementi bookstore before, just cos I tried comparing Co-Op prices and Clementi bookstore prices once and I found that Co-Op prices were still cheaper (even before all the Co-Op card discounts and stuff). This is the source that I always go to, mostly because comparatively speaking it is more convenient, more available and cheaper than most other options.

This requires that you scout your books beforehand, place orders at the Co-Op if necessary (it can take from 5 days to 6 weeks so it definitely warrants some planning) and then going down to collect books. If you decide not to be lazy and take this option, I am pretty sure you get to save (and may even make a hefty profit)! For science textbooks you can go to the Co-Op at the Science building, for social science books you can go to the one at the Central Library.

2. Seniors
Definitely not too bad a source, they are always quite desperate to get rid of their old books and you are desperate to buy them, so I think this is a win-win condition. Note different editions of the book though and whether it makes a difference (I'd say most of the time it doesnt, but doesnt hurt to check).

3. School book exchange/selling website.
Many schools have a portal that allow people to post up books that they are selling/buying. Normally the prices are very cheap, but they also run out very quickly. You save on shipping (which can add up to a lot otherwise).

4. Amazon
I use this option a lot too, simply because options 2 and 3 rarely have the books I want in stock (oh, the perks of taking a psych major as opposed to a more common one like econs!). There are often people selling 2nd-hand books there as well, some in excellent condition but sold for a much cheaper price than...

5. The school bookstore
I have never bought a book from the school bookstore. I dont know about other schools, but my school bookstore is way overpriced when it comes to textbooks.

6. There is also the library. There have been times when I camp out at the library every other day just to read the library copy of the textbook that was required for my course just because I didnt want to pay $70 for it.

Whenever I make the decision to buy a textbook and think about how much I am willing to pay for the book, I take into account the following factors:
1. Is the book I am buying specific to my school/class? If it is a special book that your instructor specifically wrote for your class, chances are you dont have a lot of people to sell it to in future.
2. How widely is this book used (a good gauge is to see the number of used listings on amazon) and how many people take this class every year? Again this is a question on how re-sellable your book is.
3. How expensive is the book? If it is $2, I'd rather buy it than camp at the library every day.
4. What is the difference in price between a new copy and a used copy? If it is a difference of 1 cent, I dont know about you, but I'd get the new copy. But for some people, they just want the cheapest book regardless of condition. It's a matter of personal preference.
5. How much is shipping? On amazon, if you order through other merchants other than amazon, a shipping fee will be charged on top of the listed fee. Ordering through an amazon supplier sometimes allow you to qualify for free shipping. While the private merchant's listed price may be cheaper, if you intend to order a few books at a go, it may be more worth it to order through amazon merchants instead.
6. How necessary is the book? Sometimes the book is only an obscure reference text that no one has / you can borrow easily from the library because it has many copies.
7. Do I intend to keep the book? Of course, this is hard to say until you actually read the book, but there are certain books that I know I wont want to keep and some that I do - and for those that I do, I'd very much prefer to buy a new one as opposed to one where the pages are falling out.