buying books - Page 2

ud2006 · 07-08-2008, 11:54 AM

try amazon used books. i just saved almost 300 dollars on my books by buying the used ones there

kevster1001 · 07-08-2008, 12:45 PM

Thanks for the link, bethpage!

I found some books that are a year off in publication date (i.e. BU says 1995, same book, same publisher but the one I found is from 1996). Would this really matter at all?

Luckily, I found most of my books in Amazon (except 2). And I think I need to e-mail my WR100 teacher about the Concise Wadsworth book...

bethpage · 07-08-2008, 01:03 PM

It's probably the right book. Often when a textbook is published towards the end of the year, it will show the next year's imprint (date) as the year of publication. Also some textbook publishers change a book with only a new or re-written introduction and call it a new edition. Glad you liked campusi.

kevster1001 · 07-08-2008, 04:58 PM

What are the odds that professors update their book list? When I pay for the books in BU Barnes, there's an option that says payment can vary in case teachers update their book list.

BUBailey · 07-08-2008, 08:45 PM

About getting the right edition...

It depends on the class. I've been ordering the wrong edition for years in my classes and have only had 1 problem. You can get old editions for $1 (no joke) on AbeBooks: New & Used Books, Textbooks, Rare & Out of Print Books

That being said, I'm a political science major. Poli sci books don't typically have lots of problem sets in them like the math and science ones do, which are usually the only thing changed in editions. So I can get away with it, I guess.

So if you're not in a course with problem sets, it can sometimes be worth the risk.

BUBailey · 07-08-2008, 08:46 PM

Oh, and go ahead and splurge on the Concise Wadsworth. I think its only $20 bucks or something, and I refer to it time and time again for papers. It's got all the MLA stuff and it's a useful grammar reference.

kevster1001 · 07-08-2008, 08:54 PM

Thanks BUBailey!

I didnt find some of the books in Amazon so just bought them "used" in BU Barnes. Now I regret doing this after reading your post.

i.e.

BU Barnes says:
1)
Title: America is in the Heart
Edition: 1975
Publisher: Hopkins F (cut out)
2)
Title: Walden and Civil Disobedience
Edition: 2000
Publisher: Cengage Learning

What I found:
First book: 1974 edition from University of Washington Press
Second book: Same publisher but 2004 edition.

Should I cancel my order from BU Barnes and get these instead in Amazon?

BUBailey · 07-08-2008, 08:59 PM

Ehhh depends how much you spent. As long as the Walden/Civil Disobedience book doesn't have extra material in it, I'd say you could find it at a used book store for 5 bucks. Don't know about the America is in the Heart...

But yeah, don't worry. I did the same thing my freshman year, then I wised up.

khsstitches · 07-09-2008, 05:10 PM

Shop around online but yes, you must have the same edition. Books are expensive everywhere. You might see if they have a used book sale during orientation. My D went to Carnegie Mellon and they did.

kevster1001 · 07-18-2008, 01:44 AM

Thanks everyone! I got all my books now. I just hope I don't get screwed first week because I got a different edition or for some odd reason.

precocious · 07-18-2008, 03:24 PM

i've had really bad experiences buying stuff from amazon. i tried both semesters last year, used the isbn # and all (e-mailed the professors for the EXACT one incase b&n got it wrong somehow), and it was STILL the wrong version, wrong edition, wrong int'l type (wth? don't ask lol), or something. i think b&n used is your best bet, but order them early... or you won't get them come fall when you go to pick the up, and have to wait extra days =/

mrego · 07-18-2008, 04:00 PM

AAA (Auto Club) has some kind of discount deal with B&N...
Save 5% in addition to online discounts of up to 40%. AAA members save 10%
during certain date ranges (Aug. 18th to Sept. 1 I think).

kevster1001 · 07-18-2008, 05:03 PM

Precocious you're making me worried now :/

OhNoItsHeather · 07-18-2008, 05:35 PM

As long as you carefully read the descriptions on Amazon or in the Amazon Marketplace, you shouldn't have a problem getting the right books. I saved over $500 last year buying books from places other than B&N. All new books. But if you're buying from the Amazon Marketplace, definitely check the seller's ratings. Don't pick a 3-star guy with only 2 ratings.

lostandfound5 · 07-19-2008, 10:31 AM

I bought all my books at amazon (except for those stupid SMG custom books) four all four years and I never had a problem. The one time that I got the wrong edition (which was becasue B&N had listed the wrong version) I just resold it for almost the same price I bought it for and got the correct one.

A good thing to do to double check that you're getting the correct book is to stop by B&N during orientation or when you move in and look at the cover. The covers on different editions are always different. I think the book ordering site might even have pictures of the books too? I'm not sure...