odin_dax
28th August 2007, 08:23 PM
There's nothing revolutionary about online textbook sites. A simple search will yield many reputable sites. This message is to alert college students like me who are tired of being raped by hugely inflated book prices. Just outside the boundary of parallel trading, there's a little unknown piece of information that can produce huge savings, even with shipping costs. Here's what it is: international editions. Yep, the international editions for textbooks. Companies base prices on local economics, so just like pharmaceuticals, Americans pay the highest price on texts. Thanks to the internet, the world is much smaller. Next time you're looking for textbooks, do a search using the phrase "international edition."
A case example, my books this semester. One I bought new from a wholesaler, 1/7 the cost. Another I bought from Craigslist, saved $20 (about 27%). My international edition story... The book regularly costs $135.00, plus shipping or plus taxes and gas. The international edition cost $40, plus $19 shipping. Still a huge savings (about 43% of the regular cost). I later found another offer for $10 more, but free shipping. Definitely a steal either way. I can't imagine how much the original international price is.
A case example, my books this semester. One I bought new from a wholesaler, 1/7 the cost. Another I bought from Craigslist, saved $20 (about 27%). My international edition story... The book regularly costs $135.00, plus shipping or plus taxes and gas. The international edition cost $40, plus $19 shipping. Still a huge savings (about 43% of the regular cost). I later found another offer for $10 more, but free shipping. Definitely a steal either way. I can't imagine how much the original international price is.