The OSU Bookstore is a student-governed nonprofit organization, with a simple mission… making course materials more affordable for OSU students.

Buying and selling used textbooks is one of the ways the OSU Bookstore keeps prices down and puts money back in your pocket.

How are OSU Bookstore buy-back prices determined?
We ask instructors to provide us with a list of the books they will be using next term. If they submit these book orders before our buy-back, and your book is on that list, we begin buying that book at 50% of the book’s new retail price. We pay 50% of new retail price until we have enough books to supply the classes that will be using it in the upcoming term.

If your book is not being used again at OSU, you will be offered the book’s current wholesale market price. That’s the price offered by national used book wholesalers, and takes into consideration the national demand for the book, and whether it’s a current edition or not.

Why are there not more titles being bought at 50% of the new retail price?
We can pay 50% of the new retail price only when we can be sure the book will be used again at OSU. If an instructor has changed books, changed editions, or has not submitted a book order by the time you check our system, your book will come up at the lower wholesale value.

What are my options if the buy-back price seems too low?
If you’re looking for a higher price, you have a couple of options:

You can sign your book up for a Buy-Back Alert, and be notified if the price goes up because an instructor submits an order for your book.

You can also post your books for free in our Used Book Classifieds.

How firm is the buy-back price shown in Sell A Book?
Prices shown in Sell A Book are subject to change. Each copy we buy from a student based on retail (i.e. 50% of the new retail price) instantly reduces the quantity we need to fill an instructor’s book order. Once we buy all of the copies needed to fill the instructor’s book order, the price will drop to the wholesale market price.

Do you buy study guides or CD-ROMS?
Yes! If the product is in re-saleable condition, and has an ISBN, you can search our Sell A Book database for a buy-back value.

What is an ISBN?
International Standard Book Number. Each book, and each edition of a given title, has a unique ISBN. The ISBN can be found on a barcode on the book’s rear cover, and printed on the copyright page near the front of the book.

Can I sell a book I originally purchased used?
Yes! The buy-back value of your book is not based on whether you bought it new or used.

Does an old edition of a textbook title have resale value?
Old editions almost always have a much lower value than current editions. Our system uses the book’s ISBN to ensure the correct and most current edition is being bought.

Can I sell back books in any condition?
We want used books, not abused books, and we reserve the right to refuse to buy damaged books or books that are unlikely to be repurchased by other students. For example, water damaged books with mildew, pages stuck together, discoloration, or more than ¼ of the pages highlighted/written-in will be unacceptable.