The trade in second-hand textbooks has increased significantly in recent years. This is because more and more online trading is taking place. In times of economic crisis, it is a cheap way for students to obtain study material. They can then also earn back part of their money by reselling their study books on sites such as Marktplaats and Bol.com. Read all about it in this article.
The trade in second-hand textbooks is growing rapidly. The great stimulator is the Internet. It can be an attractive way for students to get through their studies. The knife cuts both ways. Students can buy their books cheaper online and thus save money. At the same time, after having taken a course, they can also sell their books online again. As a result, they ultimately spend a lot less money on the use of textbooks. There will probably be a cost, if only because shipping costs have to be paid and a book may lose some of its value. This can largely be prevented by using the book neatly and not hatching it. As a result, it can then only be resold for less money.
Sale and purchase of second-hand study books
In 2012 a new record was broken for the sale of textbooks online. For example, sixty percent more textbooks were offered on Marktplaats than in previous years. Google also kept statistics of the extent to which second-hand textbooks were searched. In August 2012 new records were broken. In total there were more than a hundred thousand search terms on second-hand textbooks. There was also a record sale of study books on other book sites such as Bol.com and Bookmatch.nl. Another option where students can buy and sell second-hand study books is at Polare, the successor to De Slegte. However, the volume of trade at Polare is also less than in previous years. This is because much of the trade has moved to the internet.
Where can I best sell my study books?
Those who want to buy and sell books can go to various places. There are advantages and disadvantages to the various sites. Most books are sold through Bol.com. A big advantage of Bol.com is user-friendliness. Someone only has to enter the ISBN number, the condition of the book and the price and then all you have to do is wait for the book to be sold. It is important to be lower with the price than other sellers if you want to have the book sold quickly. Bol.com also takes care of the collection of the money. This will be deposited into your account 3.5 weeks after sale. A disadvantage is that when you sell, you pay fifteen percent of the sales price to Bol.com. Another option is Marktplaats. This will cost you more work because you have to maintain contact with the seller and place the ad yourself. The advantage is that the entire proceeds, regardless of the shipping costs, are for you. Usually, however, only textbooks that are current enough will be sold.
Publishers of textbooks
Publishers are not happy with the trade in second-hand textbooks. For them it means that they sell considerably fewer books. This is at the expense of turnover. They try to overcome this by regularly publishing a new version of popular books. This makes it less easy for students to fall back on old copies because their content is partly outdated. At the same time, they cannot do this every year because they would overplay their hand. Schools, teachers and students do not want to buy a new book every year.