Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 1/16/08 Section: Mixed Plate

The beginning of every new semester is the same for college students everywhere. Looking for a class in that building on campus you didn't even know existed, students cramming into one room trying to get into a class that has been closed since the first day of registration and the inevitable trip to the Bookstore that blows your entire stash of Christmas money and then some.

But why spend hundreds of dollars at the Bookstore on books that will sit untouched on the shelf all semester (with the exception of midterm and final times) when there are so many affordable alternatives?

Type "cheap textbooks" into the Google search engine and take a look at the first 10 of about 3,320,000 results. The first result, http://www.collegeswapshop.com, looks promising, offering anything you could need for college life: textbooks, furniture, appliances, computing, electronics and sporting goods. Don't be fooled. The results for UH Mānoa are non-existent, and the results around the nation are very limited as well. While the concept behind the site is brilliant, it falls short of expectations. It is best to just skip it entirely.

Others that disappointed were http://www.craigslist.com and http://www.textbooks.com. Craigslist, usually abundant in pretty much anything you could want, lacks in the textbook category. And while textbooks.com had some decent prices on used books, the shipping to Hawai‘i varied from $12.97 to $34.97. Ouch! In many cases, the shipping costs way more than the book.

At http://www.bigwords.com, they offer textbooks, DVDs, CDs, games and anything else you might want. This site is like eBay, minus the bidding. After finding the lowest priced item available, the checkout takes you to the site where it found the deal. This led to the discovery of yet another great site to buy cheap used textbooks, http://www.alibris.com. For example, a book that would cost approximately $80 new was reduced to under $10, including shipping. Not a bad deal.

Some sites, like http://www.campusbooks.com and http://www.half.com compare the prices of books at numerous sites on the Internet to find the best deal. This is a great way to bargain shop for textbooks. Once you decide which site to buy from, just click on the link. Easy.

This semester, instead of spending your life's savings at the Bookstore, try some online alternatives. Your wallet will thank you.

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