Buyback season is quickly approaching with the end of the semester and the University Store’s textbook manager, Brooke Salter, was able to provide some insight on how the process works as well as lend some advice and tips for students looking to get the most from this buyback period.

Q: The Statesboro Herald has recognized the University Store as the best buyback program in Statesboro. How did you all accomplish that?

A: “I think it’s a statement to what we do and how much we work to really work with our students. It’s not just the programs and stuff that we provide but it’s that we put a face to each student too,” Salter said. “It not only encompasses buyback but rush, too. The services that we provide, it’s just kind of validation that we are doing a lot to meet the student’s demands for better prices and better options. It really is a nice pat on the back, and I think it‘s the second year in a row.”

Q: How much can a student typically receive during buyback?

A: “For buyback, our typical prices run up to 50 percent of the list for the retail of the book,” Salter said. “That fluctuates depending on the demand for the book. But usually if we’re buying it for ourselves, we’re paying 50 percent of the retail.

Q: Does it matter whether the book is used or new?

A: “It doesn’t. The condition definitely matters to have it free from excessive damage and tears. Any book is acceptable, it’s just the condition on it matters,” Salter said.

Q: Do you take anything back besides books?

A: “We do. We buy a ton of iClickers. We just got into buying more loose-leaf books, too,” Salter said. “If we can package out of that loose-leaf book with all the supplements and it still be a desirable option for us, we’re looking at buying it back more and more now.”

Q: What is the process from the moment the student sells the book back? Where does it go from there?

A: “We’re re-tagging [the book] and putting it on the shelf as a used book for the next customer for the next term to buy,” Salter said. “The other majority is bought back for whole-sellers. We have six used textbook companies that we buy for, which ups our buying powers so we buy more from the students so we don’t have to reject them for something we’re just not buying. When we get the book and buy it, it’s a whole process behind the scenes because we try to ship those books out immediately. We take those books and turn around and send those to the companies. ”

Q: Do you hire extra help for buyback period?

A: “Most people are already hired from the rush but we usually bring in about 20-30 people,” Salter said.

Q: Do you have a recycling program?

A: Salter said, “We have a recycling program for unwanted books and books that don’t have value. We pay to process those books and send them off to be recycled.”

Buyback Tips:

1. Bring your Student ID to sell back your books.

2. Come as soon as you’re done with your books so you can get the most money for your books.

3. Make sure you have all of your components to your books – CDs, supplements, etc.

4. If you’re selling a package, make sure you have all of the books in the set.

5. Buyback is operated year round in-store with the exception of the first two week of each term, so if you miss buyback week, you can still come in and sell before and after those dates.

Rental Tips:

“Rental returns have gotten so big. The rental process has become just like the buyback. We keep a majority of those books. Every term, we have about 50-60 people that sell back their rental books for buybacks that they just don’t know if it’s a rental or not. It’s about half the size of buybacks but it’s still a big chuck.

1. Check your receipts to determine whether or not a book is a rental.

2. Look for email with reminders about rental return deadline.

3. Double check books at the rental counter.

4. Rentals can only be returned in stores and have to be free of excessive damage.

5. If you want to keep your rental longer, there is a 15-day incremental extension option that will automatically charge your card within two days of the rental return deadline. When the book is returned, the charges will be dropped.

Remember:

Buyback and Rental Return Week is the week of Monday, Dec. 8- Thursday, Dec. 11.

If a book is not being accepted for a specific term, hold on to the book because it could be accepted in the future.

The University Store is open to accepting books from different schools as well as those books your professor made you buy just because he or she wrote them.

Buyback Locations:

1. The University Store

2. Centennial Place

3. Paulson Stadium

4. Forest Drive Bus Stop