This method can save you a ton of money on textbooks! What you really need to do is find out all the textbooks that you’re required to buy, and then go online and search out the International Edition textbooks for those subjects. International edition textbooks are available for most of the popular textbooks out there, you just might have to do a little extra digging and have a little bit of patience.
On average, you will save about 50% if you can locate and purchase the international version of your required textbooks. Believe it or not, I’ve actually come close to saving nearly 75% on two separate occasions by using this method to buy two different chemistry textbooks. As great as this method is, you will often need to do a little bit of extra “detective work†to ensure that you receive exactly what you need and exactly what you paid for.
Currently, one of the most popular online sources for international textbooks is http://www.AbeBooks.com. When utilizing this method, the first thing you need to consider is that the international edition textbook will more than likely have a different ISBN than the United States edition. So, in order to effectively search around the Internet for your required textbook, you will probably want to narrow your search down by focusing on the author and title at first. After you establish an author and title match for your textbook, you should ensure that the revisions and numbered “editions†match-up as well.
If the textbook you’re required to buy includes a ton of supplementary material and interactive CDs that you know your professor will be requiring you to work with, you will certainly want to ensure that any of this material is included in the international edition textbook. In my own experiences, I have never encountered a problem with missing supplementary material or anything like that. Not to mention, most of the courses I’ve taken throughout the years never even made use of the textbooks’ supplementary materials to begin with.
The key to success with this method is clear communication with the textbook seller. You should ensure that they are communicating every important detail regarding the textbook in question. If you have any questions or concerns about purchasing the textbook, be sure to communicate your inquiries to the seller before you make your purchase. This is extremely important to remember because these textbooks are obviously going to be shipped from overseas.
Due to this fact, you’re going to want to make sure that everything is truly on the “up and up†before your textbook(s) begins its long transit. This also means that you will need to order your international edition textbooks as soon as possible before you’re actually required to use them. Some people have reported waiting on their textbook delivery for nearly three weeks, so get to ordering them now if you’re going to need them by next month!