1. Don't buy your text book before classes start. After the first day of class, ask your professor if an older version of the same textbook will be OK. Many times it will.

2. Once you have determined which version(s) will be acceptable, go to ADVANCED SEARCH and check the "Completed Auctions Only" box before searching. That should bring up the auction that have actually sold. Those prices will be in GREEN and represent the "Ebay Price" of the item. The red prices are for auctions that have NOT sold.

Click on the RED auctions and see if any have been "Relisted", which will appear at the top of the page in the middle. If you find one of those, see if THAT auction has sold. If it is active, and has not, EMAIL THE SELLER asking if he would consider (your best price) X, Y or Z price for an immmediate sale. If he or she agrees, ask them to relist the item as a Buy It Now sold you can do so.

3. If they refuse to relist the item as a Buy It Now auction, make a bid on the item and then email them again, asking if they will accept your bid ending the auction early for your bid price. THAT IS ENTIRELY WITHIN EBAY POLICIES. But NEVER ask them, or agree to, doing the  transaction off Ebay. That is grounds for you to be banned from Ebay. It just isn't worth it.

4. Go back to step #2. Once you have found a suitable book click on the small hylperlink to the right that says, "View Similar Active Items". That will take you to the listings currently up for the book. Examine those listings for Buy It Now listings at the best price (always include shipping costs in that calculation). You will probably find at least one auction with the book you need at a big savings.

5. Some textbooks come with a CD-ROM. Consider buying a book without the CD. many times the CD is redundant information. Check with your preofessor to see if the CD is absolutely necesary. If not, then either buy the textbook at a big savings under a Buy It Now auction, or negotiate by email with the seller for a price reduction since the CD is missing. Just don't fall for any proposal to "just pay me through PayPal" game by the seller. back biting Ebay can get you banned.

I hope these tips will help you save a bundle on your college textbooks. If you think thiese have been helpful, then PLEASE VOTE to that effect in the voting area at the bottom of this page.