With the end of the semester here, the ISU Book Store is initiating its bi-annual textbook buyback program, an opportunity for students to sell their textbooks back to the university at a reasonable price.

The bookstore buys back textbooks at anywhere from 30 to 60 percent, as estimated by Carl Arbuckle, program coordinator for the bookstore.

With the Campus Bookstore across from the Memorial Union out of business, the concern for students has become that their options for getting a good price on their used goods is going downhill.

Arbuckle believes that students need not worry. “We pay a lot more than wholesale companies. The advantage is all for the students,” Arbuckle said.

Around finals time, vendors offering to buy back books traditionally swarm campus, offering students a convenient way to rid themselves of textbooks in a hurry on their way home from their last final, but they may be sacrificing a better price for convenience.

According to Arbuckle, most companies buy back books at around 15 to 35 percent, a small amount compared to the university-run option.

Another popular option for students is a big company like Amazon.com. Amazon offers the widest buy-back catalogue, though with a catch. Amazon does not pay back in cash, but instead offers in-store credit, an incentive for customers to stay with the company.

Though the downfall of a popular option, such as the Campus Bookstore, may leave students discouraged, the ISU Book Store still maintains that it offers a good option for students.

“There are very few textbooks we won’t buy back, less than 10 percent,” Arbuckle said. “The end of the semester is the best time to sell.”