How to Buy Used Textbooks in Kingston and Save $400 This Semester
The Queen's bookstore receipt hit $380 and you still had three courses to go. You stood at the register doing mental math about whether you actually needed the $95 Introduction to Microeconomics textbook that might have a free PDF online and whose professor specifically said "recommended, not required" in the course outline.
Textbooks are one of the most reliably overpriced categories in the student budget. Publishers update editions specifically to break the used market. Professors assign books they co-authored. The campus bookstore has a captive audience and prices accordingly. A full course load at Queen's can run $400-700 in new textbooks per semester.
Kingston students who know the market cut this to $80-150 per semester. Here is exactly how they do it.
Before You Buy Anything — What to Check First
Do not buy a single textbook until the first week of class. This is the most important piece of advice in this guide and the one most first-year students ignore because they want to be prepared.
In the first lecture of every course, professors tell you which books you actually need for assignments and exams, which are "recommended" (meaning optional), and which editions are acceptable. A book listed as "required" in the course calendar is sometimes used for two chapters and nothing else — which you discover in week one, not before you buy it.
The first-week checklist before buying any textbook:
- Attend the first lecture and listen for what the professor says about the book
- Check the course syllabus — what chapters are actually assigned?
- Ask second or third-year students in the same program whether the book is genuinely used
- Search the Queen's library catalogue — the library often has course reserve copies
- Check if an older edition covers the same material (it usually does)
- Search for a free PDF — not all textbooks have one, but many do, and it takes 60 seconds to check
After this checklist, you'll buy roughly half the textbooks you would have bought before it. That difference is $150-250 per semester on average.
Where to Find Used Textbooks in Kingston
Fliku Kingston — The best local source for used textbooks in Kingston. Students list their previous semester's books here after exams, and the inventory peaks in December (after fall semester) and April (after winter semester). Search by course name, textbook title, or ISBN. The advantage over Facebook: listings are organized, sellers are local, and you can coordinate pickup on campus or anywhere in Kingston.
Queen's University Buy & Sell Facebook group — High volume of textbook listings, particularly in the two weeks after exams when students are selling everything before going home. Search the group for your specific textbook title or ISBN. Post a "looking for" message — students often have books they forgot to list and will respond directly to a wanted post.
Queen's Engineering Society and other faculty societies — Many faculty-level student societies at Queen's run used textbook exchanges or maintain lists of students selling course-specific books. Check your faculty's student society page and ask about textbook exchange resources.
The Queen's bookstore used section — The Queen's bookstore buys back textbooks after exams and resells them used. Used copies are typically 25-40% off the new price. Not as cheap as buying directly from another student, but convenient and the books are right there.
Used bookstores on Princess Street — Kingston has independent used bookstores on Princess Street that buy and sell used academic textbooks. Selection is inconsistent but prices are often excellent for what they do have. Worth walking in with your list.
Online Options That Ship to Kingston Fast
When you can't find a used copy locally in Kingston, online options cover the gap — often at lower prices than local used copies.
AbeBooks — The largest marketplace for used academic textbooks in Canada. Search by ISBN (always by ISBN — title searches return the wrong edition). Canadian sellers ship to Kingston in 3-7 business days. International sellers take longer but price lower. Check condition ratings carefully — "acceptable" can mean heavily highlighted, which some students find useful and others find distracting.
Chegg — Textbook rental and used purchase. Rental is the right option for books you need for one semester and will never reference again. Chegg rents for 60-80% below new retail price for a semester-long period.
ThriftBooks — American site but ships to Canada. Strong selection of older editions and general textbooks at very low prices. Shipping to Kingston takes 7-14 days — order early.
VitalSource / CourseSmart — Digital textbooks at 40-60% of print price. The advantage of digital is instant access, no shipping, and no resale value — which is fine for courses where you'll never look at the book after the final exam.
Order early. Shipping to Kingston from online sources takes days to weeks. Students who wait until week two of the semester and then order online are reading photocopied chapters in the library while they wait. Order the day after your first lecture, not two weeks later.
The Queen's Library Strategy
The Queen's University Library is systematically underused by undergraduates for textbooks. What most students don't know:
Course reserves: Professors can place required textbooks on course reserve at Stauffer Library. Reserve copies can be borrowed for 2-3 hours at a time — long enough to read the assigned chapters and take notes. If your course has a reserve copy, you may not need to buy the book at all for low-assignment courses.
Physical library copies: Many required textbooks have copies in the Queen's library system. Search the catalogue by title or ISBN. Some can be borrowed for weeks; others are reference-only. Either way, you can access the chapters you need without paying.
Interlibrary loan: For books the Queen's library doesn't hold, interlibrary loan requests bring copies from other university libraries. Takes 1-2 weeks but is free. Not practical for required readings due tomorrow, but useful for supplementary material.
Digital resources: The Queen's library has access to thousands of academic texts through databases like ProQuest Ebook Central and EBSCO. Some textbooks are available in full through these databases — search the library catalogue before buying.
Older Editions — When They Work and When They Don't
Publishers update textbook editions every 2-4 years, primarily to break the used market. The actual content changes are usually minimal — a few updated statistics, a reorganised chapter, some new end-of-chapter questions. The core concepts in an Introduction to Economics or Organic Chemistry textbook are not fundamentally different from one edition to the next.
Older editions work well for: Science concepts courses (biology, chemistry, physics), economics, history, political science, philosophy, and most social science courses where the fundamental material doesn't change rapidly. An 8th edition intro economics textbook covers supply, demand, market equilibrium, and macroeconomic theory the same way the 12th edition does.
Older editions are risky for: Law (statutes change), medical and nursing programs (clinical guidelines update), accounting (regulatory changes), any course where the professor assigns specific end-of-chapter problems by number, and fields with rapidly evolving knowledge (technology, current affairs courses).
Always ask in the first lecture: "Is the current edition required, or is an older edition acceptable?" Most professors say older editions are fine for concept courses. A few require the current edition for problem set numbering. Know which situation you're in before buying an older edition.
The price difference is significant — an older edition that costs $15 used versus a current edition at $120 is worth the 30 seconds it takes to ask.
How to Sell Textbooks After the Semester
Already covered in depth in our guide to selling textbooks in Kingston after exams — but the short version: list immediately after your last exam, price slightly below what it costs new at the Queen's bookstore, and sell to incoming students who need it next semester. Fliku and the Queen's Buy & Sell Facebook group both move textbooks fast in the week after exams.
Realistic Textbook Prices in Kingston
| Source | Price vs New Retail | Speed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fliku / student-to-student Kingston | 30–60% off | Same day | Any textbook, best prices |
| Queen's bookstore used | 25–40% off | Immediate | Convenience |
| AbeBooks (Canadian seller) | 40–70% off | 3–7 days | Older editions, specific titles |
| Chegg rental | 60–80% off (rental) | Ships or digital | One-semester courses |
| Queen's library reserve | Free | Immediate | Low-assignment courses |
| Older edition (used) | 80–95% off current | Varies | Concept courses |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can Queen's University students buy used textbooks in Kingston?
Fliku is the best local source — Kingston students list their used textbooks after every semester and the inventory peaks in December and April. The Queen's University Buy & Sell Facebook group has high volume for course-specific textbooks, especially in the weeks immediately after exams. The Queen's bookstore carries a used section at 25-40% off new. Used bookstores on Princess Street stock academic textbooks at variable prices. For titles not available locally, AbeBooks and Chegg ship to Kingston in 3-7 business days for Canadian sellers.
How much do used textbooks cost at Queen's University in Kingston?
Used textbooks bought student-to-student in Kingston typically run 30-60% below the new retail price at the Queen's bookstore. A $120 new textbook costs $45-80 used from another Kingston student. Older editions of the same textbook go for $10-30. The Queen's bookstore used section prices used copies at 25-40% off new — cheaper than new, more expensive than student-to-student. Using a combination of used editions bought locally on Fliku, library reserves for low-assignment courses, and older editions where acceptable cuts a typical $400-600 new textbook semester to $80-150.
Should I buy textbooks before the first class at Queen's?
No — wait until after the first lecture of each course. Professors clarify in week one which books are genuinely required versus recommended, which chapters are actually assigned, and whether older editions are acceptable. Students who buy before the first class consistently purchase books that turn out to be optional or that cover only two chapters of assigned reading. The used textbook market in Kingston does not run out — books are available throughout the first two weeks of semester. The information from week one is worth more than the head start.
Is it okay to use an older edition of a textbook at Queen's University?
For most concept-based courses — economics, biology, chemistry, psychology, philosophy, political science, history — yes. The core content changes minimally between editions, and an older edition covers the same foundational material at a fraction of the price. The situations where older editions are risky: when the professor assigns specific end-of-chapter problems by number (page and question numbers shift between editions), in law or accounting courses where regulations update, and in clinical programs where guidelines change. Always ask in the first lecture whether the current edition is required — most professors in concept courses say older editions are fine.
How can I sell my used textbooks in Kingston after the semester?
List on Fliku and the Queen's University Buy & Sell Facebook group immediately after your last exam — ideally the same day. Price at 40-50% below the current new retail price at the Queen's bookstore, which gives buyers a clear reason to choose your copy over a new one. Incoming students searching for textbooks in Kingston start looking the week before the new semester begins. A textbook listed in the final exam week sells faster and for more than one listed after the holiday break. Include the ISBN, edition number, and a photo of the actual book's condition in your listing.
Textbooks are one of the biggest controllable costs in a Kingston student budget — and unlike tuition, you can dramatically reduce this one with a few hours of planning. Start with Fliku's local Kingston listings for this semester's books, check the Queen's library reserve system for anything you can access without buying, and post a wanted ad if you're looking for something specific. Kingston students who've finished the course often have exactly what you need sitting on their shelf.
