You just finished your last exam. Your lease ends in two weeks. And sitting on your desk are fourteen textbooks you will never open again — ECON 1000, BIOL 1003, two engineering lab manuals, and a custom course pack that cost you $65 at the Carleton Campus Store.
You walked in to sell them. The buyback offer? $12 for a book you paid $190 for. You walked back out.
Good call. That offer isn't a mistake — it's the model. The Campus Store buys low, resells high, and the gap is your money. Selling textbooks at Carleton University doesn't have to mean taking that deal. Here are seven ways to do it better, ranked from worst to best payout.
Why the Carleton Bookstore Buyback Is Your Worst Option
Let's get this out of the way fast. The Carleton Campus Store runs a buyback program at the end of every semester through Follett — a company that manages university bookstores across North America. Their job is to buy your books as cheaply as possible and resell them to next semester's students at close to full price.
Here's what that looks like in real numbers:
| What You Paid | Buyback Offer | What You Lost |
|---|---|---|
| $190 | $12–$25 | $165–$178 |
| $130 | $10–$18 | $112–$120 |
| $85 | $5–$12 | $73–$80 |
| $55 | $2–$6 | $49–$53 |
And it gets worse — the bookstore won't take your book at all if the professor switched editions for next year, or if they already have enough copies in stock. You could line up for 20 minutes and walk out with nothing. Skip it entirely unless every other option here has failed.
The Fastest Way to Sell: Carleton Facebook Groups
The real textbook market at Carleton isn't the bookstore — it's Facebook. Search for "Carleton University Textbooks" and "Carleton Buy and Sell" and you'll find groups with tens of thousands of members: current students, incoming students, and everyone hunting for books before their first lecture.
This is where you sell directly to the next person who needs your exact book. No middleman. No commission. You name the price. They save money compared to buying new. It's the cleanest deal available.
Here's the timing trick most students miss: Don't post during finals. Post at the start of semester. In the first two weeks of September and January, students are actively searching for books before lectures begin. Demand is at its peak and competition from other sellers is low. That same $80 textbook you couldn't sell in April? It moves in 24 hours in September.
When you write your listing, include the course code (ECON 1000, PSYC 1001, BIOL 1003), the edition and ISBN, the professor's name if you know it, and an honest note about highlighting. A clear listing with a photo gets faster responses and fewer "is it still available?" messages from people who aren't actually going to buy.
Reddit r/CarletonU — The Underrated Option
The r/CarletonU subreddit runs a textbook megathread at the start of every semester. It's quieter than Facebook, but the buyers here are more serious — they've specifically searched for their textbook, found your post, and aren't just browsing. Engineering and computer science textbooks do especially well on Reddit because those students are methodical about finding the right edition before spending money.
Post your full list with course codes, editions, and prices. Reply fast when someone comments — Reddit buyers are checking multiple threads and the first seller to respond usually closes the sale.
Fliku Ottawa — Zero Fees, Local Pickup
Fliku is a local Ottawa marketplace built for exactly this kind of transaction. List your Carleton textbooks for free, set your price, and meet your buyer on campus — at the University Centre atrium, outside MacOdrum Library, or the Tim Hortons near Mackenzie Building. No shipping, no fees, no waiting for an e-transfer to arrive from a stranger across the country. You keep 100% of what you charge.
Good for buyers who aren't in the Facebook groups and students who prefer a more straightforward local transaction over social media DMs.
Sell Textbooks Online: Which Platform Pays More
Can't find a local buyer? National platforms can still get you decent money. Here's how the main ones compare:
| Platform | Best For | How It Works | Time to Get Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valorebooks | Standard textbooks with ISBNs | Enter ISBN → instant quote → ship with prepaid label | 5–10 days |
| Chegg | Popular Canadian + US textbooks | Same as Valorebooks | 5–10 days |
| AbeBooks | Humanities, older editions | You list at your price, ship when sold | 1–4 weeks |
| eBay | Rare, out-of-print, specialty | Auction or fixed price | Variable |
Valorebooks and Chegg are the go-to when you want guaranteed money fast. Enter your ISBN, see a quote, ship the book in the prepaid box they send you, and get paid. The tradeoff is the quote is lower than what you'd get selling locally — they need room to profit on the resale.
AbeBooks is better for humanities textbooks and anything with a long shelf life. You set your own price and wait for a buyer to find you. Takes longer but the payout is closer to what a local sale would bring.
How to Price Your Textbooks So They Actually Sell
Most students make one of two mistakes: they price too high (book sits unsold for weeks), or they panic-drop to bookstore level (money left on the table). Neither one is right.
The rule that works: price at 40–50% of the new retail price for a book in good condition. Your buyer saves $70–$90 compared to buying new. You get 3–5x what the bookstore offered. Both sides win.
| Condition | Price (% of New) |
|---|---|
| Like new, no marks | 55–65% |
| Light highlighting, neat notes | 40–50% |
| Heavy highlighting throughout | 25–35% |
| Worn, damaged, or missing pages | 10–20% or donate |
Before you set your price, check Carleton Central or the Campus Store website and look up your course for next semester. If the same edition is still listed, you have full leverage. If they switched to a new edition, your book's value drops significantly — often to $10–$20 even in perfect condition. Be upfront about it in your listing. A buyer who finds out later that the edition changed won't leave a good impression.
Engineering and CS Textbooks: A Different Market
If you're in engineering or computer science at Carleton, your textbooks are worth more than most. These books run $150–$350 new, they're required (not optional), and Carleton engineering courses often keep the same edition for 3–5 years running. That combination makes them one of the best-selling categories in the Carleton used book market.
A few things worth knowing:
- Buyers in engineering will pay a premium for clean, unhighlighted copies — working through a calculus or circuits textbook with someone else's notes in the margins is genuinely annoying
- The Carleton Engineering Society (CES) sometimes organizes used textbook sales at the start of fall semester — check their page each year
- For computer science books, be honest if a free PDF exists online. If a buyer discovers it after paying you, that's a bad experience and a fair complaint
The Move-Out Bundle: Sell Everything at Once
If it's April and you're moving out, don't just sell textbooks — sell everything together. The listings that move fastest in Ottawa student Facebook groups every April look like this:
"Moving out of Old Ottawa South — ECON 1000 + PSYC 1001 textbooks, desk lamp, small fan, 4-cup coffee maker, USB hub. $150 takes everything."
Buyers love bundles because it saves them time. One trip, one e-transfer, done. You clear your apartment in one meetup instead of five. Post your bundle on Fliku Ottawa, the Carleton Buy and Sell Facebook group, and r/CarletonU at the same time for maximum reach.
The window is short: list by April 1st. After April 25th, most students have already bought what they needed for the summer, and demand drops fast.
What to Do With Books That Won't Sell
Some books just don't have a market. Custom Carleton course packs. Books where the professor switched editions. Upper-year texts with five potential buyers in the country. Here's what to do with them:
- Carleton Library book sale — they run it annually and take almost everything
- Common room free shelf — put it out, it disappears within 48 hours
- Fliku Ottawa for $1 — sometimes a first-year just needs it and doesn't care about edition
- Paper recycling at MacLaren Campus Centre — spiral-bound course packs recycle fine
Do not pack them. Do not bring them home. You will not read BIOL 1003 again.
When is the best time to sell textbooks at Carleton University?
The first two weeks of September and January — when students are looking for books before lectures start. That's when demand is highest and you'll get the best price. Selling during April finals is harder because every student is trying to sell at the same time and nobody is in buying mode yet.
How much does the Carleton bookstore pay for textbook buyback?
Around 10–15% of the original price — so roughly $12–$25 for a $190 textbook. You can get 3–5x more by selling directly to another Carleton student through Facebook groups, Fliku Ottawa, or r/CarletonU.
Can I sell a Carleton custom course pack?
It's tough — the bookstore won't buy them back, and the used market is thin because new copies are always available. Your best options are listing for $5–10 on Fliku or leaving it on a free shelf in your building. Don't count on getting money back for a course pack.
Where should I meet a buyer to sell my textbook at Carleton?
On campus works great — the University Centre atrium, outside MacOdrum Library, or the Tim Hortons near Mackenzie Building are all busy, public, and easy to find. Confirm e-transfer payment before you hand over the book, or bring exact change if doing cash.
Is my older edition textbook worth anything at Carleton?
Yes — if Carleton is still using that edition. Check Carleton Central for next semester's required texts. If the same edition is listed, price it at 40–50% of new. If they switched editions, it's worth $10–$20 at most. Always check before pricing.
Should I sell textbooks locally or ship them online?
Local first, always. A direct sale to another Carleton student means no shipping fees, no packaging, and money in your hand the same day. Use Valorebooks or Chegg only if you can't find a local buyer after two or three weeks of trying.
Moving out of Ottawa for good? Check out our guide to selling furniture, bikes, and everything else before your lease ends — so you walk out with cash instead of boxes.
