If you have just bought new textbooks for the semester, make sure you’re keeping your books in the best condition to get the highest prices when you sell them back. The following is a list of the top 10 ways to keep your textbooks in the best condition during the semester.

1. Organize Your Backpack – It’s best if you can avoid using a backpack, but if you can’t, arrange the contents so that it will cause the least amount of wear on your books.
2. Waterproof Your Backpack on Rainy Days – If you know it’s going to rain, line your backpack with a plastic grocery bag. Use two just to be safe. Soaked textbooks are a quick way to drop the condition.
3. Find Other Ways to Highlight – Use Post-It notes or write notes in a separate handbook with references to where the passage was found. Even one highlight will lower your book’s sellback price.
4. Eat and Drink From a Safe Distance – Avoid these accidents by simply keeping food and drink at a safe distance. You will thank yourself.
5. Only Open Additional Resources if Needed – Many books come with CDs or packets. If your teacher does not require you to use these resources, keep them sealed.
6. Cover Hardback Books – Hardback books are kept in much better condition if properly covered. By making the cover, you can personalize it in a fun way too. Be sure not to make the cover too tight or too loose.
7. Remove Jacket Covers – Some books come with a jacket cover. This can actually become a nuisance to you, as they tear easily. Simply store the cover in a safe place until you return the book. A fresh jacket cover will make your book look brand new.
8. Do Not Store on the Floor – There is a lot of dust and things that are not seen easily on the floor. Avoid laying your books down on it if possible.
9. Lay Books Flat in Storage – If you have room, storing your books by laying them flat will better protect the corners from being bent.
10. Use Proper Packaging – You are responsible for returning the book in the same condition. If your book is damaged while being delivered, you will still get a lower price. When you ship your books back, make sure they are securely packaged.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is regarding how to find the value of books that don’t have an ISBN. I don’t know of any websites that buy these types of books back directly. Often-times, however, the ISBN just isn’t easily found, or may not be on the book at all. I’ve put together a tool that will allow users to search for books by Author, Title, and the published year. This should allow casual users to find the ISBN and hopefully find a good place to sell their books to somewhere. In the event that nobody is buying the book, it will also display prices from Amazon marketplace and an estimate of how long it may take to sell.

The tool is now available at http://bookscouter.com/pre-isbn

Below are the top 100 books searched on BookScouter in 2011. It’s a snippet into our past tastes and preferences, as well as popular trends!

When it comes to selling books back at the end of the semester, some may settle for the bookstore’s low price because they don’t want to worry about it any longer. But for those of you who are willing to search around and find the highest price, Bookscouter.com is the place to go.