If you live in, or near, a university or college town and buy used textbooks for resale on Amazon, eBay, or Halfcom it’s likely you have bought an Instructors, or Teachers, edition or solutions manual at some time. When you did, you quickly learned that selling them is against eBay’s, Amazon’s, & Halfcom’s policy.

Amazon’s policy reads in part - “In most cases, Teacher’s Editions and Annotated Instructor’s Editions are NOT intended for public sale and may not be listed for sale on Amazon.com.”

eBay’s policy reads - “Teacher’s editions of textbooks and solutions manuals that are intended solely for use by teachers are not permitted by eBay.” HalfCom’s policy pretty much mirrors eBays.

There is, however, a way you may be able to turn Instructors editions and solutions manual into a profit when you find them.

Many university or college towns, in addition to a regular university bookstore, have an independent book seller that specializes in textbooks. The one here in Grand Forks is called Dakota Textbook Company. It’s part of a small regional chain that operated independent stores in many of the college towns in North & South Dakota along with a few stores in the surrounding states.

Very often these independent textbook stores will gladly pay you good money for the Instructors editions and solutions manuals of current college textbooks. Since they are buying for resale (I have no idea where or to who they sell them), they won’t pay as much as you would likely get on-line for a student edition of the same text, but the money can still add up.

If there is an independent store like this in, or near, your community it would be worth your while to take the time to check and see if they buy Instructors editions. If they do, it can be an easy way to add a few hundred dollars to your net profits over a period of time.

Photograph by Moacir P. de Sá Pereira.