Book Exchange

[Gaulkin]

Im going to start making my web based book exchange for my college. It will have the option of trading for another book or selling for the price they wish. If anyone has any advise that would be great thanks.

[silversurfer]

I would say just take a look at the existing websites that do this and choose the best features.

[Gaulkin]

hmm i was unable to find a website that lets you actually exchange books could you give me the link?

[Arpster55]

check out www.ibx.com
illini book exchange

your welcome

[Gaulkin]

bumppppppppp

[akula]

Im going to start making my web based book exchange for my college. It will have the option of trading for another book or selling for the price they wish. If anyone has any advise that would be great thanks.

no, this opportunity selection isn't gonna work. any walled garden you build isn't gonna be competitive. to solve the problem, I was gonna suggest that you launch an application on facebook, but there's a couple there already and they're not popular.

what I would suggest though, is adopting the http://www.zinio.com/ model and instead launching a venture which helps publishers like McGraw to digitally distribute their textbooks. Essentially, I don't think you can successfully commercialize a competitive solution to the student problem of sourcing texbooks. Instead, I think you can make much more money solving inventory problems for textbook publishers.

In the long run, an "itunes for textbooks" is where I see the investment and publishing community have the most interest.

[Gaulkin]

Thanks for the suggestion i will check it out.

no, this opportunity selection isn't gonna work. any walled garden you build isn't gonna be competitive. to solve the problem, I was gonna suggest that you launch an application on facebook, but there's a couple there already and they're not popular.

what I would suggest though, is adopting the http://www.zinio.com/ model and instead launching a venture which helps publishers like McGraw to digitally distribute their textbooks. Essentially, I don't think you can successfully commercialize a competitive solution to the student problem of sourcing texbooks. Instead, I think you can make much more money solving inventory problems for textbook publishers.

In the long run, an "itunes for textbooks" is where I see the investment and publishing community have the most interest.

[silversurfer]

hmm i was unable to find a website that lets you actually exchange books could you give me the link?

http://www.textswap.com/

There were other ones from Web 1.0

[ianternet]

well I did one sometime ago back several years when I was in college - strictly just for my campus - and it turned out fine

[malahverdian]

I did one for the University of Rhode Island, it was fairly successful, but this was about two years ago and Im a much different developer now, Ive been thinking about redoing it

http://www.bookstop.org