what would you do with old university text books?

[grumpy]

Best tip if anyone is reading this and in university... SELL RIGHT AWAY! you will never look at them ever again!

[EvilTofu]

Textbooks change edition every few years. If you didn't sell right away, they're likely worthless.

Exceptions are reference books such as Holt Handbook for writing standards, or EB White's Element of Style... Even so, they are too popular that everyone who wants one has one in the house. You would be lucky to get a few dollars at used bookstores.

STEM subjects become irrelevant quickly. Only niche Art & Humanity subjects by famous authors retain its value or even go up in price. My set of architecture essays, "As I was Saying" went up 4 folds over 20 years. "Collage City" has doubled since the author died. I regret selling the "Backstage Handbook"! If you have it, I'll give you $20 for it. (They are expensive because the market isn't large enough for the publishers to profit from another reprint. They are great books that everyone who bought one would keep it.)

I suggest looking up the prices on Amazon using the ISBN to see if they are worth anything. If not, recycle them.