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John Tichenor (right), T.I.S. store manager, buys back a book from Dylan Calewarts, a sophomore in LAS, at T.I.S., Wednesday, Feb. 20. (Tom Root, Buzz photographer)

Runners-up

Illini Book Exchange www.illinibookexchange.com
Illini Union Bookstore 809 S. Wright St., C. 333-2050
See complete Best of CU results

Related Venues

T.I.S. College Bookstore »
Address: 707 S. Sixth St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 337-4900
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The beginning of every semester is always a strain on the college student’s pocket. Any money you earned over break goes straight to rent, food and worst of all — textbooks.

Shopping for textbooks during the first week of school is always a pain. Lines are ridiculously long, textbook aisles are packed, and the hundred dollars you spend on one book will only get you about $17 at buyback ... if you’re lucky.

T.I.S. Bookstore beat out the Illini Book Exchange, the Illini Union Bookstore and Half.com for this years title of “Best Place to Buy and Sell Textbooks”.

During book rush, lines inside T.I.S. wrapped around the aisles all the way to the back of the store with students trying to get their hands on the store’s selection of inexpensive used books.

“As a retailer you’re excited that many people have chosen your establishment to shop,” says Brian Paragi, textbook manager at T.I.S.

Paragi says when the line was at its longest, there were about 500 customers. For book rush, T.I.S. hires about 70 additional staff members to handle the traffic in the store.

“We’re selling something everybody needs and nobody wants, so we try to make it so they spend as little as possible and get it done quickly and efficiently,” says Paragi.

Paragi also stated that T.I.S. is able to pay half-price at buyback for most books. The Rewards Card offered by the store also offers a few extra dollars to customers at buyback, he says.

For a place conveniently located in Campustown to buy and sell textbooks at reasonable rates, T.I.S. wins hands down.