We talked to MBS Textbook Exchange employee Jim Biehn at the Park Student Union Bookstore about buying back books.

Wildcat: You’re on the spot. I just wanted to show you my books, and you could tell me which ones you would accept and for what prices, so students know what kind of books to put in.

Biehn: OK.

W: So let’s see. First off, “”Comparing Public Policies: Issues and Choices in Six Industrialized Countries.””

B: Beautiful. OK, we’re going to put the ISBN number in here. Let’s see, you have your CatCard. Let’s be official here. (Laughs.) OK, what we can give you is $5, and the reason that it’s not a whole lot of money is because the computer at the Bookstore isn’t going to be buying this book back next semester.

W: That sucks. I’ll keep it for now, and then I’ll think about it.

B: So that book would go back to the wholesaler and not to the bookstore.

W: How about this? St. John’s College catalogue, or something.

B: OK, this particular book, I wasn’t able to give you any money on because there is no ISBN number and it’s not something that we can buy as a company and for the school. It would have no resale value.

W: What about … Gustav Klimt postcards. It’s like art. It’s got a lot of cool postcards in there.

B: OK. This particular guy, there’s no resale value for this book either.

W: OK. Let’s try this. Stephen King’s “”Different Seasons.””

B: OK, there is no ISBN number for this particular title.

W: Oh! What is wrong with me? All right. What about this? Magazine. Natural History from ’94.

B: Um, this is gonna be no. Same thing.

W: Oh. Is it because I cut out pieces to put on my wall?

B: Well, there is no resale value for that.

W: It’s got cool pictures.

B: We definitely take a look at the condition of the books, and that’s …

W: It’s in bad condition.

B: Well, this particular magazine, we don’t really … take magazines in.

W: Well, what about G.I. Joe Volume 1?

B: Same thing. No resale value. My brother was really big into comic books, so he might have one.

W: I could sell it to him. (Holds out a piece of paper.) OK, what about this summary of…

B: No.

W: It’s a piece of paper. OK. What about this year book: Hendrix Junior High School? It’s got a lot of cool sayings in there.

B: No resale value.

W: Do you accept videos? “”Soul Food?””

B: No.

W: God. Damn, I feel like this is a rip-off.

B: (Silence.)

W: I’m kidding.

B: (Looks around.) She’s kidding, she said she’s kidding.

– interview by Andi Berlin