|
|
What to do with Old Books?
03-17-2013, 07:14 PM
|
#1
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 12,660
|
What to do with Old Books?
How best to get rid of old books? Mr. A. has hundreds of old paperbacks, mostly mysteries from the 1950's -1980's, and a bunch of hard-cover political-science books dating from the Kennedy to Bush II Administrations. He is finally willing to part with them. OK, most of them. Well, some of them anyway...They are in good condition.
One possibility would be to use the books to build a fallout shelter in case North Korea nukes the U.S. (paper books are supposed to be great at stopping gamma radiation) but we prefer to get them out of the house. Neither of us can stomach just throwing them in the landfill. Giving them to our public library isn't an option - it doesn't even have room enough to stock books people WANT to read.
What to do?
Amethyst
__________________
If you understood everything I say, you'd be me ~ Miles Davis
'There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.’ Christopher Morley.
Even a blind clock finds an acorn twice a day.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
03-17-2013, 07:17 PM
|
#2
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 12,901
|
I gave mine to Goodwill.
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 07:37 PM
|
#3
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 1,543
|
Recycle bin is where I put mine.
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 07:47 PM
|
#4
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,433
|
Random thoughts:
Check around, other nearby libraries may have book sales by "Friends of the Library".
What about offering them on Freecycle.org?
Have you listed them on Craig's List?
What about eBay, half.com?
What about donating to a Senior Living place (assisted living, nursing home, 55+ community, etc.) nearby?
Would a VA Hospital possibly be interested?
In some communities, AAUW collects books and has a big sale.
Mensa has Project Inkslinger where they collect books to restock libraries that have been destroyed by floods, etc.
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:01 PM
|
#5
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 12,660
|
It's a thought, but how to attract buyers? I don't have the time or energy to list 100's of titles. Would anybody be interested in "100's of old, dated Mysteries from Back when Detectives Had to Use Phone Booths"?
Thanks,
A.
Quote:
Originally Posted by omni550
Random thoughts:
Have you listed them on Craig's List?
|
__________________
If you understood everything I say, you'd be me ~ Miles Davis
'There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.’ Christopher Morley.
Even a blind clock finds an acorn twice a day.
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:03 PM
|
#6
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amethyst
What to do?
Amethyst
|
Some of the mysteries might be valuable. I'd at least check prices on Amazon, sometimes you can really get a surprise.
Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:18 PM
|
#7
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,433
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by haha
Some of the mysteries might be valuable. I'd at least check prices on Amazon, sometimes you can really get a surprise.
Ha
|
Oh, yes, I forgot...check Amazon. And it's very easy to list books there...after you create an account, you just enter the ISBN, book condition and price.
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:27 PM
|
#8
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,433
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amethyst
It's a thought, but how to attract buyers? I don't have the time or energy to list 100's of titles. Would anybody be interested in "100's of old, dated Mysteries from Back when Detectives Had to Use Phone Booths"?
Thanks,
A.
|
Someone who likes mysteries of a certain genre would probably love getting a whole slew of them. How to find those people is the issue.
I am only aware of books being typically sold one at a time, not in large batches.
----------
There are many used book sellers, too...like Powell's in Portland OR and abebooks.com.
-----
There's also bookcrossing. com.... where you release (leave) a book in a public place, to be picked up by someone else who reads it and then puts it out someplace else for someone else to pick up.
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:29 PM
|
#9
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 518
|
Here we have a chain called half price books that buys books. You might have something similar?
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:42 PM
|
#10
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,244
|
You are in luck!
You're within driving distance of The Book Thing. The Book Thing of Baltimore, Inc. - Welcome!
Open weekends only. If downsizing is your goal, try to take fewer than you donate.
The FAQ is kind of humorous.
Kindest regards,
spncity
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:45 PM
|
#11
|
Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,130
|
We take our old books to the library. They are very happy to receive them, and from time to time have book sales.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:46 PM
|
#12
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,150
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by FIREd
I gave mine to Goodwill.
|
+1. My old books go to Goodwill also.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 08:56 PM
|
#13
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,501
|
We donated ours (even including some outdated technical books) to our public library. They were glad to get them, even though we had 20-30 boxes full, I guess. They have book sales and sell donated books there, to get funds for books they actually want.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 09:10 PM
|
#14
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 17,774
|
I second the VA hospital idea, or the Salvation Army.
I personally would not try to sell them--if you donate them you should get a nice tax deduction for them
__________________
“Would you like an adventure now, or would you like to have your tea first?” J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
|
|
|
03-17-2013, 09:37 PM
|
#15
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
|
During my last move I needed to dispose of literally thousands of books. I sold a few, but most went to a book sale for a local charitable foundation. Search to see if there is something like that in your area.
|
|
|
03-18-2013, 05:53 AM
|
#16
|
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,346
|
For us either the library or a used book store. The used book store is kind of a neat place (if you like old books) but it is one of those places with books stacked all over the place on shelves, in carts, plastic bins, the whole place is just overflowing with books.
A great place to spend a day when the weather is yucky.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
|
|
|
03-18-2013, 05:57 AM
|
#17
|
Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,362
|
Paperbackswap.com is a nice way to get rid of old books. You send them to people who actually want them and acquire credits from each one that entitle you to get (free) books you want from others.
Definitely not a quick way to dump the collection, but I've sent many old books out to appreciative new owners this way and received quite a few in return.
|
|
|
03-18-2013, 06:13 AM
|
#18
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,240
|
Our church holds a book sale as part of its annual fair, and are very happy to receive any and all donations. (Interesting side note: We've noted a sharp drop in donations over the last couple of years, especially this past year... apparently the stock of hardcover and paperback books folks are "done" with is dwindling, as folks embrace e-readers.)
|
|
|
03-18-2013, 06:20 AM
|
#19
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,154
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by FIREd
I gave mine to Goodwill.
|
Places like Goodwill are able to sell old paperbacks online through Amazon and raise money that way. Some public libraries also sell old books through Amazon to raise money. It's a great recycling program.
If they were clean and readable, and I didn't want to do the above, I would give them to a used paperback book store before throwing them in the trash. People will read them.
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
|
|
|
03-18-2013, 06:29 AM
|
#20
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Houston
Posts: 103
|
Can sell a few at a garage sale.
Used bookstore (Is there a store called Half priced books where you live?)
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|