# Any reason to keep old software/books? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 26, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-to-keep-old-software-books/504273 "2009-07-26T00:28:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-to-keep-old-software-books/504273/1 "2009-07-26T00:28:49Z")
I was cleaning today and I found a box full of old Windows '98 software. Some games, like Riven, Flight Sim, the Sims, and some stuff house planner/landscape design programs. Also books (Photoshop 6.0, Paint shop pro books, etc). is there any market for this stuff, or is it pretty much worthless? ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-to-keep-old-software-books/504273/2 "2009-07-26T14:23:37Z")
No one’s chimed in, so I guess I’ll toss it. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-to-keep-old-software-books/504273/3 "2009-07-26T15:13:57Z")
You can get the stuff at Goodwill for $1 or $2. Your better off just tossing the books and software if your time has any value. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-to-keep-old-software-books/504273/4 "2009-07-26T15:24:52Z")
Not even libraries want old software manuals. [http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/cutting-edge-computer-information/](http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/cutting-edge-computer-information/) [http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/another-museum-piece-from-a-public-library/](http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/another-museum-piece-from-a-public-library/) [http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/atari/](http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/atari/) [http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/word-processing-80s-style/](http://awfullibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/word-processing-80s-style/) I know there’s a general mindset among many Dopers that the written word is sacred in all of its forms, and that hoarding books is noble and encouraged even though hoarding sheet metal, old newspapers, National Geographics and cats is a sickness. Librarians weed their collections of books, and you should have no qualms about doing the same if you feel the need. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-reason-to-keep-old-software-books/504273/5 "2009-07-26T17:45:31Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I know there’s a general mindset among many Dopers that the written word is sacred in all of its forms, and that hoarding books is noble and encouraged even though hoarding sheet metal, old newspapers, National Geographics… That’s funny but true. Some wit once wrote that if you took all the National Geographic magazines stored in attics and weighed them, they would match the mass of the Earth.