# How many books do you own? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 21, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148 "2001-01-21T19:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/1 "2001-01-21T19:06:02Z")
I did a quick and simple estimate, multiplying the number of shelves by the average number of books per shelf, and adding an estimate of the number of unshelved books. I own just about 1,000 books, about half of of them purchased at library used book sales at $1 or less per volume. There are another 400 in my house that belong to other people. I have read about two-thirds of my own books and about one-third of the other books in the house. I’m not making much of a dent in my personal library. More than half the books I read last year were from the 3 public libraries where I have borrowing privleges. ---
**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/2 "2001-01-21T19:18:27Z")
Currently, I own around 2300 books, all catalogued by title, author, date published, and publisher. Most of the books I own I have read or partially read. I still have several hundred that I haven’t read yet - someday. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/3 "2001-01-21T19:22:40Z")
At my home in Florida - about 600 (small condo). At mom’s house in New York - 37 boxes (number of books unknown). On loan to people - 14. Most are from when I worked at B&N - employee discounts can be a bad thing to impulsive people. ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/4 "2001-01-21T19:24:23Z")
Not as many as I’d like. I’ve lost a few in moves. Around 300, mostly non fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/5 "2001-01-21T20:27:47Z")
By using **bibliophage’s** formula, I’m going to guesstimate around 800. Books in the living room, books in the bathroom, books in the hall, books piled around the bed, books piled IN the bed (hey, no one else is sleeping there but me, why not?), books in my roommate’s room, books in the closet…yeah. I like to read. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/6 "2001-01-21T21:09:54Z")
[li]Over 1,000 cookbooks[/li] [li]A couple of thousand other hard bound fiction[/li] [li]A few hundred references[/li] [li]The complete proceedings of the design, use and experimental set ups for the abandoned SSC (Superconducting Super Collider) project[/li] [li]A few hundred classic sci-fi and fantasy paperbacks[/li] [li]A couple of sets of encyclopedias[/li] [li]Dozens of children’s books including a library of “The Hardy Boys”.[/li] [li]Really odd little gems like “Applied Atomic Power” that details plans for nuclear powered locomotives (can you say Amtrak?) and aircraft.[/li] [li]Miniature books like the “Observer” series and “Audel’s” manuals.[/li]People have looked at my cookbook library and exclaimed; “You have more cookbooks than I have books of any type!” I have read over 90% to 95% of all of the non-reference type books in my library. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/7 "2001-01-21T21:14:33Z")
I’m guessing around 1800, and maybe 400 of those are Mr. Del’s. **Eponymous** , how the heck do you do it? I’m very impressed. I have started to catalogue my books several times, and each time I get to about 30 books before I get distracted and start reading one of them. I keep them roughly separated by Fiction (arranged alpha by author), Children’s (also alpha by author), and Non-fiction (arranged according to the Library of Delphica system, which essentially means they are grouped by subject, but some of the subjects are only recognizable to me). Then of course there are the results of times that company came over, and I had to run around scooping books up off the furniture and shelving them wherever they happened to fit. ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/8 "2001-01-21T21:19:39Z")
Hmm…Good question. I’d guess I’m only around 500 or so, though. One day, I’ll have many many more, though. It’s tough to develop a good collection when you’re living on a student’s salary. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/9 "2001-01-21T21:22:16Z")
All 300 or so of mine are still packed nicely on the other coast. I can’t afford to have them shipped here! ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/10 "2001-01-21T21:30:59Z")
Approximately 20 000. I’m afraid I’ve never thrown away a book I’ve bought or acquired since 1968 and my house resembles a library. And that’s not to mention many thousand copies of articles from professional journals that one day I must put into order. Great for checking references. I’m retiring this year and building an enormous shed 18’x 12’ by 10’ in the garden specifically as a study and this will be completely shelved. At last my wife will be able to see the walls in the house! ---
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/11 "2001-01-21T21:32:26Z")
In my dorm room, roughly 104. At home, probably 300 more. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/12 "2001-01-21T22:29:47Z")
My wife and I, both readers, had about 14,000 books, but we moved into a smaller home and had to give up around 5,000. At times it was like giving up children. It turns out, however, that they sort of come back into our lives perodicly. We had one of those embossers that puts your name and initials in raised letters on an inside page of books (serious collectors hate the things because they reduce the resale value [like you read a book for its monetary value!]) and had used it on virtually all of our books. We gave or traded the vast majority of the books to two or three used bookstores (two were just starting out and were extremely glad to get the gifts. Some we gave to hospitals and some we gave to nursing homes. So now five or six years later, we will meet up with strangers at some sort of get together, who after we introduce ourselves, will immediately say, “Oh, you’re so and so. I’m reading one of your books.” Generally we point out they are actually their books, but usually we end up having a great visit talking about books and about half the time trading some more books or suggesting new book titles to one another. We live in a small town, and at times the local library will call us to ask us if we have books on a specific topic rather than go to interlibrary loan and take four to five weeks to get. ---
**Author:** ![fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fish_in_the_sky)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/13 "2001-01-21T22:38:17Z")
About 130 in my dorm room. Maybe 200+ more at my parent’s house. ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/14 "2001-01-21T22:40:10Z")
I’d have to roughly guess about 900. There are 500 on my bookshelves in my room, about 100 floating around the house, and thirteen boxes in the attic. I recently gave away about 100 that I don’t want anymore. I write my name in all of them; about one-third are bought used from libraries; at least two-thirds of my reading material is borrowed from the library. I categorize them by Favorites, Mysteries, Children’s, Classics, Non-Fiction, School, and Not Yet Read, although there is quite a bit of disorganization due to overlapping. Frankly, when I have a sudden urge to read _Oliver Twist_, it usually takes me about three hours to find it. Only the Favorites are easy to find - I always know where they are. When I get my own place, I hope I can have several thousand. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/15 "2001-01-21T22:44:20Z")
3887 SF Paperbacks, vintage and otherwise (I just had my database open 😃 ) Maybe 300 SF/F Hardcovers,including book club editions A decent library of Cecil-eque books…maaaaaybe a hundred? About 100 cookbooks Maybe 500 other books Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/16 "2001-01-21T23:44:51Z")
Comic books Around 1500 Real books 200 more or less Paperbacks 800 The greatest number of PB’s are stored in a large heavyduty cardboard box. This box is approximently 5ft by 3ft by 2ft. I have no idea what came in this box the first time around but filled up with PB’s and it turned out to be way to heavy for me to move alone. Pulled it up in to the rafters of my garage with a chain fall. It is good to see that I am not alone in my love of books.MTS ---
**Author:** ![eponymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@eponymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eponymous)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/17 "2001-01-21T23:51:46Z")
Delphica, I had help initially in cataloguing all of my books - this was about 5 years ago and more than 1000 books ago. Every time I buy a book, I set it in a pile. Whenever I get time, I just update my database. Most of the books in my bookcases are organized into sections (Fiction, Sociology, Philosophy, Economics, etc.). I have one and a half very large bookcases dedicated solely to Geography (my field of study). So it’s relatively easy for me to find a book I’m looking for. I am not looking forward to moving, though… ---
**Author:** ![Dominique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Dominique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dominique)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/18 "2001-01-22T00:04:51Z")
Best guess, around 2500, and I’ve read them all. The number is constantly expanding as I read very fast and there is always at least one and sometimes more that are in progress. I can’t live without books. I need more shelves!! ---
**Author:** ![Cumber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@Cumber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumber)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/19 "2001-01-22T00:16:54Z")
'bout 150, methinks. There are a few thousand books owned by the other people in my house though. And I have aspirations for one day being the sort of person that can’t remember what colour the walls are. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148/20 "2001-01-22T00:42:00Z")
I’m going to make a WAG here and say probably about a thousand. Most are paperbacks, but I have some HB’s and some antique books and some nice leather-bound classics that I’ve collected. If I had all the books I’ve read, however, my house wouldn’t hold them all. I used to read at least 5 books every two weeks from the library, sometimes more. I always have a book in progress. I read every chance I get and have, ever since I was about 4. So since I’m now 34, that’s 30 years of reading constantly. (Say, if I had a dollar for every book…dang, I’d be rich!) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/51148.md?page=2)