# How many books do you own? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 19, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015 "2010-03-19T15:01:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/81 "2014-08-27T21:26:07Z")
> [@SuperSmartAlex](#): > > Probably about 200 now. So how many four years ago? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/82 "2014-08-27T21:41:31Z")
I have a theory that 95% off all books now in existence will never be opened again by a human being between now and the end of time. That number probably applies to one’s own personal collection as well. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/83 "2014-08-27T21:47:27Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Mostly I amass. I read obsessively about everything. I’m also in the 10,000+ category. My library has aisles. 🙂 I now have two rooms with aisles. Where it all will end, knows God! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/84 "2014-08-27T22:36:42Z")
We used to have somewhere under 2,000, but got rid of a lot of books when we were prepping to move from Alaska at $1/lb shipped. As it was, we shipped 12,000 pounds of personal crap, even after getting rid of most of the heavy furniture. We’re probably somewhere around a thousand books, but I haven’t inventoried since the purge. On the good side, my wife has read nearly all of them; me, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/85 "2014-08-27T22:47:02Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I now have two rooms with aisles. Where it all will end, knows God! You’re my dream date. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/86 "2014-08-27T22:47:38Z")
I recently got rid of a bunch, if not I’d be in the 500 - 999 range. Every year or so I dump old books that I am not likely to read again. Now I have about 200. Slee ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/87 "2014-08-28T03:13:37Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > I don’t collect books; I read them. When I’m done I share them with others for the most part. I keep a few I know I’ll go back to for referencing but I live in a small space so I can’t keep many. Same here. I rarely would reread a book when there are so many others to get to, so I donate them to the library when I’m done. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/88 "2014-08-28T03:35:43Z")
I’m the only reader in the house and am probably down to 250 physical books now. I cleaned out the bookshelves when my g/f moved in several years ago. Then came the almighty Kindle. Loooove my Kindle. Edit: Forgot to mention I was well over 1000 books before the bookshelf massacre. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/89 "2014-08-28T05:21:53Z")
Even though it was four years ago, I’m still jealous of **Qadgop** and his rolling ladders. I’ve always wanted a library with a rolling ladder! I don’t know how many books I have and I’m not going to count them, but I’d be very surprised if I wasn’t at least in the 2,000-3,999 category. I have a _lot_ of books, especially if you count game books. I need to organize them better. I’ve got at least one shelf in the halls, in most of the rooms, in the garage, in the storage locker…and they’re all full to overflowing. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/90 "2014-08-28T15:16:16Z")
I’m a big reader, but even before I bought my Kindle, I tended not to KEEP many books. I probably have around 200 in my house, but as a rule, I sell or give away books after I finish them. I probably own more reference books than fiction books. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/91 "2014-08-28T15:31:20Z")
Do comics count? They do have the word “book” in their name. If they don’t, 0-49. If they do, …still 0-49. My fiancee is the reader in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/92 "2014-08-28T15:33:39Z")
I moved 8 months or so ago. In preparation, I got all the eBook versions of my paper books that I could find, and sold the then redundant paper books to a used book store. Also, some paper books were of a format that just weren’t eBook compatible. Anyway, I just checked the library on my Nook. It’s got 1007 books and I still have about 50 paper ones on the shelves. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/93 "2014-08-28T17:33:53Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > Guest: “Did you read all these books?” > Me: “Hell no…why would someone want a room full of books they’ve already read?” See, I’m the opposite. I’ve got about 1000 (hardcopy) books and the criteria for being removed is “eh, not reading that again.” Everything I’ve got, I’ve read multiple times. One of the downsides of e-books is I’m less prone to ditch something I didn’t finish/won’t read again, since it’s not taking space from anything more desirable. The only unread stuff is on the 3-shelf bookcase next to the chaise I like to read in; it’s solely for my to-read pile. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/94 "2014-08-28T18:14:54Z")
According to my list, I have exactly 298 books. That’s not counting the two shelves I’m got from the Great Cleaning Massacre at my dad’s house that I’m reading through to see if I want them in the official collection. (And there are still more at Dad’s house I haven’t gotten yet.) I’m a re-reader. Why have shelves of books I haven’t read yet? That’s what the library is for. If I want to read it again, it makes it into the official collection. Every now and then I’ll do a re-read of everything I own just to make sure I still want it. I’m doing that right now, in fact. I’ve culled a few, added more. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/95 "2014-08-28T18:27:25Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > \> 10,000. > > My home has two libraries, one with 10 foot high built-in bookshelves, and a rolling ladder that lets me get up to the upper shelves. The other library has 8 floor to ceiling bookcases, some of which are double-packed with paperbacks. The master bedroom has built-in bookshelves for those books I want to keep handy there. 😉 > > I really need to thin the collection. Can I interest you in a fairly nice Alaskana collection? Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/96 "2014-08-28T18:30:19Z")
Definitely more than 1000 and probably more than 2000. We’ve got 10 large bookcases in different rooms in our condo. (We just had a contractor build a new bookcase into a nook in our bedroom.) Nevertheless, a substantial fraction of the collection is in piles on the floor. And there are some stored in boxes in the garage. Without a big cull we’re not going to get everything on shelves. My wife is a college professor and I do some scholarly research on the side. Only about 20% of the collection is fiction. Most of it is history and critical theory. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/97 "2014-08-28T19:00:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The last time I attempted a good count, I had over 12,000. But that was about ten years ago so it’s probably up around 20,000 by now. I could have written this. I do ebooks, but prefer paper ones. I like having a lot of books I haven’t yet read, and I like having books on a huge variety of topics. I like re-reading. I like being able to dip in to a new book, and then come back to it later. (My father was a reader and a book-accumulator, too. My mother is a reader. My only sibling, somehow, escaped getting the gene: she and her husband had, perhaps, 50 books in their entire house–most of them their kids’ books.) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/98 "2014-08-28T20:19:58Z")
Last summer, we did a whole wall with a built-in bookcase (12’ x 16’ other than one 6’ tall section). Said one of the carpenters, “That will take care of your book needs.” I just laughed. There are still 9 other full cases in the house, plus two offices full of professional books. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/99 "2014-08-28T20:33:32Z")
I’m guessing about 2,500 paper ones, and about five Kindle ones, plus maybe another ten PDFs which would be books if you printed 'em out (dissertations, mainly). ETA: No zombie books. (Maybe a chapter in one of the anthropology tomes.) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015/100 "2014-08-28T20:46:49Z")
zombie or no if you do rooms with books like a library, then watch for floor sag. you may need to disperse the load or beef up you floor structure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-books-do-you-own/533015.md?page=6)