# How should I get rid of my books? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 25, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631 "2005-08-25T21:43:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/1 "2005-08-25T21:43:26Z")
OK I’m moving in to smaller digs which means I have to get rid of **lots and lots of books**. It was hard enough to figure out which to purge, but now I have five boxes worth (and not even finished) that I’m not sure what to do with. Is it worth it to try and ebay them? Sell them to a used bookstore? Give them to a library? What about [Half.com](http://Half.com)? Or should I just toss them in a dumpster? Opinions? They aren’t first editions or anything - just a motley mix of paperbacks, textbooks and scattered hardbacks in varying conditions from great to crappy. But I hate to just throw them away. It offends both my penny-pinching and book-loving sensibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/2 "2005-08-25T21:45:06Z")
Never, EVER!!! Throw books away. If you do not seek any renumeration for them, donate them to a womens shelter or some other such charitable cause. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/3 "2005-08-25T21:47:22Z")
Where do you live? If you are in the right place, [Half Price Books](http://www.halfpricebooks.com/find_a_store.html) is a good place to sell books. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/4 "2005-08-25T21:48:26Z")
Many urban areas have book banks to which you can donate unwanted books. The books are then distributed to prisons, nursing homes, shelters, and other places where they can be appreciated anew. If you don’t know whether your area has a book bank or not, you might ask a local used book dealer. I worked in a used bookstore for several years, and most of our overflow went to a book bank. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/5 "2005-08-25T21:48:32Z")
In the Boston area so no good. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/6 "2005-08-25T21:48:34Z")
You know, it is funny how attached people get to books, I once saw this great art book on sale for cheap. I bought two so that I could keep one complete and I would use the other for crafty type stuff and cut it up. I couldnt bring myself to cut it though, so now I just have two. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/7 "2005-08-25T21:50:52Z")
Why not offer them to your Doper buddies? Post a list of titles, and the recipient pays the postage. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/8 "2005-08-25T21:52:49Z")
Agreed. NEVER EVER EVER EVER throw them away. Someone, somewhere, will want them. (Hell, stick them as a job lot on eBay, buyer collects, and you’ll probably get a small amount for them.) ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/9 "2005-08-25T21:58:38Z")
Well renumeration would be nice (notice I said my penny pinching sensibilities were being offended too). So if it’s possible to make money I want to try that first. Has anyone actually made money here from old books? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/10 "2005-08-25T21:59:56Z")
A good friend told me about [book crossing](http://www.bookcrossing.com/) where you release unwanted books back into the wilderness to trace their migrations from reader to reader. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/11 "2005-08-25T22:07:13Z")
How about [craigslist](http://www.craigslist.org) ? There are many students in Boston who might be willing to buy older books at a cheap price. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/12 "2005-08-25T23:00:17Z")
If all else fails, find a local library. I donate all of my excess-to-needs books to the locla private library, where they are sold by Friends of the Library to help defray costs. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/13 "2005-08-25T23:05:28Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > A good friend told me about [book crossing](http://www.bookcrossing.com/) where you release unwanted books back into the wilderness to trace their migrations from reader to reader. Bookcrossing is fun, I’ve released quite a few books over the years. For large scale culling I take them to the retirement community where my Pop spent his last days. A beautiful place, but the library was sadly lacking. They take book and VHS tape donations, and books-on-tape are especially welcome. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/14 "2005-08-25T23:26:44Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If all else fails, find a local library. I donate all of my excess-to-needs books to the locla private library, where they are sold by Friends of the Library to help defray costs. I second this suggestion. I recently gave a few boxes of books (many were duplicates) to a local library. I went to their sale and wound up buying more than I had given them. I have to say that the book crossing idea sounds cool. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/15 "2005-08-26T02:38:57Z")
Back when I was silly enough to purge, I used to sell my books to a local used bookstore. If the money thing fails, I’m all over the dopers-pay-postage idea. Or maybe a book exchange! Mail someone a random book from your collection and get one in return. Of course this won’t help you get rid of anything 😛 ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/16 "2005-08-26T02:41:35Z")
I think used book stores are the simplest way to make a little money off of them. Don’t have to go to the trouble of posting, packaging, etc. Call several stores ahead to see what times they have someone available to buy books. Expect that they will not take all your books, they may only take a fraction, but hey, free money! THEN, take the remainder to the next used book store, and so on, until you get bored or tired. My experience is that they will usually take some and never take all. But just because one used book store isn’t interested doesn’t mean the next one won’t be. THEN, for the leftovers, call the library (or check website) and find out where and when they receive donated books. They may have certain standards too, since they usually sell them at annual sales as a fundraiser. Like no Reader’s Digest Condensed books, or nothing with the cover ripped off. Then your last pathetic nobody-wanted-them books can go to the thrift store. But never throw them away! P.S. Don’t take store credit for your books. Sure, you get more “money” that way, but you’re trying to get less books! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/17 "2005-08-26T05:18:15Z")
Some veterans’ orgs will send your books to military folks in faraway places. Make some phone calls. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/18 "2005-08-26T12:40:53Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If all else fails, find a local library. I donate all of my excess-to-needs books to the locla private library, where they are sold by Friends of the Library to help defray costs. We do too. It’s a reeeaaal small town library. So it works out well. Last time they sent us a very nice thank you card. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/19 "2005-08-29T19:20:02Z")
> [@carlotta](#): > > …call the library (or check website) and find out where and when they receive donated books. They may have certain standards too, since they usually sell them at annual sales as a fundraiser. Like no Reader’s Digest Condensed books, or nothing with the cover ripped off. No National Geographics accepted! Our library calls them “The Yellow Peril”! ---
**Author:** ![OrangeJumpsuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OrangeJumpsuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrangeJumpsuit)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631/20 "2005-08-29T19:24:57Z")
I just put up some books for sale on Amazon Marketplace just weeks ago. Sold two text books since. Got 70 bucks for one, 50 for another. I was going to give mine away, but decided I liked money more. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-get-rid-of-my-books/318631.md?page=2)