# How would you feel if someone gave away a huge lot of your books without asking you first? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 19, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619 "2016-01-19T21:24:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/101 "2016-01-21T11:38:13Z")
> [@digs](#): > > If your folks are over 55, they’re easily confused Hey! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/102 "2016-01-21T12:20:00Z")
> [@digs](#): > > If your folks are over 55, they’re easily confused … Speak for yourself! Oh, you were. Well, you’re still wrong. > [@Eliahna](#): > > … If they had to keep bailing you out financially because you direct all you money to shady book dealers… I will cherish that image. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/103 "2016-01-21T13:14:28Z")
> [@Bonaventure](#): > > And why do you have a handful of VHS tapes from 20 years ago? My dad still has a bunch of VHS tapes. He doesn’t want to spend the money on DVDs. He’s picked up a bunch of players at yard sales, and when one breaks he just throws it away and grabs the next one off the stack. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/104 "2016-01-21T13:21:38Z")
[Quote=digs] If your folks are over 55, they’re easily confused [/QUOTE] > [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#): > > Hey! :mad: Sometimes we use fake confusion to manipulate the young and weak. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/105 "2016-01-21T14:07:07Z")
I, for one, have got that ‘fake confusion’ thing honed to perfection… ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/106 "2016-01-21T14:15:32Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I, for one, have got that ‘fake confusion’ thing honed to perfection… Huh??? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/107 "2016-01-21T14:28:26Z")
How embarrassing. I DO own a complete collection of Lil’ Abner. 1934-1962, at least, because Kitchen Sink Press went out of business at that point and the annual volumes stopped appearing. Many people LIKE Lil’ Abner. Put THAT in your Fosdick and suck it. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/108 "2016-01-21T14:29:13Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > “Hey, we’re having a garage sale and could use more things. You have anything you could give us that might sell?” > > “Not that I can think of…” > > “What about all those books you have? Maybe one or two of them will sell.” > > “Yeah, but I don’t really want to sell any of my books.” > > “Come on, you’ve read most of them all already…it would really be a big help, please, Chris?” > > _thinking most probably won’t sell anyway_ “Okay…but I’d like to have back any that don’t sell” > > Doesn’t seem that weird of a conversation to me, but that may be because it’s the norm for me. : p OK. Different strokes I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/109 "2016-01-21T17:45:43Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Cite? Your mom is a snip. > [@Penfeather](#): > > that sweet Kylo Ren action figure Man you ain’t kidding. This is sweet as balls. 31 inches? Holy dick. [http://www.walmart.com/ip/Star-Wars-Episode-VII-31-Kylo-Ren-Figure/44298637](http://www.walmart.com/ip/Star-Wars-Episode-VII-31-Kylo-Ren-Figure/44298637) And you dweebs without a VHS player can’t be in the Cool Club with **Idle** , **PSXer** and me. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/110 "2016-01-21T17:47:02Z")
If you want to have some fun and have some spare cash, OP, file some legal paper to get yourself named as you parents’ conservator. Clearly they’re no longer capable of managing their own affairs, let alone yours. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/111 "2016-01-21T17:49:17Z")
I think all of the righteous indignation by the 55+ crowd is absolutely adorable. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/112 "2016-01-21T17:53:57Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I think all of the righteous indignation by the 55+ crowd is absolutely adorable. Once you hit 55, there’s nothing else adorable left. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/113 "2016-01-21T17:55:16Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > My dad still has a bunch of VHS tapes. He doesn’t want to spend the money on DVDs. He’s picked up a bunch of players at yard sales, and when one breaks he just throws it away and grabs the next one off the stack. I have a stack of players linked to my TV: - a computer (for online programmes) - a DVD player (all regions, naturally) - a video player (for my video tapes) Why yes, I am over 60. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/114 "2016-01-21T18:14:07Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I think all of the righteous indignation by the 55+ crowd is absolutely adorable. Thank you. Now run along and make us a sammich, dearie. Adults are talking. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/115 "2016-01-21T18:24:49Z")
In the context of what happened you’re being insanely childish. Books in a garage sale normally go for very little money. If the entire box had sold what are we talking $5-$10-$20-$50 and _that’s_ (realistically) what you’re throwing “This is the hill I will die on!” tantrum over? I get that some people are borderline obsessive with their book hoard and that’s fine _in your space_. However, given the circumstances of giving a box of books out to a garage sale then crying and stamping your feet when your instructions weren’t precisely followed for these salable, disposable books is overwrought nonsense. Yes it would have been perfect if they called you to get the remainder, but really is this furious drama the direction you want to go? Is it the direction a reasonable adult would go if a box of books he was willing to get rid of were gotten rid of, just without the few dollars of payment? We’re talking a relative pittance here. Get a grip you’re making reasonable people think you’re a giant out of control baby. I can only imagine what your parents think of you at this point. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/116 "2016-01-21T18:42:09Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I have a stack of players linked to my TV: > > - a computer (for online programmes) > - a DVD player (all regions, naturally) > - a video player (for my video tapes) > > Why yes, I am over 60. 😉 Heck, my father still sets his VCRs up to tape programs so he can watch them without commercials or when they conflict. He still has a few working VCRs. I asked him if he will get the DVR after they all break: “Probably not.” ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/117 "2016-01-21T19:08:05Z")
> [@astro](#): > > In the context of what happened you’re being insanely childish. Books in a garage sale normally go for very little money. If the entire box had sold what are we talking $5-$10-$20-$50 and _that’s_ (realistically) what you’re throwing “This is the hill I will die on!” tantrum over? > > I get that some people are borderline obsessive with their book hoard and that’s fine _in your space_. However, given the circumstances of giving a box of books out to a garage sale then crying and stamping your feet when your instructions weren’t precisely followed for these salable, disposable books is overwrought nonsense. Yes it would have been perfect if they called you to get the remainder, but really is this furious drama the direction you want to go? Is it the direction a reasonable adult would go if a box of books he was willing to get rid of were gotten rid of, just without the few dollars of payment? We’re talking a relative pittance here. > > Get a grip you’re making reasonable people think you’re a giant out of control baby. I can only imagine what your parents think of you at this point. This is pretty good, I’d call it about an 8/10. I can’t seriously believe you think that **Idle Thoughts** is really acting like a “giant out of control baby” though, especially this far into the thread, which costs you the two points. But you’re getting me to reply to it with a, “Do you really believe it’s ALL about the books and not also partially about the complete disrespect about how\*\* Idle Thoughts\*\* lives their life? And they shouldn’t get upset about that?” which earns you six points. The other two points are for book collector dissing in general. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/118 "2016-01-21T19:33:35Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > This is pretty good, I’d call it about an 8/10. I can’t seriously believe you think that **Idle Thoughts** is really acting like a “giant out of control baby” though, especially this far into the thread, which costs you the two points. But you’re getting me to reply to it with a, “Do you really believe it’s ALL about the books and not also partially about the complete disrespect about how\*\* Idle Thoughts\*\* lives their life? And they shouldn’t get upset about that?” which earns you six points. The other two points are for book collector dissing in general. Disrespect? You have neat freak parents and YOU give them a box of (having now read the thread) low grade disposable books to sell and throw a huge hissy because you did not get your worthless junk back from a garage sale effort? At some point you have to own your decisions. If I give something to people, whose behavior I know well, to get rid of for relative pennies at a garage sale and it’s not completely disposed of and they donate it rather than calling me to pick up the remainder, that circumstance is annoying _and predictable_. It’s worth any eye roll and a “Jesus Christ!”. It’s not worth a hysterical fit from an adult man who should have (at this point) known better. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/119 "2016-01-21T19:36:01Z")
> [@astro](#): > > In the context of what happened you’re being insanely childish. Books in a garage sale normally go for very little money. If the entire box had sold what are we talking $5-$10-$20-$50 and _that’s_ (realistically) what you’re throwing “This is the hill I will die on!” tantrum over? A lot of people have had this reaction, but I don’t get it. If someone else, out of the kindness of their heart, allows you to sell some of their property, then it’s the height of inconsideration to repay their kindness by casually tossing the rest of their property out. And it’s not anyone else’s place to decide for someone whether their property is valuable or not. It’s their property and you need to respect their decisions about it. IMO it was a jerk move by IT’s parents, and he (she?) is right to be upset about it. That said, you have to consider the fact that you want to have a constructive relationship with your parents, and not make too much of it. Like anyone else dealing with the transgressions of other people who they want and need to remain close to. All that said, this … > [@Penfeather](#): > > I bet she’s like not even your real mom, she’s just like this lady who brought you up. Your real mom probably runs like a comic book and candy store, and your real dad is like a skateboard pirate, and one day they’ll come back for you, and you’ll be all, like, “so long, lame-os” to your fake parents. And then your real dad will teach you to do sick flips and your real mom will give you candy and that sweet Kylo Ren action figure you didn’t get for Christmas because your fake parents totally suck. … is pretty darned funny. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619/120 "2016-01-21T19:40:35Z")
So, you equate coming on here and ranting a little to throwing a huge hissy fit? Because I can assure you, I didn’t really make much of my annoyance known in real life, when I found out, beyond a simple “What? You got rid of them? I had told you I really wanted to keep them…argh.” You seem to have pictured me falling onto the floor and beating my fists against the carpet over this. I was over it, even with my secret irritation that caused me to rant on here about it, about two hours after it happened and am only replying to this topic now just to tell you you’re mistaken. But if you really want to continue to picture me having a tantrum, feel free. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-gave-away-a-huge-lot-of-your-books-without-asking-you-first/743619.md?page=7)