So… exactly how many books is the “huge lot” described in the thread title? I was picturing something on the order of 50-60 books.
I was talking about 20 or 30 (30 at the most), which was about all I had. Magazines weren’t included, just the paperbacks.
I don’t own/keep books unless I really like them or the author, though, so for me, that was a collection of books I liked and that meant something to me, however trite or useless others may think it is.
But like I said, I’m over it now. Not upset anymore and I fully admit those with the “Well, there was a chance they all could have sold anyway/If you wanted them that badly, you should have kept them” point are right.
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.
Now that I think about it, I think the OP is having a bit of fun with us. The first thing I thought of when I saw the pics was, “This is a serial killer’s bookshelf.” The graininess of the photos, the VHS tapes, possibly the date of the books (did anyone notice if any of the book titles was post-2000 or so?), I’m guessing the OP found some crime scene photos from the 1990s and wanted to get a rise out of us with a made up story about his parents giving away his prized books.
So, what do I win?
You could be right. I mean, who still has a Playboy magazine?
I am not a book hoarder. I simply have my own personal library.
Luckily almost all of those books are worthless, so if you want to replace the collection, you can buy most of them used for $0.01 each on Amazon (although yeah, you’d have to pay the shipping costs).
Or you might be able to find them at a garage sale somewhere. Or a Goodwill store.
I can kind of understand the sentimental attachment to having the particular copy of a book I’d read. But aside from that, yeah, it’s not as if Mary Higgins Clark paperbacks are particularly valuable or difficult to replace.
If my Beloved Butthead gave away even 1 single one of my books without permission, I’d have him to the doctor right away. Of course, that would be justified because his library equaled mine when we moved in together, so it would be an indication that there was something seriously wrong.
I used to offer up things for charity auctions and sales with the cravat that if it didn’t sell, I wanted the things back. Often, I didn’t get the thing back which really did upset me.
After a while, I got really tired of seeing things were sold going for much less than I thought they were worth (handmade fancy-pants embroidery that took over 20-30 hours to make would go for less than the cost of the materials).
I stopped donating things and gave money instead. I was happier, they got more money than they would have selling my thing, so balance was restored in my world.
OP, now that you have room in your bookshelves…take the time to dust well and then enjoy the opportunity to refill them 
In slightly off-topic, but still faintly on-topic news: This kind of made me smile. What the board index looked like after the poster above replied.
I’m sure Bonadventure will now even further think of me as a serial killer with the thought of smiling at someone flatlining.
I assure you, though…those photos are really mine. 
Many on the table came out long after 2000…but if you don’t believe me, I…uh…invite you to come over, into my house, and check for yourself. 
It happened to me except I lost a lot more than books. Almost as soon as my father died, my mother got rid of everything they had been keeping for me. It was one of her several ways of washing her hands of me for good. Needless to say, I did not attend her funeral last year.
You have my sympathy. I’d have been very sad if it had happened to me. Maybe angry, too, but anger is usually a secondary emotion.
I want that button!
Not necessarily. Many Goodwill stores send the donations to a central sorting station, which trashes inappropriate things*, sells the good stuff on Amazon, then distributes the remainder to other Goodwill stores.
Friends of the Library sales are a good place to get paperbacks, though.
- things that won’t sell or can’t be legally resold
You certainly showed her. What a completely asinine thing to boast about.
You can get that button, and many, many more, at the Calligraphic Button Catalog.
Did you wanna come in, maybe check out my Lil Abner collection?
But seriously, if those photos are really of your apartment, why are they so grainy? And why do you have a handful of VHS tapes from 20 years ago? You don’t have a DVD player?
Cravat emptor = The buyer wore a tie.
Actually, I didn’t even know about her death and funeral until afterward. We’d had no contact at all since last century.
They were taken with an Ipad, not a digital camera.
Because I liked those movies and no, I don’t.
Well look what just got added to your Goodwill shopping list:
Mary Higgins Clark complete set of 97 novels (est. cost $.85)
Used DVD player (est. cost $10)
Skin suit (priceless)
My suggestion is to start training your parents. what you do is, every time they even mention your books, you get immediately, irrationally and disproportionately angry. Just shout at them for a few minutes, although you probably shouldn’t say anything you can’t take back. Then wait a bit - maybe an hour, maybe a day - and apologize to them. For getting angry, not for keeping the books, of course. You’re not trying to ruin your relationship with your parents, just adjust it.
Repeat the process whenever they mention your books. The idea is to create a Pavlovian response, so that they’ll unconsciously shy away from any mention of books in your presence. Based on my own parent-training experience, it takes between three and five sessions before the effect starts showing.