As part of the upcoming move, my wife and I made a deal with each other to severely cut back on what we’re bringing. We’ve moved five times in the past 13 years, and there is a crazy amount of stuff that is still in the same box from the first move. Now, we’re done – a few cherished items can stay, but the bulk of it is going.
So, now I’m coming to grips with the fact that I no longer care about having those full-wall bookcases that I once looked at as an ideal feature in a home. Twelve boxes packed full of books have made the trip with us the last five times. Two boxes of my favorites made the “pare-down” list, and 10 boxes went the way of the thrift store this morning.
The nearly-complete works of Dean Koontz? Well, I hung on to Watchers and Strangers, but that’s it (well, Forever Odd too, but that’s just because it’s the one I’m currently reading).
Dragonlance books? I’m keeping the Chronicles and Legends trilogies, but the other 20 or so trilogies are all out of my life now.
I kept one or two favorites from another 20 or 30 authors, plus a couple of necessities (no home should be without its Hitchhiker’s Guide). Other than that, they can all find new homes, because I’m not breaking my back to move them yet again.
It feels a little disconcerting, knowing that I won’t be able to say “Hey, I’m in the mood to reread Congo, let me go in the basement and get it”. But the more I think about it, it really shouldn’t be an issue (and not just because Congo sucked so hard) – I’m really not much of a re-reader. I kept the handful of books that I have re-read, and might do so again one day, but everything else…well, hopefully someone else will find the joy in them that I found.
You have both my sympathy and admiration. I thinned down my book herd from about 5,000 to maybe 500. It hurt but it was worth it. The ones I need and use are easier to get and the ones that just gathered dust for me can refresh someone elses life.
I did a bit of this when I moved from Chicago to NC three years ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time* to go through the entire library, so I’m trying to do this now as I’m unpacking.
*Well, actually I did have the time, but my chronic procrastination set in and other things became more urgent.
I plan to do the same soon, even though we’re not moving. I really don’t need all those Jack Chalker books, even though they were fun to read decades ago. Ditto Jennifer Robeson’s “Cheysuli” chronicles, or Niven’s “Man-K’zin Wars”.
I’m keeping my Doc Smith, of course! Also my Burroughs, and Howard, and PTerry, but it’s time to let go of my Andre Norton collection, that’s for sure.
My problem is, even with two floor to ceiling libraries in my house, I still don’t have enough shelf space.
I’m thinking of going the Amazon re-sale route. How are you getting rid of yours?
My wife works for a non-profit that has an associated thrift shop. She brought them over there this morning.
I thought about reselling, but the hassle just isn’t worth it. Unless someone wanted to buy the whole shebang, I wasn’t going to play around with shipping this stuff and everything.
I did it last summer, and got rid of about 25 cartons of books. (Haven’t touched the academic library yet, so could easily go another 20 cartons if I ever get past that emotional block.)
There are two major used book stores in Philly; the smaller will pay cash or credit, the larger gives credit only. I took everything to the “cash possible” store first and got $150 or so, maybe more (this took place over three different trips), then took what they didn’t want to the larger store, which will also donate/toss everything they don’t take. I currently have about $300 credit with them, it was about $375 total.
I was a book hoarder and kept every book I’d ever read. I even held on to my textbooks going all the way back to the fifth grade. One day I woke up and I was in my forties (how the heck does that happen? Sigh…) and had a gazillion books in my possession. I began to sell them, back when you could actually sell used books, then donating them, then giving them away. I think I’m down to around 200 books, many of which I’ll probably end up simply trashing if no one wants them; the complete fiction and non fiction works of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, etc…
Anyway, what’s put me in a, well, let’s say less distraught state about jettisoning my precious tomes is my Kindle DX. Now I can carry almost every book I care about with me where ever I go. No, my Kindle will never replace the tactile pleasure of reading a real book, or the aroma of old paper that wafts enticingly into your nose as you turn a page, but its portability, capacity, and option to change font sizes for better legibility about makes up for the loss.
That is EXACTLY what I got rid of! There’s a box in my boyfriend’s van right now waiting to come to the library for donation that’s full of Dragonlance books. Seriously, why keep the terrible books I liked as a high schooler?
I’m doing this, too, in preparation for an upcoming move. Part of the problem is that I want things to go to good homes, and not to end up in the trash or languishing on a thrift shop shelf somewhere, and I had a bunch of Spanish-language stuff I’d been hanging onto since college. But one of my co-workers has a boyfriend who is a high school teacher in a heavily Hispanic school, so now I know they are going to a good home. I’ve been bringing them in to work a few at a time.
I’d suggest selling them on Ebay. That way people that need them can find them. It’s the first place I look. A lot of times sellers put together a bundle of books. I got a set of John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee books that way for under $30.
My first martial disagreement was over this issue. I was able to keep more books than she thought was ideal. I’m beginning to believe she had the right idea, because my newly-remodeled home, with its newly-remodeled basement office for me, is still packed with books, floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled up and some boxes on the floor.
See, what’s wrong with me is that notwithstanding my previous post, I read this and think, “Hmmm… I’m missing a few of those… and $30 doesnt’ sound like a bad deal at all…”
My school’s Invisible Children club held a book drive this last October. That was the incentive for me to go nuts both at home and in my classroom. I think I personally donated over 500 books to the cause. It hurt, but the pain is receding (and I have all those shelves to fill with new books!)
My mother was a librarian. Getting rid of books isn’t how I was raised.
In the early 80’s, I got rid of my entire Perry Rhodan collection of scifi books(119+). They were too much to slep around and after all, the books were ubiquitous and could be found in any library and bookstore.:o
My husband has Irish roots, and he says that because the Irish saved literacy, he should never, ever part with a book. It’s cultural, don’t you know.
I’m kind of glad all y’all live so far away, because a Doper book exchange would be a Bad Thing for my basement library (between Jim’s cultural thing and my constant reading).
