I have had a number of people who were discouraging about this - “Oh, I wouldn’t sell books, you don’t get much for them, you don’t get what they’re worth”.
Well… yeah, the used book store is always going to sell them for more than they buy them, that’s how they stay in business. Amazing how many people don’t understand that.
But also they don’t seem to consider WHY someone is selling books/videos/music/whatever to a 2nd hand store. In my case, it’s NOT to make a profit. No, I am in no way “recouping” the cost of those items in the first place. That’s not the point, really, for me.
I have a big problem with just tossing anything in the trash, and books are a particular problem. So… if I have books I’m never going to read again, and I need the space they are occupying for something else, I have to find something other than the trash. That’s pretty much either the 2nd hand store, or the library. I get more from the 2nd hand store than the library, even if it’s a pittance. And they don’t end up in a landfill which to my mind is a good thing.
Likewise, recycling. No, I don’t get much from it but I do get more than I do by putting it in the trash. And it gets reused.
So… selling your “junk” isn’t about profit. It’s about someone else paying you for your “trash”, the stuff you don’t want and would otherwise throw out.
There is a segment of people on sites like eBay who are seeking a profit from their selling, but that’s not at the heart of decluttering where the emphasis is getting rid of the stuff you no longer want and that is holding you back. They’re two different sorts of second-hand markets.
As soon as I finish a new book, I decide if I want to reread it. If not, it goes straight into the sell box. Otherwise, it goes into the reread shelf. Only after I have read it a second time does it get a chance to go into my library
Oh, absolutely @Broomstick it’s a little like charging some nominal fee for kittens instead of giving 'em away for free. You’re not trying to make bank - it’s just about ensuring a good home, that’s all.
A Doper book swap might be fun, if we could get around logistics and shipping was magically free!
I agree completely about the the used bookstores. They are handy. As most of my books come from there, I have no problem with thinking about the price difference as a rental fee. I rarely buy a new hardcover unless I am already familiar with the author and know I will like the book. And I just added another book to the pile to take to them. And Saturday is the day for that task.
I’ve been doing something that isn’t decluttering, but is equally satisfying. Washing the exterior of my windows. It’s something most of the condo owners around me either don’t or can’t do, but I have been removing spiderwebs, and years of dirt from my windows and now, it’s much brighter in here.
I’ve landed a temp job with the county, handling ballots for a couple of weeks so next week I will concentrate on decluttering and continuing to look for a permanent job. Then, I’m off to feed ballots into a machine (or whatever they tell me to do) until Nov. 3. Go vote, everyone.
Everytime I think I’m done tossing and I found enough to fill another of the huge machine lift garbage pails plus put more stuff out to the road for free-cycling.
Big garbage bin is almost full (and heavy! jeebus) and yet, my home is somehow more cluttered now?
Cold weather came, so I had to open the big “BOOTS” box, still taped shut from the move. Most of the contents aren’t gonna work for a 10-hour shift, so they’re underfoot (ha!) until I can figure out where to keep them.
They’re not bad, or even uncomfortable. But ten solid hours is a LOT and me - and my bunions - aren’t getting younger, for some reason.
Also, some of my sweaters are super ugly (to my eyes) and I’ve decided turtlenecks are to be banished. I’d about a thousand times rather wear a normal shirt, and a scarf - which I can remove as needed.
So another Trash Bag O’Clothes is slowly coming together. Warm, no holes, not even visibly worn-looking. I just … hateses thems!
On a more positive note, I found the long hoodie (and other assorted warm stuff - all the favorites I wore constantly last spring) that I really want to wear.
Now I can more comfortably get rid of warm stuff I don’t like. (As in, mentally. Physically more comfortable too, obvs.)
My sons raised bed that was slowly falling apart was dismantled and cut up to fit in the big garbage pail. I disposed of some of my older crappier lumber too.
Finally just trashed a 60 years old shelving unit that was made of real wood but my Mom had covered in contact paper 50 years ago. It also turned out to be moldy. It goes in the next garbage load, but it is ready to go.
I’m running low on stuff to toss finally and it still seems like I have too much.
Well, MY de-cluttering projects have all been derailed due to an extended illness. Still awaiting my test results to see if it’s covid or just flu (not that that is anything fun either) but for the most of the past week I haven’t done jack other than consume fluids, watch Netflix/YouTube/etc., and waste time on the internet.
Starting to feel well enough to start work on some of the piles inside my current place, but can’t get to anything else while I’m still in quarantine.
Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s covid, but it’s a mild case. Among other things, my sense of smell is greatly diminished and it’s hanging on longer than flu normally does. But as of yesterday evening I’m starting to feel better even if I’m not yet well.
But we’ll see what the test results say when I finally get them.
Everyone was sure I had Covid. We’d gone to a mandatory family wedding, and three days later, BAM… couldn’t breathe or smell, coughing, miserable. Went to a doc who said “Don’t forget, there are other horrible viruses going around.”
Got two tests (one was the Deep State one), and they came back negative.
I have never been so happy to have a bad cold!
Do keep us posted; sending “normal illness” vibes at you…
It is, in fact, covid - got the official results last night.
I’ve been fortunate in that I have had a mild case, not just mild in the sense of “does not need to go to the hospital” but mild overall. It started out as a moderate “real flu” level of fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue but with a deep cough and blood shot eyes. Tylenol and ibuprofen took care of most of the symptoms. I was a little short of breath - it was like traveling to a city about a mile higher above sea level than where you live. I didn’t notice it sitting still, but going up a flight of stairs I got a little short of breath. I’ve keeping my asthma under tight control (which has been recommended for months now for those of us with that problem) and it didn’t seem to be a factor. When all this started my primary doc said that I was young enough and in good enough general health that I would probably sail through this without serious problem, and the doc who gave me the test and did a health screen more or less said the same thing. Also said that even with me feeling a little short-winded my oxygen levels were fine so my lungs were working properly.
The worst of the fever and aches passed in about 3-4 days. Mostly, I’ve just had no stamina. I’d get up and do something for 15 minutes then I would have to rest for an hour and I couldn’t physically multi-task. So instead of doing laundry, bread-baking, and housecleaning over a three hour period it was mix the dough - watch Netflix while it rises - form the dough - watch Netflix for the second rise - put it in the oven - watch Netflix - take it out of the oven to cool - take two hour nap. Yep, I’ve watched a lot of Netflix. Also YouTube and Amazon Video. I would have delved into my CD and tape collection but couldn’t get motivated to move the two boxes in front of them until yesterday.
I’ve been doing one cooking project a day so I have something decent to eat, and consuming lots of fluids, and not much else for a week now. I’m feeling better every day since Friday and doing more so I’m coming out of it. I’m still in isolation until this coming Friday so it looks like I might have a few days to work on the stuff already in my apartment, which needs to be done.
It would be nice to get the dirty laundry done, but I don’t want to go to the communal laundry room in the building while I’m contagious. So that project will have to wait.
Still under “house arrest” (hoping to be released later today) and while I’ve still be mostly resting I did start on a few things around the house. Including taking care of my artwork.
Way, way back when I was getting my degree I acquired a number of portfolios to hold my flatwork. Over the years they have done their job of taking care of their contents, but the exteriors have suffered damage, in some cases considerable damage and they need replacing. Also, quite a few of the mats for the mounted artwork were also severely damaged.
A couple months ago I ordered new portfolios from Amazon.
I’ve been stripping the mats from the work and stacking them so I can haul them out to the trash and sliding the artwork into the new portfolios, as well as emptying the old, trashed portfolios. I’m happy that most of what I had created has survived over the years although, of course, the few losses still hurt.
Haven’t finished that project, but I do feel satisfaction that my artwork is being transferred to new, safer storage.
I’ve pretty much stopped buying new physical books. I buy them for my Kindle, so I don’t have to worry about storage. Sometimes I’ll see something used at a great price that I’ll pick up. I’m also downloading from the library a lot more. And if I’m on the waiting list for the library download, I’ll check and very often the hardback will be in stock.
The thing is, I like to read while taking a long, hot, soaking bath. And electronics don’t mix well with water. Well, treebooks and water don’t do so well, either, but it’s not as bad and trashing your kindle.
I’m mostly buying e-books these days, but I’m not entirely averse to treebooks. I have cut back on the collection, but it’s hard.
I got rid of a lot of books last year and over the last 5 or 6 years.
I packed a lot of books last year in prep for moving that has been delays until late November. I now regret not getting rid of more books.
Part of my plan for next year is to Goodwill half of my remaining books.
Broomstick - I remember Jeff Bezos being asked for a waterproof Kindle (which they have now) and he said, “I just put mine in a ziplock bag.” Makes a ton of sense.A quart-sized bag will fit a Paperwhite.