4 ms·

I feel a bit that way about my life’s accumulation of books. I suspect that the vast majority will end up getting donated to the library book sale after I die (

by dhosek 4y ago

I feel a bit that way about my life’s accumulation of books. I suspect that the vast majority will end up getting donated to the library book sale after I die (plenty of worn and ancient paperbacks). I have made a point of pre-segregating the books that will likely have a notable resale value, but those are not many. Perhaps when I’m older but not too old I may spend some time trying to connect some of the specialized sub-collections with individual collectors who will treasure them as I did.

fy20 4y ago
I'd check if they can be donated first, rather than leaving that burden for your next of kin. The phrase also works the other way around: One man's treasure is another man's junk. When we had to clear out the apartment of MiL, she had a sizable collection of books, and a bunch of clothes and shoes that had only been worn once. We tried the library and a few different charity shops, but for most things they said no. The books went in the trash and the clothes went in a clothing recycling bin - which I guess means they also ended up in the trash.
- Symbiote 4y ago
  Clothing that can't be sold can be recycled into rags, cushion stuffing, cleaning cloths etc.
Ekaros 4y ago
I'm also kinda worried about my parents bookshelves. Some of it has probably bit over minimal resale value like book series still collected. Many things albeit interesting for period not so much actual value... I wonder how it will end up, let the people pick interesting stuff and then leave some value there and have someone buy it in bulk or get all of it and save the cost to recycling and processing it.
- dhosek 4y ago
  When my grandfather died some 30 years ago, he left behind a significant library that was of little interest to anyone but him.
paganel 4y ago
Hopefully all of my (by now many) physical books will get donated to the village library from where my mother grew up and where my parents live right now. I remember I borrowed a David Copperfield translation and never returned it, that happened about ~30 years ago. I still feel guilty about it from time to time.
- flybrand 4y ago
  Libraries Are over run - few take donations.
  - pfdietz 4y ago
    Here in Ithaca, NY the "Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library" has a book sale of donated books twice a year. Each sale goes over several weeks with prices declining, with the last day being "$1 for a medium sized bag full of books". After the sale a large dumpster is parked out front and the volunteers fill it with things that didn't sell, to be sent off for disposal (recycling, I think.) https://www.booksale.org/ https://www.booksale.org/
- dageshi 4y ago
  Based on personal experiences trying to give away my collection of 2000's scifi/fantasy books, it's hard even to give them away. The physical book market is shrinking and a significant portion of new readers likely use ebooks/audiobooks instead so there's just far less demand for physical books. I think it's going to be very hard to even give books away in the coming decades, I can see the vast majority going to recycling.
  - pfdietz 4y ago
    Did you try a used book store? They'll at least take them off your hands for a nominal amount, even if they then throw most of them away. Half Priced Books has this business model.
    - ghaff 4y ago
cwingrav 4y ago
I bought a used book online, and it had a person's last name and a book club in it. I was able to trace it back to a woman in the Carolinas that died without family. Her obituary gave a bit of her life story and I treasure the book all the more because I know a bit about the woman and how she loved reading and gardening (it was a gardening book). Somethings do get passed on.
- dhosek 4y ago
  I have a book which has some diary entries written at the ends of chapters. It seems that the diarist's wife wanted them to move from the farm they lived on and the diarist was reluctant to do so but was going to acquiesce out of love for his wife.

by dhosek 4y ago

fy20 4y ago

I'd check if they can be donated first, rather than leaving that burden for your next of kin. The phrase also works the other way around: One man's treasure is another man's junk. When we had to clear out the apartment of MiL, she had a sizable collection of books, and a bunch of clothes and shoes that had only been worn once. We tried the library and a few different charity shops, but for most things they said no. The books went in the trash and the clothes went in a clothing recycling bin - which I guess means they also ended up in the trash.

Symbiote 4y ago
Clothing that can't be sold can be recycled into rags, cushion stuffing, cleaning cloths etc.

Ekaros 4y ago

I'm also kinda worried about my parents bookshelves. Some of it has probably bit over minimal resale value like book series still collected. Many things albeit interesting for period not so much actual value... I wonder how it will end up, let the people pick interesting stuff and then leave some value there and have someone buy it in bulk or get all of it and save the cost to recycling and processing it.

dhosek 4y ago
When my grandfather died some 30 years ago, he left behind a significant library that was of little interest to anyone but him.

paganel 4y ago

Hopefully all of my (by now many) physical books will get donated to the village library from where my mother grew up and where my parents live right now. I remember I borrowed a David Copperfield translation and never returned it, that happened about ~30 years ago. I still feel guilty about it from time to time.

flybrand 4y ago
Libraries Are over run - few take donations.
- pfdietz 4y ago
  Here in Ithaca, NY the "Friends of the Tompkins County Public Library" has a book sale of donated books twice a year. Each sale goes over several weeks with prices declining, with the last day being "$1 for a medium sized bag full of books". After the sale a large dumpster is parked out front and the volunteers fill it with things that didn't sell, to be sent off for disposal (recycling, I think.) https://www.booksale.org/ https://www.booksale.org/
dageshi 4y ago
Based on personal experiences trying to give away my collection of 2000's scifi/fantasy books, it's hard even to give them away. The physical book market is shrinking and a significant portion of new readers likely use ebooks/audiobooks instead so there's just far less demand for physical books. I think it's going to be very hard to even give books away in the coming decades, I can see the vast majority going to recycling.
- pfdietz 4y ago
  Did you try a used book store? They'll at least take them off your hands for a nominal amount, even if they then throw most of them away. Half Priced Books has this business model.
  - ghaff 4y ago

cwingrav 4y ago

I bought a used book online, and it had a person's last name and a book club in it. I was able to trace it back to a woman in the Carolinas that died without family. Her obituary gave a bit of her life story and I treasure the book all the more because I know a bit about the woman and how she loved reading and gardening (it was a gardening book). Somethings do get passed on.

dhosek 4y ago
I have a book which has some diary entries written at the ends of chapters. It seems that the diarist's wife wanted them to move from the farm they lived on and the diarist was reluctant to do so but was going to acquiesce out of love for his wife.