09-19-2011, 08:06 AM | #1 |
Calibre Plugins Developer
Posts: 4,637
Karma: 2162064
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Australia
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
How to get rid of a paperback collection in UK?
Can anyone suggest to me what I should do with (guessing 300-400) paperbacks all in mint condition of popular/mainstream fiction authors (classics/fantasty/sf/thriller) that I want to be rid of from my flat in London? I have made the decision to override my sentiment and begone with them, being thoroughly converted to the world of Kindle and e-ink.
Selling them one by one isn't an option. Sitting for hours at a car boot sale isn't either. Time/value etc. What else can I do with them? Will a charity shop or something take them? Would you attempt some kind of bulk batch on ebay? How have others facing this issue got rid of them? I much prefer the Kindle reading experience for reasons stated a million times on other threads. Despite chipping away there are still at least 50-100 books in the above I haven't read yet, but I am sick of feeling "guilty" when I prefer to pickup my Kindle instead. (It isn't that my tastes in the books themeselves have changed, I just far prefer the ebook experience). The money is spent. It is only the fact that there are "hundreds" that makes me question whether giving them away (assuming I can even find a recipient) is the only thing I can do with them. Any suggestions welcomed. |
09-19-2011, 08:14 AM | #2 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,090
Karma: 6058305
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
We gave some away on our local Freecycle group, but gave most of them to a local charity shop that has a room dedicated to second hand books. If you're a UK taxpayer and you give them to a charity shop, they can have Gift Aid applied, which means that the charity will get an extra 28% on top of whatever they sell them for. You'll need to give the charity your name and address for them to be able to get Gift Aid.
|
Advert | |
|
09-19-2011, 08:21 AM | #3 |
Guru
Posts: 915
Karma: 3537194
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite
|
Very few things drop in value like a book. I had an entire pick-up truck filled with books at one time that I could hardly give away. Finally a library took them for its annual book sale.
|
09-19-2011, 08:41 AM | #4 |
Old Git
Posts: 958
Karma: 1840790
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Switzerland (mostly)
Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi
|
I gave away several thousand paperbacks and hardbacks in the UK earlier this year. I tried various charities and no-one was very interested. In the end I gave them to my family, my friends and friends of family and friends. As word got around, I got more takers. There are also jumble sales and various commercial places that raise money for charity as a side issue. I gave some to a small country station with no commercial bookstall where the stationmaster sold books for charity to travellers at 50p a pop. I also went into a Co-op supermarket recently where there was a 50p bookstall for charity. If you can't find anything like that, you could approach a venue and suggest doing it for your favourite charity.
|
09-19-2011, 08:44 AM | #5 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
Posts: 71,506
Karma: 306214458
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Norfolk, England
Device: Kindle Voyage
|
Hmm... all this does rather suggest that the resale value of paper books is dropping towards zero...
I certainly used to buy loads of second-hand books. I don't buy any now. |
Advert | |
|
09-19-2011, 08:46 AM | #6 |
Guru
Posts: 895
Karma: 4383958
Join Date: Nov 2007
Device: na
|
Car boots to get rid of any that may still have some value, we got between 25p and £1 per book, but mostly people turned their nose up even at 25p followed by visits to various charity drop offs. Depending on the genre you could always contact local nursing homes to see if they'd like a collection of books.
|
09-19-2011, 10:12 AM | #7 |
Space Cadet
Posts: 1,180
Karma: 4030536
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South Africa
Device: Sony PRS-T1, Cybook Opus, Kobo Glo
|
I think there's a UK version of Better World Books who might be interested if you want to donate - http://www.betterworldbooks.co.uk/In...ooks-m-68.aspx
Or how about selling it to Amazon? |
09-19-2011, 12:02 PM | #8 |
Fearless Writer
Posts: 210
Karma: 375317
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: In a mitten!
Device: Kobo Wifi
|
You could try your local used book shop, see if they're in the market. You might not make a lot of money, but you could make some.
|
09-19-2011, 12:10 PM | #9 |
Tea Enthusiast
Posts: 8,554
Karma: 75384937
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Somewhere in the USA
Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2
|
Try donating them to a hospital, homeless shelters, or even a prison.
|
09-19-2011, 01:21 PM | #10 |
Chasing Butterflies
Posts: 3,132
Karma: 5074169
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: American Southwest
Device: Uses batteries.
|
Someone recommended awhile back a website where you...
1. Scanned your books (hand scanners are on Amazon for ~20), 2. Boxed them up, 3. Sent them to the company (they paid the shipping) 4. Received a check. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of this place. Hold on... Here we go: http://www.cash4books.net/faq.php EDIT: Ah, crumbs, they are US-only. Maybe there's a UK version though? Last edited by anamardoll; 09-19-2011 at 01:24 PM. |
09-19-2011, 02:13 PM | #11 |
Wizard
Posts: 2,549
Karma: 3799999
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: O'Fallon, Missouri, USA
Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3
|
See about a used book store. Many will buy lots like that. If not that, donate to a library.
|
09-19-2011, 03:13 PM | #12 |
Addict
Posts: 289
Karma: 7788748
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Fun Town, Thailand
Device: Kindle DXG
|
Gut Fawkes night is only 7 weeks away.
|
09-19-2011, 03:40 PM | #13 |
Old Git
Posts: 958
Karma: 1840790
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Switzerland (mostly)
Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi
|
I tried to find a library in Switzerland that would take my serious hardback books, but they didn't really want them. I tried the local university as I thought they might be interested in scholarly books in English, but they only wanted a few popular novels! I'm not sure any libraries will necessarily want paperbacks.
|
09-19-2011, 03:44 PM | #14 |
Connoisseur
Posts: 75
Karma: 166880
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Sweden
Device: Asus Transformer, Galaxy S
|
I've given up. Breaks my heart to say it but throwing them out with the *sniff* garbage is the only option I see. It might work out better for you since the majority of my book collection was in english and swedish charities just looked at me funny when I tried to drop some off.
|
09-19-2011, 03:51 PM | #15 | |
Old Git
Posts: 958
Karma: 1840790
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Switzerland (mostly)
Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi
|
Quote:
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
disassemble a paperback ? | NASCARaddicted | Workshop | 21 | 08-14-2011 02:40 PM |
Sony - Rating as Collection - how to modify the collection-name | ThR | Devices | 6 | 03-18-2011 07:38 AM |
I want advice on how to get rid of paper book collection? | Gwen Morse | General Discussions | 30 | 02-04-2011 12:25 AM |
Deleting Books - doesn't get rid of collection | jbruce | Sony Reader | 10 | 06-15-2010 11:11 PM |
Paperback Digital Down? | Demented | News | 5 | 01-02-2008 04:48 PM |