I have always loved book sales. Finding a book I've been looking for or looking through boxes of books and coming across something that looks interesting has been a fun activity.
I've been co-coordinator of our Friends of the Library Book Sale for more years than I'd like to admit. I like to say that as coordinators we do our civic duty by recycling books that our donors cannot recycle for themselves. There are several categories of books that end up in the "Do not pass go, do not collect $200" category otherwise known as the recycling bin.
These include:
* Any textbook with a publication date prior to 2007. You would be amazed how many people hang on to textbooks. Most of those textbooks haven't been opened since the final exam for the class was taken, yet someone has held on to the book for decades.
* Travel books that have been on a book shelf for years. While the book may have been helpful on your 1995 tour of Madrid, it's highly unlikely that the hotels and restaurants are still around.
* How-to books, especially anything that catered to the y2k bug. News flash, we made it from 1999 to 2000 without any problems. Some people made big bucks on the books they wrote and the fear they created. No one wants the books in 2011.
* Anything that has mold, has fallen into the tub, or has cat pee odor. The latter drives us up the wall and we usually have to get rid of the entire box of books when a cat has decided to relieve him/herself on your books.
* If you've had to use a rubber band to keep it together, chances are good that no one wants the book.
* If the title is "The Bridges of Madison County" there is no market for the book. Sad, but oh so true!
* The "Idiot's Guide to Microsoft Word '95" is best served by lining your bird cage. No one wants it and it will not sell.
* Reader's Digest Condensed Books. What exactly do they leave out? 1/3 of the plot? 1/3 of the dialogue? I think they are terrific for making altered books or having colored coordinated bookshelves.
* The encyclopedia that has been on your shelf since 1955 - the "someday man will land on the moon" version. The internet has made old encyclopedias nearly worthless.
* Softcover books that were "perfect bound", a misnomer if ever there was one. The perfect binding is notorious for splitting from the spine.
Book lovers are a rare breed. They treasure books and parting with books is so very difficult. The love of book obliterates the rational evaluation of each book. If only I could make a living getting rid of the worthless books of others!
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