Jennings Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I drastically culled my book collection recently. The culls are sitting in great piles in my living room, and I really want to have them live with somebody who will appreciate and enjoy them. I really have no idea how to go about getting rid of them though. To put them on eBay or Amazon would take ***way*** more time and effort than I have to devote to it. Even making a comprehensive list is going to take a lot of time. Donating them en masse to Goodwill or the library isn't really an answer, as they're really only of interest to airplane geeks. They'd end up trashing most of them I suspect. Any thoughts?? I'm getting tired of looking at the stacks in the living room floor :( J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigasshammm Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 No air museums anywhere in your vicinity? They would take them regardless of if they'd use them probably and you could get a nice tax break on them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neo Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 You can always donate them to ARC Members ask to cover shipping cost Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 No air museums anywhere in your vicinity? They would take them regardless of if they'd use them probably and you could get a nice tax break on them. Not really. I doubt I could even fit all of them in my little Honda. The closest museum is in Charlotte, 3 hours away. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 You can always donate them to ARC Members ask to cover shipping cost +2. Still a pain in that you would have to package and ship each one but at least they would all be going to "good homes" instead of the nearest landfill. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 I'm not about to put them on the burn pile. Some will have to be sold off, as they're not "give away" material ($$$), but a lot I would let go to a good home. I wish the used book fairy would just come to my house and take them away! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bigasshammm Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) Unfortunately you're probably going to have to inventory them or at least group them edit:(them not ten) together into sub categories to peak peoples interest on here. Im an avid book lover but the shipping cost alone or something that large is probably out of my budget. You should have gotten a table at the Nats may have paid for your entire trip jut in book sales! Edited August 20, 2012 by Bigasshammm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 If there is a Half Price books in the area, you could take a few there to sell. But the payouts they offer typically is not much at all compared to what they might be "worth" to you or others since Half Price is in the business of selling books to make a profit. Still, it might be a way to cull some of the herd down to a few juicy tidbits which can sell at higher prices potentially. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Just remember there are airplane nerds out there that would be interested. Im one of them, but I am cutting the collection down myself. I still love walking into some little used book store and finding a bunch of rare or never seen airplane books. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mustanger Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) Agree! Edited August 20, 2012 by mustanger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mustanger Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) Unfortunately you're probably going to have to inventory them or at least group ten together into sub categories to peak peoples interest on here. Im an avid book lover .... Agree! Edited August 20, 2012 by mustanger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 I'm in a rural, fairly remote area. We don't have anything like Half Price books closer than 3-4 hours away. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mustanger Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Start typing in titles and you'll probably draw immediate interest, and buyers. Just take it a few at a time so the effort doesn't become a total hassle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grey Ghost 531 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) The library in Jeffersonville, Vermont has two book sales a year where the sell their culls and also sell donated books. They use the money to buy new books and to support community programs. Do small towns in Virginia have such libraries? I know the library here will come and pick up donations. My wife is a volunteer there. No, she won't drive down to Virginia to pick up your books. Edited August 20, 2012 by Grey Ghost 531 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 I have my doubts that the library would want them. The audience for purchasing 99% of what I have in the local area is pretty much limited to me. There just aren't a lot of dyed in the wool airplane geeks around this area. They have a sign up that says what particular types of books they're willing to take. Unfortunately they get inundated with gobs of stuff they can't sell apparently. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JasonW Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I know I'd be willing to pay shipping on probably several of the books, but without know any of the titles it obviously is moot. I'm sure that there are plenty of folks here that would do the same. Maybe taking pictures of the spines of the hardcovers would get you started? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
deadmeat Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I would go ahead and contact your local library and see if they want them. I worked for a library system for five years and was responsible for collecting donations all over our county. Whatever the library didn't take and add to their collection was given to our "Friends of the Library" organization for their annual book sale (which went to benefit the library). With library budgets so tight these days they just may jump at the chance no matter what the subject matter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 I've got a list started, but I got sidetracked with life. I'll try to get it finished. Maybe I can recruit a 12 year old to help me :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
niart17 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) If they are in stacks, perhaps just a bunch of well taken photos of the end binders (provided they have the name printed there) in stacks would at least cut down on the immediate need to type up a full list. Post the pics first and maybe that will cull some of them down? Bill edit: oops, didn't read Jason's full entry above....yeah, what he said. Edited August 20, 2012 by niart17 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fulcrum1 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 If they do go for sale I have dibs on anything Israeli, SR-71, and F-4! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
majortomski Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Jennings if you go to the NASM pages, they now have each currator for each area listed. I'd email the reseach department, explain that you're a serious collector and that you'd like to investigate donating your collection. They might just come and get them. Mtc Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lucien Harpress Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I'm sure if you were able to organize them a bit, they would go like hotcakes on these boards. Heck, I'm even interested in a few myself, and I'm not even sure what you've got! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Jennings if you go to the NASM pages, they now have each currator for each area listed. I'd email the reseach department, explain that you're a serious collector and that you'd like to investigate donating your collection. They might just come and get them. Mtc Tom My best friend is an archivist there. I don't have anything that's not already in the NASM collection (or at least anything of any real use). They don't have money to sweep the floors, much less drive five hours to pick up a load of books! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nerdling Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I'm interested in some as well and I don't even know what you have lol. But if anything is about the P-38 you have my attention hehe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mightymax Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I would be interested in them especially A-20, A-26, B-25 and B-26 stuff that I may not already have. I would suggest possibly posting on Craigslist with aviation books. You probably will get someone interetsed in planes to give em a look... Cheers Max Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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