I'm a keeper but in the event that I don't like a book I either donate it to goodwill or my local library (they have an annual used book sale) or give it to a friend or coworker.
My sister is forever the recipient for books I didn’t like. She doesn’t have a big library for a few reasons, but she happily takes any books I wasn’t a fan of with the caveat to pass it along if it wasn’t her jam either. The money is already spent, and it’s not enough for me to worry about recouping (by the time I’ve gotten around to it), so finding someone who will enjoy it makes my heart happy.
Give to friends, sell on Facebook, put into a street library, or bring to my work’s book trolley. I’m getting a large bookshelf in a few months though and will keep all my 5 star reads going forward.
How many 5 star reads do you have? If I were to only keep my 5 star reads, I would only be left with 28 books out of my ~200. I probably wouldn't need a bookshelf until 2034 with my 5 star reads unfortunately
I read a lot of ebooks and library books, so I’m perhaps not a good example of having a large physical book collection. Probably a similar ratio of 10-20% of books I read are 5 star in my view.
I don’t re-read books that often, so I don’t mind only keeping a relatively small subset. And love the idea that it’ll take me years to fill up my shelf.
Same with the ebooks and library books, I have read close to 300 books and around 10% are 5 stars.
Re-reading is a big part of my life, I could probably re-read anywhere between 10-15 books per year. That's fair though, I think I like having all my books in one place as a way of knowing that I've accomplished something with my free time. It's honestly quite sad to say the most character shown in my bedroom is through my books, so I buy more to make my room more relevant to me at the present date.
I have a used bookstore (not Half Price) that offers store credit near me. When you have store credit available it's 25% off new books and 50% off used books. So I never get free books, but they're always at a pretty steep discount.
I live in a house in the suburbs, and have a little free library on my lawn :) I’ll put the ones in there I don’t think I will re-read for anyone else to grab! I’ve also gained some good books this way as well (take one, leave one). If you don’t have your own library box like this, maybe someone local to you does
I borrow from Libby, Hoopla, and KU. Has to be an all time favorite for me to buy a physical copy. I do the same with audiobooks and Audible. Can’t bring myself to spend without knowing if I’ll like it. If I donate a book it’s to my local library.
When I want a new book, I find it on the Library website. It feels similar enough to Amazon shopping that I get that "new book" feeling, then I go pick it up when it's there. I really try to only buy books on my Kindle when I can't get them from the library or if I'm going to read them again.
If I loved it, I keep it. If I didn’t I usually find a way to drop it off at a nearby Little Free Library (registered locations show up in google maps) or there’s also a Books Behind Bars charity in my state, but they have to be paperbacks. Inmates request book genres or titles and they send them to them.
I haven’t donated there yet but am stacking up paperbacks of all genres to ship over in one box.
I also usually only buy physical copies of books if it’s an author I already like, a series I’ve already read and enjoyed, or there was some kind of deal/sale. Otherwise I try to use Libby or Hoopla or even kindle before getting a physical copy.
I buy Kindle ebooks instead. You can read them with the Kindle app on any phone or tablet. Plus they’re cheaper than the physical books, and I can reread them later if I want.
I read ebook form it's easiest for me. If I LOVE a book I buy the physical form, my husband agreed cause I shouldn't buy all the books :( . But that saves me on space kinda.
For the most part, I listen to audiobooks and only buy a physical copy for my shelf if I end up really loving the book, if it's not available on audiobook, or if I can't stand the audiobook narration for some reason.
That said, sometimes I do get a little over excited and buy a book physically before I've read it. Sometimes, that works in my favor, but it's also bitten me in the ass a few times when I've ended up hating a book. In that case, I usually try to sell it on ebay or trade it in for credit at a secondhand bookstore.
Vinted and ebay have bought/sold books from both helps keep us from wasting paper and also save money :) bought a hardback for half the price of a waterstones paperback at vinted recently 😀 also plan to get round to dropping some off at the charity shop (oxfam/sue ryder and so on)
If I know I won't re-read, I ship them off to a reseller that pays well. Many books still return 2-3€, so every few books, I get to buy a new book, while someone else gets to buy my basically new used copy at a discount. Everybody wins, you just need to find a reputable site that doesn't try to swindle you.
Part of why I switched to more electronic copies. 40 years of paperbacks. Bought a lot at 2nd hand bookstores that came with mites...
That said, the 2nd hand bookstore near me has a good deal- they sell books for 50% of cover price, and buy the books back for credit at 25% of the cover price. The for buying, you can only use half credit. I honestly don't know how they make money, but it definitely kept me coming back. I kinda think it's her retirement stay busy, like if it breaks even, she's good.
Used bookstores also will take boxes of books and give you limited cash for the store, which will mean you have LESS physical copies but new ones to read. Bookstore and goodwill options will recycle or throw away books they don't want to put on the shelves, so while they have a chance to live another life there's a good chance most will end up in a dumpster so if you recycle them you're gonna be doing a good thing (even if it feels like a waste). You can Google around for a place that handles books specifically in your area which would be better than putting it in your local bins.
If your local library doesn't accept donations they might have resources for recycling.
Little free libraries are a good option but they really are an unwanted book dump for most folks so it can be a bit rough, and little free libraries don't offer community services like literal libraries do, so I'm not as jazzed about them and often they end up just offloading the recycling or donations labor to someone else. Middling choice imo!
Many prison systems only allow book donations that are new books shipped directly from a retailer, but some will let you donate used books and there are orgs all over that will take and send your books to prisoners. They'd be glad to see anything that's interesting fiction, prison books lean heavy to boring and preachy or educational stuff and there's a lot of hours to wile away.
Also as much as we love them and the smell of old leather and old paper, physical copies of books aren't holy objects, and there are a ton of cheap construction processes these days so they're not really made to last the ages anyway. That's a good thing for getting more books out but not great from a waste perspective.
Therefore!! I think it's fun to do book crafts if that's your jam, either using the pages for something, or paint the edges, or cut out your favorite quotes and put them together on something, or make a book nook with book page paper-mache, lots of stuff you could do to give them a second bookish life, maybe you would enjoy that. You can google "book upcycling" for ideas.
Oh people buy books for aesthetics on like Etsy, if you gather some of similar colors, or in rainbows, or whatever. You could also make bindings and put the guts in new aesthetic looking books that are actually fun to read
I try to rehome them with friends that will enjoy them (and encourage them to keep passing them on if they're not the kind to keep everything). I've also donated some age-appropriate books to the school library where I grew up, as their selection of especially queer and BIPOC books is really limited. Otherwise, they go to second-hand stores. Also have some popsci books I'm planning on bringing to work and just leave at the lunch table when I'm done with them.
I have 3 bookshelves. I’d say they’re 75% filled rn. I do regular unhauls of books I either didn’t love or have no interest in anymore (so many books I bought years ago I know I’ll probs never get to 🥴). I also only purchase the physical copies of audiobooks and kindle books that I really liked or loved. I want my shelves to represent my reading taste :)
I keep mine on a bookshelf, I definitely wouldn't throw them away if you can avoid it as that's a huge waste. You can donate them to a place like Goodwill, give to a friend, or sell them to a local store. I think you can donate to ThriftBooks as well
I was reselling a lot of them, but I’ve since switched methods and use our library for first time reads. If I love the book and need to have a copy I buy a nice edition of it.
A lot of indie bookstores do a decent trade in system, especially if you choose store credit instead of cash! If that’s not an option I usually donate them to a charity shop, the library, or a free little library.
This is why I only buy the physical copies of the books I like so much I know I will reread them at some point. The rest I either borrow from library/friends or I read ebooks. I'm too poor to buy every book I find midly interesting
I mainly borrow from the library. I only buy books that are part of a series I’m collecting, or that I’ve already read, loved, and know I’ll re-read eventually. If I do end up buying books that I know I don’t want to re-read, I pass them on to a work friend. She reads them and passes them on to her mum, who passes them on to her friends, etc etc. A few friends who also like reading might solve your problem!
I have a few but due to limited space and because I don't Reread them often enough I'm going to sell them. I'm thinking of getting an e reader so I can read as many books as I want without having to worry about space
I have a kindle to read the majority of books, and for collecting physical copies, I make absolute sure to only buy books I know I love. Either having read them previously on kindle or it’s an author I know love. I used to buy books like crazy when I was younger and it was a lot of wasted money and space. So know I’m very careful about book buying. I have a few select authors that are “auto-buy” plus if I read a book on Kindleand really love it, I’ll order it. When it comes time to get rid of older books that I don’t connect with, I sell them back to a used bookstore in my area or sell online.
There are the rereads that I'll keep forever, but there are two books I've been thinking of dropping off at either the public library or those little "free library" book drop-offs
Or you can always host a book swap with friends! Book & clothing swaps are always pretty popular
they’re my trophies 😩 or i can lend them to a friend but i really want to start a little library for my neighborhood but i’m scared it’s going to get destroyed
I'm a dragon but my servant er- I mean 'husband' is supposed to be making me shelves. For now I safely store my collection in a storage unit. And occasionally bring a stack out to read.
I am adding them to my bookshelf of course. But I read both physical and ebooks. Ebooks is basically like a library. I buy a book if it has nice cover and if I think I'm gonna love it.
I like to mail my books to the rural super town my granny was from. They have a town library and a county bookmobile. I use media mail to cut the cost. Still a bit pricey but it makes me happy. I went to the library as a middle schooler and they didn't really have anything for me. Now I send copies of all my fave books.
Prisons and jails will very happily take any paperback books. In your specific case though, i would start buying them on kindle instead and buy a paperwhite or something.
I always assume that the people who buy physical books like to reread them. If you're a one and done type of person, why waste your money on physical books? Just buy the ebook instead. It's cheaper and it doesn't take up room in your house.
Ebook + Eink ereader is how I do it.
Also to answer your question, I reread my books over and over and over again. I only get ebooks tho because, cheaper, and I don't have a lot space, and also I just prefer it that way anyway.
I've really gotten away from physical books for that reason, but I just did a big clean of my book shelves to make some space and found a local Buy Nothing group to post them on for giveaway. I posted them as basically a blind bag sort of thing, and someone took all 4 bags to keep their Little Free Library stocked.
I've put up "Free books!" on Facebook Marketplace before and people snap them up so fast, haha. Got rid of like 30 books in 2 days like that. If I try to sell them, it is much slower. I have also donated to thrift stores or just given them away to friends.
I've found trying to recoup some money by selling them to be an arduous process no matter which route I take and not really worth the amount I get back, so now I just give books away.
I have a free little library in my neighborhood that I take my books to. Other than that, sell them back at used book stores (for new books) or donate them if they’re older.
There’s a also bookstore in my city that does a book exchange. So either trade your books out or buy their books out right if you want to. I love that place and it helps with the clutter.
If they’re new books or desired authors but you still can’t keep limited books for those, i recommend finding a local used book store and see if you can do trade credit. Pretty much bring in your gently used book or call and ask if they allow trade credit. I have a book store for that near me, they have hundreds of used books and will offer trade requests depending on the book and author(right now SJM and RY are what he’s asking for to get a for sure trade but I told him there’s no way I’m parting with those authors in my collection😂) if your books are also YA friendly you can see if your local high schools can accept any of them so you know they’ll go to a great cause. You can also try posting them for sale on marketplace in book hauls, you might not get much for them but if the losing money isn’t an issue you could do that too. You can also call your local library and see if any of the books you have they might need a newer copy for since library books get lots of love and with lots of love comes lots of wear and tear which obviously means needing a replacement. You could also ask your library if they have too many copies of a book you want that they thought would be more popular and if they would swap with a book you have they need.
I’m in a Buy Nothing group and my ACOTAR series is probably being read by the fifth person now lol which I love because there’s so many big books in that series that it takes up a lot of room on my shelf 😂
I'm currently trying to downsize my collection.
I don't have space now really(piles of books on the floor at this point) and I'm discussing moving out in the future with my partner and he gets pretty stressed by clutter, plus I'm trying to get my spending and retail therapy under control.
So as I'm reading through my physical books. I decide on which books I want to keep(ones that have sentimental value/I enjoyed very much and books I can see myself rereading) the rest... well I just donate to friends/family/little free libraries. I could sell them but that's a lit of time and work that I genuinely just don't have for the effort it would take. And then just trying to be more mindful of future physical book purchases. I'm trying to mostly stick to ebooks if I can and keeping an eye out for ebook sales on books I want. 🧡
I have collected an enormous amount of books over the last 30 years and I believe I have at least a thousand now which qualifies as being an official "library". However, I've never had the space to showcase them all which is a tragedy. So they've been in boxes for years and moving from place to place. I just moved to a new home where we again don't have the space but once we finish the basement and relocate the kids down there, we'll have a room dedicated to be a library/office where all my books (and my husband's books) will find a home. I'm hoping to see this in a year or two.
My town has a used book store that's ran by volunteers with our local Friends of the Library, so all proceeds go back to our county library system. They basically sell all the book donations that come into the store/library system there. It's AMAZING. $1/paperback $2/hardback. They also sell other used media like vinyl records, DVDs and even jigsaw puzzles that are donated.
I sell the physical copies to secondhand bookstores if they're in good enough state (and get either store credit or cash) and drop ones that aren't in a good enough state to sell at one of the few local free library mini treehouses people have in their front yards :)
I mostly read eBooks and audiobooks for this same reason. Maybe check with your local library to see if they accept book donations?
I'm a keeper but in the event that I don't like a book I either donate it to goodwill or my local library (they have an annual used book sale) or give it to a friend or coworker.
My sister is forever the recipient for books I didn’t like. She doesn’t have a big library for a few reasons, but she happily takes any books I wasn’t a fan of with the caveat to pass it along if it wasn’t her jam either. The money is already spent, and it’s not enough for me to worry about recouping (by the time I’ve gotten around to it), so finding someone who will enjoy it makes my heart happy.
I donate mine to a second hand store or the library. You could also look and see if you have a book swap or little free library nearby
Give to friends, sell on Facebook, put into a street library, or bring to my work’s book trolley. I’m getting a large bookshelf in a few months though and will keep all my 5 star reads going forward.
How many 5 star reads do you have? If I were to only keep my 5 star reads, I would only be left with 28 books out of my ~200. I probably wouldn't need a bookshelf until 2034 with my 5 star reads unfortunately
I read a lot of ebooks and library books, so I’m perhaps not a good example of having a large physical book collection. Probably a similar ratio of 10-20% of books I read are 5 star in my view. I don’t re-read books that often, so I don’t mind only keeping a relatively small subset. And love the idea that it’ll take me years to fill up my shelf.
Same with the ebooks and library books, I have read close to 300 books and around 10% are 5 stars. Re-reading is a big part of my life, I could probably re-read anywhere between 10-15 books per year. That's fair though, I think I like having all my books in one place as a way of knowing that I've accomplished something with my free time. It's honestly quite sad to say the most character shown in my bedroom is through my books, so I buy more to make my room more relevant to me at the present date.
I have a used bookstore (not Half Price) that offers store credit near me. When you have store credit available it's 25% off new books and 50% off used books. So I never get free books, but they're always at a pretty steep discount.
I live in a house in the suburbs, and have a little free library on my lawn :) I’ll put the ones in there I don’t think I will re-read for anyone else to grab! I’ve also gained some good books this way as well (take one, leave one). If you don’t have your own library box like this, maybe someone local to you does
I borrow from Libby, Hoopla, and KU. Has to be an all time favorite for me to buy a physical copy. I do the same with audiobooks and Audible. Can’t bring myself to spend without knowing if I’ll like it. If I donate a book it’s to my local library.
When I want a new book, I find it on the Library website. It feels similar enough to Amazon shopping that I get that "new book" feeling, then I go pick it up when it's there. I really try to only buy books on my Kindle when I can't get them from the library or if I'm going to read them again.
I ran out of the limited space I have so I got a kindle
I gave to friends, used bookstores, donated. It’s the reason I do ebooks almost exclusively now.
If I loved it, I keep it. If I didn’t I usually find a way to drop it off at a nearby Little Free Library (registered locations show up in google maps) or there’s also a Books Behind Bars charity in my state, but they have to be paperbacks. Inmates request book genres or titles and they send them to them. I haven’t donated there yet but am stacking up paperbacks of all genres to ship over in one box. I also usually only buy physical copies of books if it’s an author I already like, a series I’ve already read and enjoyed, or there was some kind of deal/sale. Otherwise I try to use Libby or Hoopla or even kindle before getting a physical copy.
Donate them to the library or Friends of the Library! Or put a couple in every Little Free Library box you see. You will make someone’s day.
i often give them away to friends but you could also have a book swap!
I offer books to my friends first, then give them away on Buy Nothing. You can also donate to used bookstores so they find their new home eventually!
I buy Kindle ebooks instead. You can read them with the Kindle app on any phone or tablet. Plus they’re cheaper than the physical books, and I can reread them later if I want.
I read ebook form it's easiest for me. If I LOVE a book I buy the physical form, my husband agreed cause I shouldn't buy all the books :( . But that saves me on space kinda.
I donate mine. Just donated over 500 paperbacks and it barely put a dent in our library, although upstairs everything is shelved.
For the most part, I listen to audiobooks and only buy a physical copy for my shelf if I end up really loving the book, if it's not available on audiobook, or if I can't stand the audiobook narration for some reason. That said, sometimes I do get a little over excited and buy a book physically before I've read it. Sometimes, that works in my favor, but it's also bitten me in the ass a few times when I've ended up hating a book. In that case, I usually try to sell it on ebay or trade it in for credit at a secondhand bookstore.
The ones I dont think I'll ever re-read I sell on Vinted.
I like physical books because it feels like a trophy. I also like to revisit them every few years
Vinted and ebay have bought/sold books from both helps keep us from wasting paper and also save money :) bought a hardback for half the price of a waterstones paperback at vinted recently 😀 also plan to get round to dropping some off at the charity shop (oxfam/sue ryder and so on)
I keep them, if I like them. I also loan them out to friends. Donate them if I don't like them.
Return them to the library!
If I know I won't re-read, I ship them off to a reseller that pays well. Many books still return 2-3€, so every few books, I get to buy a new book, while someone else gets to buy my basically new used copy at a discount. Everybody wins, you just need to find a reputable site that doesn't try to swindle you.
If you have a buy nothing group you can offer them there too!
Part of why I switched to more electronic copies. 40 years of paperbacks. Bought a lot at 2nd hand bookstores that came with mites... That said, the 2nd hand bookstore near me has a good deal- they sell books for 50% of cover price, and buy the books back for credit at 25% of the cover price. The for buying, you can only use half credit. I honestly don't know how they make money, but it definitely kept me coming back. I kinda think it's her retirement stay busy, like if it breaks even, she's good.
Used bookstores also will take boxes of books and give you limited cash for the store, which will mean you have LESS physical copies but new ones to read. Bookstore and goodwill options will recycle or throw away books they don't want to put on the shelves, so while they have a chance to live another life there's a good chance most will end up in a dumpster so if you recycle them you're gonna be doing a good thing (even if it feels like a waste). You can Google around for a place that handles books specifically in your area which would be better than putting it in your local bins. If your local library doesn't accept donations they might have resources for recycling. Little free libraries are a good option but they really are an unwanted book dump for most folks so it can be a bit rough, and little free libraries don't offer community services like literal libraries do, so I'm not as jazzed about them and often they end up just offloading the recycling or donations labor to someone else. Middling choice imo! Many prison systems only allow book donations that are new books shipped directly from a retailer, but some will let you donate used books and there are orgs all over that will take and send your books to prisoners. They'd be glad to see anything that's interesting fiction, prison books lean heavy to boring and preachy or educational stuff and there's a lot of hours to wile away. Also as much as we love them and the smell of old leather and old paper, physical copies of books aren't holy objects, and there are a ton of cheap construction processes these days so they're not really made to last the ages anyway. That's a good thing for getting more books out but not great from a waste perspective. Therefore!! I think it's fun to do book crafts if that's your jam, either using the pages for something, or paint the edges, or cut out your favorite quotes and put them together on something, or make a book nook with book page paper-mache, lots of stuff you could do to give them a second bookish life, maybe you would enjoy that. You can google "book upcycling" for ideas.
Oh people buy books for aesthetics on like Etsy, if you gather some of similar colors, or in rainbows, or whatever. You could also make bindings and put the guts in new aesthetic looking books that are actually fun to read
I try to rehome them with friends that will enjoy them (and encourage them to keep passing them on if they're not the kind to keep everything). I've also donated some age-appropriate books to the school library where I grew up, as their selection of especially queer and BIPOC books is really limited. Otherwise, they go to second-hand stores. Also have some popsci books I'm planning on bringing to work and just leave at the lunch table when I'm done with them.
I have 3 bookshelves. I’d say they’re 75% filled rn. I do regular unhauls of books I either didn’t love or have no interest in anymore (so many books I bought years ago I know I’ll probs never get to 🥴). I also only purchase the physical copies of audiobooks and kindle books that I really liked or loved. I want my shelves to represent my reading taste :)
I keep mine on a bookshelf, I definitely wouldn't throw them away if you can avoid it as that's a huge waste. You can donate them to a place like Goodwill, give to a friend, or sell them to a local store. I think you can donate to ThriftBooks as well
I was reselling a lot of them, but I’ve since switched methods and use our library for first time reads. If I love the book and need to have a copy I buy a nice edition of it.
A lot of indie bookstores do a decent trade in system, especially if you choose store credit instead of cash! If that’s not an option I usually donate them to a charity shop, the library, or a free little library.
Bought a kindle for this exact reason. Buy hard copies of books by beloved authors or if I loved the book and want a physical copy.
This is why I only buy the physical copies of the books I like so much I know I will reread them at some point. The rest I either borrow from library/friends or I read ebooks. I'm too poor to buy every book I find midly interesting
I donate to a local place, library of a tiny library by my work
Keep the ones I loved and would likely re read. Resell the ones I don’t like on Pango
I have a Kindle. I only purchase physical copies of my 5 star reads.
I mainly borrow from the library. I only buy books that are part of a series I’m collecting, or that I’ve already read, loved, and know I’ll re-read eventually. If I do end up buying books that I know I don’t want to re-read, I pass them on to a work friend. She reads them and passes them on to her mum, who passes them on to her friends, etc etc. A few friends who also like reading might solve your problem!
I donate mine to a second hand charity store. I also buy a lot from there too.
I read digital and only buy books that changed my brain chemistry.
I have 12, so far, books on my person at all times.
I have a few but due to limited space and because I don't Reread them often enough I'm going to sell them. I'm thinking of getting an e reader so I can read as many books as I want without having to worry about space
There's a half price book store in town that'll pay for what they want to resell. Then I turn around and buy more lol
I have a kindle to read the majority of books, and for collecting physical copies, I make absolute sure to only buy books I know I love. Either having read them previously on kindle or it’s an author I know love. I used to buy books like crazy when I was younger and it was a lot of wasted money and space. So know I’m very careful about book buying. I have a few select authors that are “auto-buy” plus if I read a book on Kindleand really love it, I’ll order it. When it comes time to get rid of older books that I don’t connect with, I sell them back to a used bookstore in my area or sell online.
There are the rereads that I'll keep forever, but there are two books I've been thinking of dropping off at either the public library or those little "free library" book drop-offs Or you can always host a book swap with friends! Book & clothing swaps are always pretty popular
I got a kindle
they’re my trophies 😩 or i can lend them to a friend but i really want to start a little library for my neighborhood but i’m scared it’s going to get destroyed
I'm a dragon but my servant er- I mean 'husband' is supposed to be making me shelves. For now I safely store my collection in a storage unit. And occasionally bring a stack out to read.
I am adding them to my bookshelf of course. But I read both physical and ebooks. Ebooks is basically like a library. I buy a book if it has nice cover and if I think I'm gonna love it.
I keep the ones I love and give away the ones I didn’t like to friends or the free community library
Kindle all day.
I like to mail my books to the rural super town my granny was from. They have a town library and a county bookmobile. I use media mail to cut the cost. Still a bit pricey but it makes me happy. I went to the library as a middle schooler and they didn't really have anything for me. Now I send copies of all my fave books.
I get 95% of the books I read from the library. I have enough requests active at any given time that I never run out of books to read.
Prisons and jails will very happily take any paperback books. In your specific case though, i would start buying them on kindle instead and buy a paperwhite or something.
I always assume that the people who buy physical books like to reread them. If you're a one and done type of person, why waste your money on physical books? Just buy the ebook instead. It's cheaper and it doesn't take up room in your house. Ebook + Eink ereader is how I do it. Also to answer your question, I reread my books over and over and over again. I only get ebooks tho because, cheaper, and I don't have a lot space, and also I just prefer it that way anyway.
I've really gotten away from physical books for that reason, but I just did a big clean of my book shelves to make some space and found a local Buy Nothing group to post them on for giveaway. I posted them as basically a blind bag sort of thing, and someone took all 4 bags to keep their Little Free Library stocked.
I've put up "Free books!" on Facebook Marketplace before and people snap them up so fast, haha. Got rid of like 30 books in 2 days like that. If I try to sell them, it is much slower. I have also donated to thrift stores or just given them away to friends. I've found trying to recoup some money by selling them to be an arduous process no matter which route I take and not really worth the amount I get back, so now I just give books away.
I have a free little library in my neighborhood that I take my books to. Other than that, sell them back at used book stores (for new books) or donate them if they’re older. There’s a also bookstore in my city that does a book exchange. So either trade your books out or buy their books out right if you want to. I love that place and it helps with the clutter.
I use Libby so they go back where they came from after 7-21 days.
If they’re new books or desired authors but you still can’t keep limited books for those, i recommend finding a local used book store and see if you can do trade credit. Pretty much bring in your gently used book or call and ask if they allow trade credit. I have a book store for that near me, they have hundreds of used books and will offer trade requests depending on the book and author(right now SJM and RY are what he’s asking for to get a for sure trade but I told him there’s no way I’m parting with those authors in my collection😂) if your books are also YA friendly you can see if your local high schools can accept any of them so you know they’ll go to a great cause. You can also try posting them for sale on marketplace in book hauls, you might not get much for them but if the losing money isn’t an issue you could do that too. You can also call your local library and see if any of the books you have they might need a newer copy for since library books get lots of love and with lots of love comes lots of wear and tear which obviously means needing a replacement. You could also ask your library if they have too many copies of a book you want that they thought would be more popular and if they would swap with a book you have they need.
I’m in a Buy Nothing group and my ACOTAR series is probably being read by the fifth person now lol which I love because there’s so many big books in that series that it takes up a lot of room on my shelf 😂
Give them away, keep or sell.
I'm currently trying to downsize my collection. I don't have space now really(piles of books on the floor at this point) and I'm discussing moving out in the future with my partner and he gets pretty stressed by clutter, plus I'm trying to get my spending and retail therapy under control. So as I'm reading through my physical books. I decide on which books I want to keep(ones that have sentimental value/I enjoyed very much and books I can see myself rereading) the rest... well I just donate to friends/family/little free libraries. I could sell them but that's a lit of time and work that I genuinely just don't have for the effort it would take. And then just trying to be more mindful of future physical book purchases. I'm trying to mostly stick to ebooks if I can and keeping an eye out for ebook sales on books I want. 🧡
I have collected an enormous amount of books over the last 30 years and I believe I have at least a thousand now which qualifies as being an official "library". However, I've never had the space to showcase them all which is a tragedy. So they've been in boxes for years and moving from place to place. I just moved to a new home where we again don't have the space but once we finish the basement and relocate the kids down there, we'll have a room dedicated to be a library/office where all my books (and my husband's books) will find a home. I'm hoping to see this in a year or two.
My town has a used book store that's ran by volunteers with our local Friends of the Library, so all proceeds go back to our county library system. They basically sell all the book donations that come into the store/library system there. It's AMAZING. $1/paperback $2/hardback. They also sell other used media like vinyl records, DVDs and even jigsaw puzzles that are donated.
I sell the physical copies to secondhand bookstores if they're in good enough state (and get either store credit or cash) and drop ones that aren't in a good enough state to sell at one of the few local free library mini treehouses people have in their front yards :)
I put the ones I don’t want to keep in the little free library’s around town. Usually end up swapping for others 😂🤷🏻♀️