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Original poster

Alternative charity bookshops to Oxfam?

31 replies

Zita60 · 06/06/2023 08:09

I've been clearing out a lot of books in recent years, and I've mostly taken them to the local Oxfam bookshop.

That nasty little Pride video of theirs is the last straw, and I won't support them any longer.

I still have hundreds of books to give away, and many of them wouldn't be suitable for the charity shops on my local high street, which mostly seem to stock fiction and light non-fiction.

Oxfam bookshops stock a wide range of books, including the types of books that I have. That's why I've donated most of my books to them.

Does anyone know of other charities that also have bookshops that I could donate them to instead?

I sometimes visit Dorset, where there is a brilliant charity called Weldmar Hospice Care: https://www.weldmarhospicecare.org/

They have a bookshop in Dorchester stocking books on a wide range of subjects, and I've donated some books to them. But I can't take all my books to Dorset - my poor little car wouldn't cope with the weight!

I'm in south-east London so any worthy charities with bookshops in this area, or in Kent, would be good.

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Original poster
Zita60 · 17/06/2023 22:29

Thank you again for all your suggestions.

My local station has a bookcase where people can leave or borrow books, but it's really for lighter-weight reading than the books I have. Sadly, my local library won't accept books to sell, as they used to. I haven't seen any book donation points in my local supermarkets, but there's a larger one a bit farther away that might have.

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BunnyBettChetwynnd · 08/06/2023 22:49

I left my volunteering job for the NT when I had to start monthly training on safeguarding and diversity. I had to attend courses, take on line training and do tests.

My volunteering job was as a gardener, pulling weeds. I worked two hours a fortnight before the property was open for the day so no public were present.

Nothing against safeguarding and diversity but fucks sake.

Florencearbuthnot2 · 08/06/2023 18:21

The NT are very very deeply captured.Don’t beleive that they’re not. As an ex employee I can truthfully say it was bonkers

NeverTrustAPoliceman · 08/06/2023 18:00

National Trust is quite badly captured I think.

We have a hospice shop in town with a very good book department. Also one of the banks has a book swap area with suggested donations to a decent local child-related organisation. OP it's likely there is something similar near you.

BunnyBettChetwynnd · 08/06/2023 17:54

Supermarkets often have a bookstall where you leave books or make a donation to charity when you take one. I've seen them in Tescos, Morrisons and Sainsbury.

ConstructionTime · 08/06/2023 17:51

Perhaps you could look whether there are so-called public bookcases / free swap libraries in your area.
These are for example repurposed shelves/cases (often with a glass door), where anyone can add books and anyone can take them for free. They are very big in some countries like Germany and there often funded by the community as a proper bookcase with a glass door, or for example hosted in public or community buildings, such as in the entrance area. But there are also many which are created in a DIY-way.
I've seen a similar idea taking hold in the US under the term "little free library", with small bookcases in front gardens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_bookcase

Alternatively perhaps (depending on the topic), they might be suitable to distribute in homes for the elder for their own libraries, school libraries (if not too outdated, if non-fiction), anywhere where institutions might need interesting reading material and are short on funds.

Public bookcase - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_bookcase

ChessieFL · 08/06/2023 06:44

Ziffit is definitely legit, I’ve used it a lot.

Woman2023 · 08/06/2023 06:24

There's also Better World Books. They are a for profit business but they raise funds for literacy. They've got collection points in London.

services.betterworldbooks.com/individuals/

ConnieSaks · 08/06/2023 01:15

They will send them on I think?

ConnieSaks · 08/06/2023 01:15

I was in St Christopher’s the other dat and I think they do have a central department for specialist items - but agree, though good, the shops aren’t book centric.

Original poster
Zita60 · 07/06/2023 22:48

Thank you for the suggestions of the Red Cross and St Christopher's Hospice. Their shops in my local high street only have a small, general selection of books. Their nearest specialist book shops aren't very close, so might be difficult to get to.

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ConnieSaks · 06/06/2023 21:29

St Christopher’s Hospice shops?

SconesCreamJam · 06/06/2023 21:05

Red cross.

Original poster
Zita60 · 06/06/2023 20:50

Thank for your suggestions everyone!

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Original poster
Zita60 · 06/06/2023 20:47

ChristinaXYZ · 06/06/2023 10:39

Sell them to a secondhand bookseller and then give the money to a different cause close to your heart. There are loads of secondhand booksellers with and without shops in London.

I sold a few hundred books to a local second-hand bookseller a few years ago, but he wasn't very interested in a lot of them. The books he was really interested in were the art books on my shelves that I didn't want to sell!

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Original poster
Zita60 · 06/06/2023 20:46

Rightsraptor · 06/06/2023 11:11

The National Trust succumbed to this idiocy some years ago, as a poster here reminded us yesterday. Poster's father was an 80yo volunteer being obliged to wear the rainbow lanyard while he was working for free.

I read about the NT doing that before I got into the gender identity war, so over 5 years ago.

I'm going to a National Trust place later this week and they have a second hand bookshop, so I could take some books there. They don't seem as captured as organisations like Oxfam are.

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Original poster
Zita60 · 06/06/2023 20:44

ChristinaXYZ · 06/06/2023 11:21

You could also just give your books to any charity shop - maybe one supporting a lcoal charity rather than the nations/internation ones as these seem the most woke? They probably have a relationship with somewhere why they sell books by the kilo regardless of subject so they get some money for the books anyway. I live in a town with lots of charity shops and you see the van from We Buy Books appear pretty much weekly collecting from the shops. It is not ideal but all charity shops get too many books and at least they get some money for the books.

I didn't realise charity shops might do that. That's worth knowing, thank you.

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Original poster
Zita60 · 06/06/2023 20:43

Saisong · 06/06/2023 10:21

You could try seeing what they are worth in the Ziffit or Music Magpie apps. You just scan the barcode and it tells you what they will buy it for. Bog standard fiction is worthless, but specialist books can go for a surprising amount. If you agree with the pricing you can download a shipping label, box up and drop them off at the nearest agent. If you want to donate the money to a suitable charity then it is up to you.
I made over £50 with some old reference and text books once, donated to the school ptfa.

Thanks. I've seen the adverts for Ziffit on TV, but wasn't sure how legit it was.

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Original poster
Zita60 · 06/06/2023 20:41

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 06/06/2023 10:29

Might be worth checking with your local libraries, ours sometimes takes donations for their book sales?

That's possible. I know they won't take donations to go into their catalogue, because they say it would take too much effort to process them. I can't remember whether I asked them if they'd take them for sale.

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ChristinaXYZ · 06/06/2023 11:21

You could also just give your books to any charity shop - maybe one supporting a lcoal charity rather than the nations/internation ones as these seem the most woke? They probably have a relationship with somewhere why they sell books by the kilo regardless of subject so they get some money for the books anyway. I live in a town with lots of charity shops and you see the van from We Buy Books appear pretty much weekly collecting from the shops. It is not ideal but all charity shops get too many books and at least they get some money for the books.

Rightsraptor · 06/06/2023 11:11

The National Trust succumbed to this idiocy some years ago, as a poster here reminded us yesterday. Poster's father was an 80yo volunteer being obliged to wear the rainbow lanyard while he was working for free.

I read about the NT doing that before I got into the gender identity war, so over 5 years ago.

ChristinaXYZ · 06/06/2023 10:39

Sell them to a secondhand bookseller and then give the money to a different cause close to your heart. There are loads of secondhand booksellers with and without shops in London.

Chersfrozenface · 06/06/2023 10:31

Haven't the National Trust succumbed to idiocy? They've introduced "gender neutral" i.e.mixed sex toilets at some properties.

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 06/06/2023 10:29

Might be worth checking with your local libraries, ours sometimes takes donations for their book sales?

MaryBoggintonTrotterSmyke · 06/06/2023 10:26

A lot of National Trust properties have bookshops these days and they seem to offer a wider range of books than most charity shops.