DS16 is volunteering in a local Oxfam shop. One week, I sent along three old handbags in very good condition & a pair of sling-backs. The shoes were slung out as they were rather worn inside - fair enough.
A couple of weeks later I sent six Jilly Cooper books - the Riders series - which I felt were in good condition as I look after my books, never turn down the corners or leave them open & face down. One was a little more worn with a couple of loose pages (I had bought it second-hand).
Two were kept & the other four were slung out sent for recycling - essentially put into a skip full of other paper rubbish-, the reason being that the spines had vertical lines on them - these are big thick books that have each been read several times, admittedly some more than others.
No, they didn't look brand new, but they were certainly far from shabby, with neat corners & clean covers, and in any case the STORY was intact which is the whole point of an effing novel.
I can see that they might not want absolutely perfect "coffee table books" but these were fit to be read & enjoyed.
The whole thing has made me furious & DS feels bad because he felt what happened was beyond his control - not his fault at all though.
If I'd realised I'd've given them to a hospital department or something.
Poor old books 