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Original poster

To take childhood books to a charity shop (chalet school)

73 replies

AlmostSpringclean · 20/02/2022 13:36

Of course I wouldn't be unreasonable but will I regret it?

They were bliss in childhood, an alternate world, but won't be read again at home. They have been sat untouched in boxes for probably 20+ years now. In a charity shop they might be enjoyed again.

OP posts:
listsandbudgets · 20/02/2022 16:48

The hardbooks may well have quite a bit of value depending on which ones they are. The paperbacks are worth quite a bit less except for Coming Of Age which is harder to get hold of.

Honestly though - don't' part with them - reread them nothing like a bit of nostalgia. If you want to sale them Gill Biliski as mentined above will give you a fair price. She really knows her stuff.

listsandbudgets · 20/02/2022 16:49

You've got Wins the Trick there as well - also one of the more difficult to get hold of books

MargaretThursday · 20/02/2022 17:08

I'll have them too!

saturdayhelicopter · 20/02/2022 17:17

A lot of charity shops won't sell books in a less than excellent condition, they'll likely end up being pulped, which would be the biggest loss of all.

Please do list on the fb group linked to above - even to post out for the buyer to cover postage would see them being cherished instead of binned.

Shieldingending · 20/02/2022 17:24

If you decide to sell them let us know on here! I won’t be the only person that is interested… Smile

Original poster
AlmostSpringclean · 20/02/2022 17:37

Just getting them all out today made me a little nostalgic. I forgot how much I longed to go to the Chalet School.
Thanks for the feedback all.

OP posts:
StrawberrySquash · 20/02/2022 17:54

I'd be worried that the older editions especially will get pulped. Charity shops like shiny new books. Join the Chalet School Sales and Wants Facebook group that's already been linked and they will go to a good home.

HelenaJustina · 20/02/2022 17:58

Definitely donate/sell to someone who knows what they are doing. We have an Oxfam Bookshop in our local town and the volunteers are so knowledgeable and check books for rarity and value. They have auctioned some expensive books as this means they are available to a wider market and make more for the charity.

Chalet school are gorgeous comfort reading. My DC2 has been gifted a whole set by grandparents and godmother over the last few years.

Notanotherwindow · 20/02/2022 17:58

Don't put them in charity shop. More than likely they WILL get binned. We have so many books at ours that we've run out of space to store them and anything old gets tipped straight into the skip.

You literally cannot move out the back for books. Everywhere you turn you're knocking them down and the other charity shops nearby are the same, we're constantly trying to foist books and dvds on each other.

They get 1 week to sell then rotated out and chucked.

MissyB1 · 20/02/2022 18:02

I’m on a FB buying buying and selling group for Chalet School. Put them on there, I buy loads as I’m currently building my collection back up.

raspberrymuffin · 20/02/2022 18:06

Take them to a charity bookshop not a bric a brac type place, they will appreciate what they've got and make sure they sell.

KathieFerrars · 20/02/2022 18:08

Cough cough. Keep them or put them on the chalet school sales and wants fb page. Hardbacks will be worth a bit.

sadpapercourtesan · 20/02/2022 18:09

@Notanotherwindow

Don't put them in charity shop. More than likely they WILL get binned. We have so many books at ours that we've run out of space to store them and anything old gets tipped straight into the skip.

You literally cannot move out the back for books. Everywhere you turn you're knocking them down and the other charity shops nearby are the same, we're constantly trying to foist books and dvds on each other.

They get 1 week to sell then rotated out and chucked.

You toss old books in a skip Shock

I do appreciate that these shops are run by volunteers and there's only so much you can do...but surely there must be some way of getting these books to a charity bookshop? How terrible to skip them Sad

Wherethefuckdidtheraincomefrom · 20/02/2022 18:10

I have the full set which took me years to collect from reading my very first when I was about 9. Not entirely sure I could part with them although they've been sat in the garage for a decade! I might get them out and re-read them soon.

burnoutbabe · 20/02/2022 18:19

There is a link on a thread here to all the books in kindle format.

So you can still re-read.

I'd sell them as a job lot on eBay -a collector will want them all to get the rarer ones and probably can offload the more common ones too.

I think some of my paperbacks sold for £50 (the ones at the end of the series)

burnoutbabe · 20/02/2022 18:21

I mean on eBay redheads sold for £100 around Xmas

Original poster
AlmostSpringclean · 20/02/2022 18:52

@listsandbudgets

The hardbooks may well have quite a bit of value depending on which ones they are. The paperbacks are worth quite a bit less except for Coming Of Age which is harder to get hold of.

Honestly though - don't' part with them - reread them nothing like a bit of nostalgia. If you want to sale them Gill Biliski as mentined above will give you a fair price. She really knows her stuff.

One of the hardbacks looks like it might be a first edition. It's Joey and Co in Tirol published 1960. There is a telephone number written across the pages and on the back page some sort of budgeting - a list of what I have spent my pocket money on. I can't believe I was so careless with books! Shock
OP posts:
Notanotherwindow · 20/02/2022 19:17

You toss old books in a skip shock

I do appreciate that these shops are run by volunteers and there's only so much you can do...but surely there must be some way of getting these books to a charity bookshop? How terrible to skip them sad

Nope. We used to sell them in job lots to the book people but our head office doesn't let us do that anymore. I think they had to pay for the collection or something.

Nothing else to do with them. Can't even rotate them out to other shops as they are rammed too. I hate chucking them out, I don't think books should be binned but practically speaking, there's nothing else to do with them. We have well over 100 in storage, crammed wherever they'll fit.

Head office won't arrange for them to be collected any more or taken elsewhere, no other shop within 10 miles will take them. The local library doesn't accept them anymore since covid and they didn't take many to begin with. Only ones in practically new condition. Same with schools, all have politely declined.

OfstedOffred · 20/02/2022 19:30

Oh my god you will get people piling on for Chalet School books!!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 20/02/2022 19:33

@AlmostSpringclean

I was thinking more about someone enjoying them than the money for the charity shop (although obviously that's good). *@SylviasMotherSaid* they sold for lots when eBay was new, I remember how tempting.

At the time I thought my future children might enjoy them but they definitely won't!

No chance of a child getting to enjoy them - they'll either be taken out and sent to be sold without ever hitting the shop floor or one of the pointy elbowed will have them and up for sale before the shop's door has closed behind them.
pussycatunpickingcrossesagain · 20/02/2022 19:35

@bridgetjonesmassivepants

I got over £300 for mine and that was over 10 years ago! DO NOT give them to a charity shop - put them on Ebay. You could sell them as a bundle if you can't be bothered putting them on individually.
^ This.

Mine got chucked when my parents house was cleared.

I still regret it now.

Don't charity shop them, sell them (suck up the postage) and donate any profit to a charity of your choice if you want to.

They're worth a small fortune!!!

pussycatunpickingcrossesagain · 20/02/2022 19:36

Alternatively I'll have them.
PM me.

Benjaminbunnyslettuce · 20/02/2022 19:54

Don’t bother to charity shop them. I’m happy to take them off your hands Grin

pussycatunpickingcrossesagain · 20/02/2022 20:10

Having done a little research, do you have a local auctioneer or rare book shop who could value them and maybe sell them for you?
(thinking mainly of the first edition).

I'd read them all again before selling them, but then I'm a soppy bugger I think mine ended up in a skip Shock and still love the way Jo chucked her triplets around in a basket Grin

MissyB1 · 20/02/2022 21:16

@liliainterfrutices

I’d keep them. I pondered selling mine a few years ago, as I haven’t read them for ages. Have had really stressful 2022 so far and have turned to them again. There is no better comfort reading!
Yes they are perfect comfort reading.