Where to dump old books?

[ProfessorDent]

Hi, I am clearing out my parents' place and they have these old books that I can't honestly see on the shelves of the local charity shop. They will be 50 or so years old, they are not tatty dogeared paperbacks but not lovely leather bound classics either. They are the sort of books that might be found in an old junk shop of the kind you just don't get nowadays, though there is one up in Hampstead, London, just off the high street as you head out towards the Flask, if I recall.

I feel a bit bad taking them to the tip, even if they had a book recycling thing going on, and I'm not sure they do. Some I might look up on eBay to see if anyone wants them, but it could take an age to shift. On the other hand, the rubbish bin, while offering a kind of quick fix, feels wrong and the books aren't really rubbish. They are really not that bad.

Any suggestions?

Books date. It has taken me a while to realise this.

An Oxfam bookshop will take them happily and know which ones, if any, are valuable. We took some of DH's parents' books and saw a few later on in a special cabinet labelled at £30+. They didn't look like much to us.

Yep - Oxfam books

oxfam

or maybe hospital

don't bin

We have several specialist Oxfam shops near us who do nothing but books. Even if they don't want the books for their own sake, they must know about the best way to get rid of them profitably. I know that if a charity shop can't sell clothes then they still get some money for them from the ragman. Is there an equivalent of the ragman for books?

Failing that, our Library does a collection of old books.

Yes. Oxfam are great with this sort of thing

Plan a holiday to the West country and take them to Hay on Wye.

Not helpful? Except the Wye Valley and the Brecon Beacons are very pretty.

Nice old books are a real problem, I think DSIL sold some of FILs and split the money with DH, but loads and loads are still in floor to ceiling book cases in her extension, along with hundreds of her own.

I put my foot down and we only have a few special ones (we have quite enough books of our own too).

And non of this gets to first base compared to the number of books my history lecturer uncle has, (many of which came fro Hay on Wye while his nieces got bored)

Charity shops get money for recycling old books, yes. At least British Heart Foundation does. When I was volunteering there a couple of years back they'd recycle any books that couldn't be sold and they got 50p a kilo. Doesn't sound like much but it adds up really quickly as books are heavy! :)

Another vote for oxfam books.

I buy old but non valuable books to pull apart for collage or making altered books.

Some useful, quick answers, thanks! I will ask British Heart Foundation charity shop.

But Senua, where are you local specialist Oxfam stores? Not sure my local Oxfam does that kind of thing.

Try contacting better world books. They try to sell them on but also recycle them. They're a charity as well.

Our local tip has a large collection skip for books (one of those covered ones with a hatch), I think placed there by the British Heart Foundation or another charity. If you don't have any specialist charity bookshops near you, it might be worth checking if your local recycling centre has something similar. Also, I think if you have a lot of books to donate at one time, Oxfam or BHF can sometimes arrange collection - check with websites or local shops?

Not all Oxfam do it. There's one in our town, one in the county town, one near the University ...

I just googled 'oxfam bookshops' to see if they have a store locator and Google, being the spooky people that they are, popped up an advert for our nearest one.

I've just remembered DDs favourite haunt.

Google "books for Amnesty" Amnesty international seem to have quite a few book only shops scattered round the country.

Better World Books is mainly American, there is only one place to donate in the UK, Dunfermline, none to local to me!

Will try Oxfam, the one in my hometown isn't doing it for a month due to refurbishment, but I'll try another.

my local red cross shop has an old books section, always fascinating. maybe try them?

Oxfam do take and if all else fails, they pulp for reuse so no landfill.

BTW if you or anyone else finds school or college texts dealing with the classics, many schools will bite your hand off.

car boot sales are good for old books

NSPCC does a yearly massive book sale near me (east Anglia). Not sure if it's something they do all over the country? Give them a call maybe.