Post
by laktor » Sat October 9th, 2010, 7:27 pm
Well, got rid of a few hardbacks and paperbacks today. Unfortunately, not a pleasant experience. Took them to a used bookstore I'd only been in once before. I didn't expect to get much cash for them, maybe $5 or $10 bucks...pocket change. But the owner/clerk was extremely rude. After seeing what I had, which included hardbacks such as World Without End by Ken Follett, Maureen McCormick's Here's The Story, and a couple of others, plus paperbacks in almost pristine condition from authors such as Edward Rutherfurd and Bryce Courtney, he said he doesn't sell hardbacks because nobody wants them and that my books were junk and worthless. I said excuse me, you don't have to be so rude. I've never brought in books to a used bookstore before, but a huge sign that covered the entire window said "we buy books" and there are lots of paperbacks in the store. He then said "Don't bring me your garbage!" Gee, what a racket they have going there. They obviously don't buy anyone's books. They just get them free from people who, like me, come into the store hoping to dump books they've read for just small pocket change (which they won't get), and most people will still just leave their books there anyway. Heck, if they call my books garbage (top selling novels in great condition) and won't give me even a nickel for them, then why do they have a store full of paperback novels? If they won't buy my novels, then they sure as heck didn't buy any of the books they are selling in their store! And, by the way, I had to wait in quite a line before seeing the clerk. They were very busy selling books! Oh, and on my way out, he noticed my copy of "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett that I had with me to read at lunch and said if I finish it in 4 months, he'd buy it for a few bucks...but not much because he said people won't pay more than half the cover price. After 4 months, he said forget it because people would want the paperback...but we all know there won't be a paperback edition in just 4 months AND you could look in every used bookstore in the city and you won't find this hardback now because it would be snatched up so fast! And why would he buy it from me since he said he doesn't stock hardbacks?
My advice? Stay away from used book stores if you're getting rid of your old books! And books are pretty much worthless once they've left the shelf of a bookstore. The depreciation in value is much worse than a new car when it leaves the lot!
Last edited by
laktor on Sun October 10th, 2010, 5:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
My parents are terrible hoarders themselves and my mum's a bookdealer who keeps her stock at home, so their house is like one extended library with a lot of crockery thrown in. It's my boyfriend's greatest fear that our house will become the same, hence why he's always surreptitiously trying to get me to cull my books!
monitors teetering on the tops of stacks and piles. Who knows how many others were buried out of sight! I promised myself that the move from a two-bedroom Manhattan apartment to a rambling Brooklyn Victorian was not an excuse to give up my twice-yearly culling of books, clothes and electronics. Thank goodness for Freecycling!
)
They can be brought to a center for recycling, but since I don't drive, that's not going to happen. 
