Rare Book Monthly
Articles - February - 2007 Issue
Keeping Inventory Fit and Trim
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If not wanting to spend time going through and sorting the books for selling in lots online, consider having an old fashioned yard sale. If you are like us, you have little time for this. Consider dropping them off at a secondhand used book store to see what you can get for them, while you browse their inventory. One of the largest of these is Halfprice Books, which operates in 13 states.
Your local library or charity will gladly take your books. Libraries rely on book donations to add to their ex library books that are offered in their annual book sales. In our area, Goodwill operates many drop-off stores separate from their regular stores, which also sell used books that have been donated. Many churches and nonprofits hold annual book sales to raise money. If the books you are wanting to liquidate have been damaged, have missing pages, covers, or spines, then they will likely need to be dumped in the trash, unless they are photo or picture books that kids may want to use for fun or school projects.
Although what you want for them may likely be a lot less than what you originally wanted, it beats nothing and frees up space for more valuable books when culling inventory. When selling in lots or donating, you also have the satisfaction that the books are still worthwhile reading for someone.
Carl Burnham
SouthpointBooks.com
