S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff) with Amy Moyer: Books
Do you have shelves overflowing with books? Boxes filled with paperbacks? Nooks and crannies stuffed with beloved tomes? If so, you may be experiencing S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Books. Here, you can learn how to remediate all your excess reading materials (and make room on your bookshelves in the process).
From Books to Screens
As a child of the 1980s, I did not have endless screens to entertain me, so I turned to books instead. In my early childhood, we were allowed just one hour of television a day—my choice: The Brady Bunch—so we had to spend our free time on other pursuits. Sure, I made my fair share of mud pies and spent hours tugging tight pants onto Barbie dolls, but when I just wanted to relax and chill, I often had a book in my hand. This resulted in, yes, S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Books.
How did we solve this at the time? Well, for starters, a whole bookshelf of childhood picture books “disappeared” one day without me knowing. Needless to say, I was gutted. This didn’t last too long, though, because those shelves filled up just as quickly with new reading.
On Sundays, I often visited a bookstore called Encore Books to see if the latest Sweet Valley High book was available. In the summertime, I loved going to our local library and finding new treasures on the shelves that were unlikely to be found at bookstores. The library helped me discover childhood favorites such as John Bellairs, Roald Dahl, and C.S. Lewis.
Today, guess what: kids don’t read as much. Sure, kids still have assigned reading at school like To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men, but if they have that old-fashioned free time, they are much more likely to scroll through the latest addictive apps like TikTok or communicate with their friends through online games, Snapchat, and such. I bet some kids can’t even hold a book these days, as their hands are permanently cupped around their glowing phones. The days of overflowing childhood bookshelves are waning, and what remains are likely the books of older generations (like mine).
Books Are Old Friends
So, how do you sort through your shelves and boxes of excess books? As with any S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff) topic, the first step is always the same: Be sure you are ready to part with your books. Books can hold a great deal of sentimental value, and of all the S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff) categories, holding on to a favorite book or two won’t fill up all your storage space (unlike brown furniture).
Some books are worth holding onto for their value, especially older books and/or first editions. Not all antique books have a lot of value, but they would at least be worth donating to a charity shop rather than tossing in a book recycling bin.
Today: Books with Value
What books have resale value these days? Any “special” books are worth investigating for value, including first editions, hardbacks with excellent condition dust jackets, uncorrected proofs, signed books, limited editions like art exhibition books, and any books that strike you as being relevant to popular culture. Many movies started as books, and early editions of these books, from Lord of the Rings to Alice in Wonderland, all hold their value on the secondary market.
Did you visit a short-lived exhibit at a museum or gallery in New York and hold on to the guide or book? Double-check the value, as many of those had a single printing and are desirable amongst deep-pocketed art collectors today. Do not discriminate between children’s and adult books, as many children’s books are more prized by collectors than adult books, thanks to the nostalgia factor. Keep an eye out for Little Golden Books, first-edition classics featuring characters such as Winnie the Pooh, Eloise, and Madeline, and, of course, early Harry Potter editions.
Today: Books without Value
What books don’t have resale value? A lot of reference books are best off being thrown in the book recycling bin. While you may have enjoyed using that Fodor’s Travel Guide to Italy forty years ago, today, the information is so outdated no one has use for it. The same goes for old self-help and fix-it books. Do you really need a ten-year-old iPhone for Seniors for Dummies yellow guide?
You may have some luck selling an old encyclopedia set, but they are also on the fast train to out-of-fashion. For sure, single encyclopedia volumes can go quickly in the book recycling bin along with their sad cousin, the dictionary. Just keep an eye out for any Oxford English Dictionaries you have lying around, as those could be resold. Need more support in cleaning out your S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Books? Read on for:
10 Steps to Sort S.O.S. (Surplus Old Stuff): Books
- Take out all the books you are ready to part with and put them in one spot.
- You will make three piles: Keep, Donate, and Sell.
- Depending on the number of books you have, consider investing in an app like Scoutly, which will quickly scan book barcodes for resale value.
- If you’ve decided against the app, begin by putting significantly damaged books and books missing covers in the “Donate” pile.
- Sort out the thick trade paperbacks, like the John Grisham you picked up at the airport. Put those in the “Donate” pile.
- Put outdated reference books like travel guides, fix-it books, and cookbooks in the “Donate” pile (unless you have an early Joy of Cooking or similar).
- Check for antique books and first editions. While this may be time-consuming, these may have value. Put those with value in the “Sell” pile.
- Double-check for famous illustrators. Remember the John Bellairs books I mentioned? Many are valuable today due to their famous illustrator, Edward Gorey. Put those in the “Sell” pile.
- Hard decisions: Go through the remainder of your books and decide what to “Keep.” Remember, old books don’t take up a lot of room, so it’s okay to keep a few for sentimental reasons or nostalgia.
- Divide your “Donate” pile into books worth donating to a charity shop and books worth tossing in a book recycling bin (my favorite is More Than Words).
Want more bang for your books? Consider using old book covers to create a unique piece of folk art. Then, learn what to do with your surplus of old magazines.
Amy Moyer is the proprietor of Antmuffin: Art, Antiques & Collectibles. She holds a B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University and lives in Boston.
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