What to do with old books?

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1

What do you guys do with old books?

I used to read a lot when I was a teen. I started uni, then I felt bad about reading anything for pleasure and only read to learn. I’ve been carrying all of my books through 4 different moves but they are just sitting there, in a couple of boxes having to be carried around again and again (and they are definitly the heaviest boxes!). I have recently started reading for pleasure again, but switched to a E-reader for practical purposes.

I don’t want to display them, because our new apartment is not that big and I quite like the minimalist look. I looked around with second hand stores, brockis etc. but most either don’t want old books and don’t want books which are highlighted or written in (which I used to do a lot).

Throwing them away seems just wasteful since most are in great condition! Selling them seems like a lot of work and not worth it.

The only thing I’ve thought so far is the book boxes: Liste öffentlicher Bücherschränke in der Schweiz – Wikipedia

Do you guys have any other ideas?

2

Where do you live and in which language the books are?

3

You could give them to a library or on Facebook market place/Anibis.ch

4

I would, in sequence:

  • leave them out on the street for free
  • anything that does not get picked up post it on Facebook/tutti for free (in bulk)
  • if also that fails, in Zurich at least there is the Buchner broke which apparently takes all books you bring them.
5

When I had to get rid of a lot of books last year, I directly did step 3: every day on my way to work, I brought a bag full of books to the bücher brocki, and they were always happy to take them. I don‘t know how much money I could have gotten for them, but for me, time was (and is) more important than money

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6

I have “sold” more than 50 books on http://exsila.ch. But this only makes sense if you want to get books from there in exchange, as the postage is on you, when somebody orders from you. In turn, you don’t have to pay it, when you order.

I never calculated if it is very profitable or anything. Yet, I think it’s very nice that you can exchange your books and they are read multiple times.

7

Put them in an open Bookcase

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