125 books sold!




It has taken about seven months to sell 125 books.

I have learned that sales soar in the summer. I have sold about 20 books per week since July.

I still haven't figured out the advantage of selling a book for 1 cent! I do it sometimes but it hardly seems worth the trouble. So I checked the internet for ideas about ways to get rid of the darlings without throwing those old friends away. Looky--


Donate Your Books

1) Donate books to people all over the world. You can make a big difference in the lives of people who are desperate for some books. You can look through a variety of International book donation program websites to find the one that's right for you. You can try this International Book Donations Program web site. The page lists institutions, organizations, and town and village programs that have no other way of acquiring reading and educational materials.

- Choose from the geographical index, or go to the International section, which lists very large agencies that collect and redistribute to many countries.
- Subjects, language, and level of books requested are listed, along with contact information. Be sure to get in touch with them first, to make sure they need your materials. For overseas shipments, you will need to get a customs form from the post office.

2) Donate books to your local library or a Friends of the Library Group. Most libraries have yearly book sales. They'll resell to raise money for the library, and you'll get a tax write-off. Make sure your donated books are in resale condition. If your books are moldy, stained, filled with personal information, or missing some pages, then they won't be accepted.

3) Donate your books to a thrift shop. Most thrift stores have book departments, and they would be happy to take on your old books, as long as they're in good condition. Check out the thrift stores in your neighborhood and see if they have a need for your old books. They may be more likely to take them if you also have some clothes or other items to donate.

4) Donate your books to a church. Many churches accept donations of books, which they give to the less fortunate or sell to raise profits for their establishment. Check out the churches in your area and see if any of them are accepting used books.

5) Donate your books to another charity. Search the internet for charities in your area that are accepting book donations. There are a lot of countries trying to rebuild their libraries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

6) Release your books "into the wild". BookCrossing is a website that allows you to register your books and to leave them somewhere for a person nearby to enjoy them.

7) Set up a "Free Books" box. Find a location where people wait--a laundromat, hospital waiting room, bus stop, and the like. Place a box saying "Free Books" on your street. At your work or school, place a box saying "Free Book Exchange" in an alcove or eating area. Just remember that you may need to get permission from the staff in the location first.

8) Donate your books through a free online merchandise page. There are a variety of pages that allow you to donate your books for free. Visit Freecycle, Recycle Central, FreeSharing, or Sharing is Giving to find a group in your area. These groups list many sites tailored to your location where you can post listings of things you want to give away.
People who want the books will come to your home or workplace to pick up the books. Make sure you're comfortable with giving away your home or work address if you're using a web site with this particular feature.
 
9) Sell your textbooks to students who will need them. Find college students who will be taking a class that you've just finished taking and see if you can sell them your books at a fraction of the cost -- both people will benefit from this exchange. You can ask your friends if they know anyone taking the course in the future, or even stand outside the course after the first day and approach some students who might not have had a chance to buy the books -- just don't be too aggressive.

10) Sell your books at a garage sale. You can hold a garage sale to sell these books as well as a few larger items to hook some customers. If you're selling some furniture and have some interested customers, you can direct them to your books. You can advertise for the sale through a sign or even by alerting your Facebook friends or friends on other social media that you'll be having a sale -- just make sure you only tell the friends who know well enough to tell your address to.



 Tips:

 - If donating your books to a 501(c)3 nonprofit (charity) agency, ask for a receipt so you can get a tax deduction.
- If selling at a garage sale, be creative (and cheap!) with your pricing. Starting with 50 cents each, or 5 for $2.00, encourages people to take more books. Especially if you have lots of books, remember the goal is to get rid of as many as possible, because books are hard to store and heavy to tote to the resale shop. Make the price hard to resist and you will have better sales.
- Check the condition of a book before you sell it. Worn, marked-up, stained, or broken books are in low demand and, if you're selling books to a store, will make the buyer look askance at your other books.
- Grab a bag and wander around your town/village with some of them, and don't set prices; get people to offer so they think they're getting a bargain!
- File cardboard boxes work well for hauling books. Local bookstores are usually willing to give away empty boxes, but call first.

For even more fun ideas, see  http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Old-Books!