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Books to Charity


rune

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I would like to have my own book collection and find it very hard to part with my books. I have a few friend with whom I share / swap books, and also "adopt" books from friends who have no space. I tend to only give away the ones I'm sure I'll never read again - these end up at my chidlren's school bazaars or the SPCA

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I have just got my head around how bookcrossing.com works.

 

It's pretty much does what I said I would like to do the other day, by having some kind of journal about where the books are..i'm just about 10 years to late :D

 

*I will be listing all my books on there over the next few days, and I think I will then offer any of them up to go into a worldwide bookring. I love this idea and I will donate the excess to a few charities around my area and my Library. Should be an interesting experiment.

Edited by Johnny Carson Whit
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It came to my notice when I moved that some of the books I've bought from charity shops have come from boxsets or from a voucher offer and aren't to be sold separately or at all - how come charity shops can sell these?

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I actually work for a charity bookshop (sometimes) but I can't give any of my books away. I'll always find space for them.

I know as soon as I give one away I'll feel like reading it. Even if it's something I hate I'll hear someone talking about it and something I missed and feel like I should have another go at it.

Basically I just think up lame excuses for keeping them.

I work in a school and we have boxes that we'd like to send to Africa. Does anyone know of a charity that does this kind of thing?

 

Thanks

Karl

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I work in a school and we have boxes that we'd like to send to Africa. Does anyone know of a charity that does this kind of thing?

 

Thanks

Karl

 

I don't I'm afraid. Mine is just a local peace hospice one.

Edit: Just found this site on Google http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/lifestyle/charity_gifts/oxfam_gifts/send_books which seems like it might tell you how to do it. I didn't read it all.

 

It came to my notice when I moved that some of the books I've bought from charity shops have come from boxsets or from a voucher offer and aren't to be sold separately or at all - how come charity shops can sell these?

 

They're probably not allowed to sell them. We try not to sell books that were given away free with magazines and whatnot, unless they're really nice in which case we will usually.

Someone would have to be an absolute wotsit to report a charity bookshop for doing something that small. On furniture we sell we have to have the correct fire labels and that's something we follow to the letter but for books...notsomuch.

Edited by Steeeeve
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They also sell uncorrected proofs, which is also technically illegal but c'mon - the money goes to a good cause and the things are madly collectable so they're just responding to a demand that's there.

 

The only complaint I have is about this barbaric habit of defacing books by writing prices in them; I feel like buying loads of peel-off stickers and donating them to the charity shops along with my books!

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They also sell uncorrected proofs, which is also technically illegal but c'mon - the money goes to a good cause and the things are madly collectable so they're just responding to a demand that's there.

 

The only complaint I have is about this barbaric habit of defacing books by writing prices in them; I feel like buying loads of peel-off stickers and donating them to the charity shops along with my books!

 

Yes I forgot about the uncorrected proofs. We sell a few of those.

 

Heheh. You would be happy with our shop at least. We use easily removable stickers. Don't leave a trace!

Writing in them is annoying but just as bad is the funny square labels that some places and most car boot sale people use. They're impossible to get off without leaving a residue or ripping the cover. Grrr.

Edited by Steeeeve
Used wrong word.
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I've finally admitted defeat, I'm far too lazy to take anything to the charity shop. If Saturday is dry I'm putting them all in a box and leaving them on the wall outside with a message saying 'PLEASE TAKE ME' if that doesn't work then nothing will.

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Heheh. You would be happy with our shop at least. We sell easily removable stickers. Don't leave a trace!
*worships Steve's workplace* how far is Watford from London, anyway? The stickers alone are tempting me, I kid you not :lol:!

 

If Saturday is dry I'm putting them all in a box and leaving them on the wall outside with a message saying 'PLEASE TAKE ME' if that doesn't work then nothing will.
... I'd love to see a box that said that! Only, I'd probably take off with the entire box rather than take a single book out:lurker:.

 

On a couple of occasions where I've wanted to get rid of a single book I've abandoned it on a bus seat, they've always bee picked up and stashed away by a fellow traveller a few stops thereafer so 'tis a good method!

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On a couple of occasions where I've wanted to get rid of a single book I've abandoned it on a bus seat, they've always bee picked up and stashed away by a fellow traveller a few stops thereafer so 'tis a good method!

 

That is what appeals to me about bookcrossing.com, I love the idea of someone finding a book I have left and then writing a short journal about how and where they found it

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*worships Steve's workplace* how far is Watford from London, anyway? The stickers alone are tempting me, I kid you not :lol:!

 

 

:friends0: I just noticed I wrote "sell" rather than "use" when it came to the stickers. But I'm sure I could get you some boxes.

The shop I work in is 40 minutes north by slow train. I know you're very picky about the quality/newness of your books but I would say I've saved a couple of grand since working there.

Having said that because the books are so cheap I tend to pick up ones that I only vaguely want so often never read them. But also pick up ones I'd never normally find so it's swings and roundabouts.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I tend to keep the vast majority of the books I own. I do occasionally hand in a bag of books to my local charity shop but I only give away those books I know I will never read again. I also have no qualms about giving back the books I bought in the charity shop in the first place!

Edited by Abby
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That is what appeals to me about bookcrossing.com, I love the idea of someone finding a book I have left and then writing a short journal about how and where they found it

Good luck with the bookcrossing Johnny.....I do that too on occasions, occasional journals for them. Handed a couple in to a charity shop recently hoping the labels are still inside them!!

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