Spring cleaning projects around the house can turn up hidden gems
When so many people were stuck at home during the pandemic, they found a lot of time on their hands. People then, as now , are beginning to dive into spring cleaning projects, poking into attics and garages, and reorganizing homes.
Some of the most common items discovered in these home-bound treasure hunts tend to be books. Some may be valuable books, most probably are not.
If you’re digging into closets and finding books that are potentially valuable (or not), you’ll need to decide how to deal with them if you don’t want to keep the books.
Here are four options for handling the books:
#1 Charitable donation
Charitable donation may be the best option for books of little value: those which are common, not very old, or in less-than-perfect condition.
General used books, text books, Reader’s Digest volumes, contemporary children’s books, romance novels and mass-market paperbacks are all ideal Goodwill or Salvation Army candidates.
Both organizations are doing their part to continue supporting those in need during COVID-19. Goodwill, for instance, relies on such donations to offer skills training for homeless veterans and people with disabilities. The Salvation Army works to care for the communities most vulnerable to the Coronavirus, and they depend heavily upon donations including merchandise.
#2 Start (or add to) a neighborhood little library
Neighborhoods across America are creating “little free libraries” for neighborhood kids (and book-loving adults). If you’ve not seen one in your area, a “little free library” is a book-sharing box where anyone may take a book or share a book of their own.
Often housed in a cute little dollhouse or birdhouse-type structure, the neighborhood libraries function on the honor system among locals. If you take a book or two from a little library, try to bring some to share to that same library, or another in your area, when you can. This is becoming a fun and engaging option for families in the neighboorhood.
#3 Try selling online with apps
If you’re comfortable using eBay, OfferUp, LetGo or even NextDoor, those may be great options for mid-level used books or vintage books: those of some value, but not enough to warrant placing them on the auction block.
Most sell-it-yourself apps take advantage of the ability to ship your item to a new buyer, avoiding all personal contact.
People are also getting creative with local exchanges, using apps like Venmo to send payment digitally, and arranging to leave items for sale outside the house in a pre-determined location.
#4 High-end rare books or first editions? Sell at online auction!
If you’ve uncovered a book you know to be valuable, or are curious about whether something sitting on the shelf may be worth selling, you’ll find our Guide to Evaluating Books or Home Libraries to be a helpful start towards sorting through books that may be valuable, and those that are not.
If you’ve found a hidden gem or two, selling at auction may be a great solution for you. We’re here to help with our simple auction consignment service.
Right now, the world is a captive audience glued to the internet – and that’s to your advantage as a seller.
Collectors who are fortunate enough to remain in a comfortable position during COVID-19 are looking for online activities, and we’re encouraged as we continue to see lots of bidding and buying at online auctions despite the unrest in the global economy.
This is a uniquely perfect time to get your items in front of an unprecedented number of potential buyers.
In Conclusion
If you’ve been downsizing and are considering selling a single book or even a large collection, we can help facilitate the sale.
Want to find out more? Just get in touch with us today!
