We are in the midst of the Digital Era and with that comes a reduction in our need for books. With many people preferring to read online, listen to Audiobooks or use devices like the Amazon Kindle, there is an abundance of books collecting dust on our shelves.
If you are one of many who has dozens of old books gathering dust, here we tell you what you can do to free up space and even make some extra cash by getting rid of your old books.
Donate to Charity
If you are wondering how to get rid of old books, one of the most common solutions is to donate them to charity. These charities then either distribute them for free, or sell the books to fund the charity’s operations. If you want to donate the books to a charitable organisation so they can distribute them where most needed, a brilliant example is Books2Africa who, as the name suggests, send your books to learning institutions in Africa.
If you are stretched for time one of the easiest options is to find your nearest Cancer Research shop to donate your books and in turn fund their vital research. It’s amazing what we can do by donating our unwanted goods!
Give the Books to Others
This is one of the most obvious answers but don’t underestimate how much someone could appreciate your book collection. As they say “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. If you have an abundance of books you have already read, why not go door-knocking in your neighbourhood to see if anyone wants them? Likewise, if you have any nieces or nephews, we are sure their parents would appreciate you handing down some of your knowledge! Equally, a good way to get books to those who might want them is to give them to your local church. They may then give them to those less fortunate, or they may sell them to raise funds for their church.
Repurpose Your Books
If you are of the creative type, perhaps you might consider repurposing your old books. There are some imaginative ideas for reusing books. For example, you could hollow out your books to make top secret hiding spaces – check the image above to see how it could look. It doesn’t have to be a secret hiding spot, you could hollow the book out to act as a teabag box, inventive right? Alternatively, you could take the spine of the book and sew a ribbon through the top of it to make a very classy-looking bookmark (to use on the books you do want to keep). If you have an open and creative mind, there are many possibilities.
Sell Books Online
If you, like a lot of people, like to earn a bit of cash for your old possessions then selling your books may be the best option. However, traditionally it has been difficult to get them sold and posted to various buyers. This is where we make it easy for you. You can sell your books to Zapper. Input the barcodes of your books to receive an instant valuation, choose how you want to be paid and then send us the books FREE of charge. Instead of searching for individual buyers online, you can sell used books in one transaction. Easy isn’t it?
What Will You Do With Your Books?
Books have been around for thousands of years as a means of recording information, telling stories and educating people. Despite the rise of the smartphone and other digital devices, there is always use for books. Hopefully we have shed some light in how to get rid of old books, whether that’s donating them to charity, giving them to friends, creatively repurposing them, or simply selling them for cash.
