50 down

[vanillafluffy]

In the spirit of continuing to fling, I've filled two boxes with books to be given to a charity shop or used bookstore. Fifty books, which brings me 25% of the way to my December goal.

And again, frightening? It's barely made a dent. Barely.

Although, multiply it by four, and it'll definitely be dented. I'm keeping in mind the space my library is going to occupy, which is basically two walls---forming a floor-to-ceiling 'L' of books approximately 10'x12'. The ten-foot side of the 'L' is already mostly full---although that will also see some thinning---but what I import from the office is going to be augmented by more books that are lurking throughout the rest of the house.

What, you thought this was all of them? Ha! I have two (matching) two-shelf bookcases in my bedroom (overflowing), another bookcase in the hallway---not quite packed, but nearly---and more books in bags and boxes in the detritus of my living room. Oh, and boxes of books in the library-to-be in addition to the already shelved ones....

That's just books, not 'zines, which mostly live in the hall bathroom, although others can be found in sundry piles and stashes around the house.

I'm not even trying to organize at this point, except vaguely grouping by size. So far, the coffee-table books I've clustered together contain a broad panorama of interests: 20th Century Architecture, The Velveteen Rabbit, Charles Addams cartoons, The Atlas of Pern and The Stenciled House. I suspect they're going to wind up in a bookcase all their own on a third wall.

Two hundred books? I should keep track. By the time I'm through with all this, I'll have probably flung a thousand!

Comments

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

I gave around 200 to the library book sale in the spring. It still seems to have freed up only the top two shelves on the floor to ceiling bookcases on the upstairs landing, though, especially after that trip last month to the used book superstore in Chattanooga. It's a good thing it takes an hour to get there or I'd be in serious trouble. :)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

Now, see, that's where my problem started---I was a member of the local Friends of the Library, and on the last day of the event, they'd have fire sale prices, $2 a bag, or something equally seductive. Also, my ex's mom had a habit of going to yard sales at the end of the day and going "All your books for $10!" and giving us the surplus after she'd taken what she wanted. And I've got a closetful of books that I haven't been able to get at in a few years---a lot of that can probably go, but I'm hazy on exactly what's in there (aside from my Trixie Beldens---which I am KEEPING).

[socialhermit.livejournal.com]

Have you ever considered posting some of them on Amazon or eBay and making some money?

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

*laughs hysterically* Only the eight cartons of vintage photoplay novels that I inherited from my brother. Or the gramophone cylinders that my dad inherited from his dad. Because I know myself: packing up stuff and hauling it to the post office is the kind of thing that I would probably procrastinate like mad on and completely screw up my feedback. So I'm saving that energy for the stuff that might actually be worth something instead of the drek.

[socialhermit.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally get ya. Sometimes organizing and posting (and then boxing up and mailing) all that stuff is more trouble than it's worth. *nods*

[lapillus]

I know the feeling; it's both freeing and overwhelming. I just got rid of five bags of books between three bookstores and charity bookdrive and that's not really looking at several areas that need it. I also got rid of 600 homerecorded video tapes (craigslist free section is a wonderful thing). Good luck in the rest of your goal!

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

600 home-recorded VHS tapes? OMG, a woman after my own heart! I have four full bookcases in the living room crammed with VHS tapes dating back to 19984, when I got my first VCR. Some of it I've replaced with DVDs, some of it is of series that came and went so fast it'll never see daylight again. I'm just starting back in the office because it's where I spend most of my waking hours.

Thanks! I need all the cheerleading I can get.

[starhawk2005.livejournal.com]

*grins* Ah yes. I gathered a whole bunch of books together a year or two ago and started selling them on Amazon. I've made roughly 100$ already. ;)

[vanillafluffy.livejournal.com]

I'll probably end up on Amazon or eBay eventually, but right now, I just want to get the worst of the crap out of here. 20- and 30-year old remaindered library books and forgettable paperbacks aren't worth the agita. (The 70-year old photoplays definitely are.) And I know me---I'm not organized and I'm a born procrastinator, so me getting revved up to ship things out in a timely manner would be A Big Deal, especially in the midst of all this chaos. Once this place is less of a shambles, it should be more do-able.

[starhawk2005.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sometimes it's more important to make room to BREATHE, no argument there...