Old College Textbooks

There are places that you can donate them. I work on a college campus and a group comes through and collects them every year. They will take all textbooks even ones that are too old to re-sell. I'll look for the organization name...

Found it: Books4Cause

Oh my gosh this is so funny! My (now ex) husband refused to get rid of his college textbooks and of course they just sat and took up space in the garage until one day when I was building some shelves for my craft supplies I decided to use the books as shelf supports. He never even noticed!

There are lots of craft ideas online for do-it-yourself things made from old books. Just google it and you'll see lots of inspiration if you're crafty.

Theater groups often take books to use as props on shelves, like when the scene takes place in a library. You might ask a community theater if they would like a free bunch of books to display.

And some people, like on Etsy, use book pages in their crafts. So you could advertise on Craigslist in the free section that you have old textbooks for crafters, stagers (the realtors who make the house look pretty when it's for sale - books are great if there's an office or study area), theater groups, etc.

Well, since I'm the one who said I still have my college books and papers, you know what my answer would be. Some of them are on the bookshelf in our living room, quietly reminded me that I read Virgil in Latin several decades ago.

As for what to do with old books now, try a used bookstore or Books for Africa.

I hear you on this, and the cost of textbooks has risen since we were in college. My niece is in college, as is my cousin's daughter, and they are paying $200-$300 MINIMUM per textbook. Ugh.

I've sold my old math and english textbooks to used bookstores and received decent deals. Half Price Books (if you have them in your area) will buy them, and have told me they actually do a good business in used textbooks. I've actually bought algebra and geometry books there just to refresh my memory in these subjects t help my nieces.

Beyond that, I have no suggestions. I'm curious to see what others have to say.

This made me chuckle...I do have old papers that I wrote in college (and with degrees in English and communication, that's a lot of papers), and lots of books from my literature classes. I have a few classic books from communication as well (On Writing Well, The Elements of Style, etc.). I think I sold most of my other course books though after the class was over. I really never felt that I'd have to look up something on the geography of Africa and have nowhere else to turn but my textbook ;-)

Right after graduation my living situation was chaotic and I moved 4 times in 3 weeks, lugging my boxes from place to place. I had a giant fight with a guy I was dating and he ended up throwing out some of my boxes out of spite so I lost a lot of my possessions but remember almost crying with relief that I hadn't lost my printed papers...like my essay on Wordsworth vs. Coleridge was going to help me at some point. Funny what we value, eh?

Anyway...at this point I would probably cut the binding off the books, put the pages in the recycling bin and toss the covers.

Some we've donated, others we've just thrown away into the trash bin.
Yeah, I know - it goes against every fiber of my body - but it's not something anyone looks at any more.
Would YOU buy 30 yr old used college books from anyone for any reason?
Just let them go and get rid of them.
Do you want your kids having to go through all this stuff after you are dead and gone?
We've done this for my father in law - boxes and boxes and BOXES of it - and there's nothing to do but throw it away. - we kept year books but that's about it.
College was an important part of your life - but letting go of the tools you used when you were young and growing is not turning your back on that part of your life.
Your memories and experiences help make you who you are - and that's with you forever.
You can let the books go.
They've served their purpose.

I still have some as well. The recycler here (donate at the library and they get money for it) will not take the books per se. However, I plan to cut out the pages and put them in. Then just the cover will go in the garbage. Wish there was a better option but....none in my area.

Is there anyone in your area who does book arts? They would probably appreciate donations. I've seen several art pieces made from books.

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Is there anyone in your area who does book arts? They would probably appreciate donations. I've seen several art pieces made from books.

If there is a half price books near you they will take them. You will get little of nothing for them but at least they won't go in a land fill

I had kept a ton of my college textbooks and when I was moving in 2013, I just loaded them all up in the trunk with a bunch of other stuff and took it to Goodwill. These books were used from 2001-2005, so they probably have already had three or four more editions printed since then and it just wasn't worth the time or effort to try to sell them anywhere.

My 21 yr old daughter sells her books back to the bookstore for practically nothing what she pays for them. Example : a $100 book might get you $10. Sick

There's a couple she chose to keep but there's a good online outlet at her college for people looking for books so she has sold a couple at school.

As for myself and hubby, we don't have old college text books but we do have other books we value in our library.

I'm a regular donator to the library and get a receipt.

Go to an area thrift store after hours and leave them at their door...... Hmmm

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Go to an area thrift store after hours and leave them at their door...... Hmmm

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Go to an area thrift store after hours and leave them at their door...... Hmmm