Friday, 7 June 2013

Second hand problems

I have a lot of stuff in my home. Too much stuff. My buying has curtailed... to a degree... but I really need to concentrate on getting the electronic versions of books and stuff, not physical copies of things any more. And, moreover, I need to get rid of what I have. Preferably making a little coin back along the way.

With DVDs, selling them in bulk on TradeMe is working for now. Yes, I still would like to watch them sometime... but I'm not likely watch them again any time soon. And I have plenty of DVDs I haven't watched piled up that I need to work through. And^2... I can acquire them online, and in many cases, going for the electronic version is easier than digging up the physical disc. [I'm not getting rid of everything, I still want some DVDs of stuff I really care about, but still... way too many DVDs. And I've already mentioned how I want to get new physical copies.]

Books... are proving to be a harder prospect. Being in New Zealand, getting books to read, it is easier to order in from overseas (it is cheaper, takes just as long if not quicker), and I don't need to worry about getting around to read it within a limited time as if I got it from the library (if they have it in). This does mean I got me a whole bunch of books that I don't need to keep around for a second reading, but what do I do with them? [And from now on: electronic versions to read on my tablet, dammit! And use the library more.]

We do have a few second hand book stores... although not many of them actually want to take in used books, because they have enough stock, and the book has to be in perfect condition for them to even consider it. [You've read it once? Oh, then the spine is creased, no sale.] Trade Me is an option, but can't bulk sell lots as easily, and listing them one at a time in an incredibly painful process... and that presumes there's a market for those books beyond people like me... and there may only be me who wanted it in the first place... who probably got it cheaper overseas themselves anyway!

But then what? If I'm willing to just get rid of them, give to the library? Last books I did with that never ended up in their catalogues, so they don't care. Charity shop? At least they'd be willing to take them, although they may just do what I might have to... Dump them. Which is terrible to do with books, but if no-one wants them any more, then no matter how terrible Fahrenheit 451 might seem, getting rid of them as rubbish is the only option left. And I got plenty of books I doubt anyone wants any more (with either being only of limited surface interest or easily available in better formats). Hell, I hear things of charities and such that ship books to third world countries for them to read, but not over here (being on a geographically isolated island doesn't help) and even then I think they still only want certain materials not just anything.

So yeah, a whole of stuff lessening to do... and the rubbish pile might be my only option for things I spent a lot of money on... stupidly. Any other ideas? [Before you say 'garage sale', I don't have a garage, and again - limited scope on the range of people who'd want to buy it.]

[END]

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is yearly, though the nearest dropoff point to you is Petone, and I'm not sure when they start collecting for next year:
http://www.bookfest.org.nz/

Jamas Enright said...

And there's the DCM bookfair. Not sure what their policy is on DVDs without NZ labels... (which is a whole 'nother annoying issue).

Jet Simian said...

I can understand the library situation from both sides of the non-transaction. From experience, librarians themselves don't like to throw away books - but that's what the paperback was invented for, unfortunately!

Stray thought with no empirical evidence to back it up, but had you considered a school library for some titles?