What to do?
 

I am in my 70's and trying to downsize. I have a Lot of quilt books and crochet books. I simply don't know what to do with them. there is no one in my family who is interested in them. My daughter tried to sell a few of them on line with no interest. It will break my heart to just throw them away, which is what I will have to do if I can't find them a home. I already have thrown away 20 years of magazines. I cried, it seems like such a waste. Anyway, I am hoping that you will have some answers for me of what to do. Thanks.

Or a local guild?

You can offer them here.

Or a Seniors Group/Club?
Or Retirement home? etc.
Or an LQS as freebies for their customers?

We have several local charity shops that welcome such things, perhaps you do too? Our library also has sales through the year and take donated books, maybe yours does too? If not, you could look into selling them or giving them away for postage cost here on the forums -- there's a section for that.

my library disappointed me. i took a stack of Louis La'Mour western books that looked like leather to my library only to be told to call the woman who accepts old books and then sells them in the corner of the library. i never got her to answer her phone. took the books to a charity shop.

Find a Quilt Guild and put them on the free table. That way you know they will be passed on to people that share the same interests and will get equal enjoyment out of them.

We donate anything we don't want or can't use any more to Goodwill or Salvage Army. My Husband took old VHS movie tapes to our Library and they were thrilled to get them.

Jackie, is there a second hand book shop in your area? You could donate to them if there is. I doubt they would pay you for them but at least you wouldn't throw them away. I did this a few years ago. I was just glad to get rid of them.

Don't fret over the loss of the magazines. You got your enjoyment from them so they served their purpose. I would take the books to Salvation Army. I use to work for Salvation Army and I know that every penny is used for good, not to give big salaries.

I'd offer them here on this forum for shipping costs. I hate giving things away as well but sometimes that's what I need to do.

I always check Goodwill and used book stores for quilt books and magazines.

Craigslist is another place.

Or Freecycle if you have it in your area.

Our Quilt Guild just got a large amount of donated quilting magazines. There’s little or no interest in them. Too dated, sorry to say.

Quilting books
 

Friends of the Green Vallet Library run a used book store in two of the libraries in their area. I don't know if that is near you, but their website says they will arrange for pickup. I live way north of you in Canada and it's the first place I go to look when I'm tying to find a quilting book that might no longer be I print or I just can't find. They give great service and it always makes me feel good to know I'm helping out a library in some small way!

Have you tried Half Priced Books? They purchase used books to sell. At one time one of our local libraries was collecting books for prisoners.

I second in donating them to the local library. I donated all my books to them when I discovered Kindle and they were pleased to get them. Library budgets are limited and getting craft type books are usually welcomed.

Jackie, I would like to second some of the suggestions already made. I would first take the books to your local guild and give them first choice. We have had folks do this at my guild meetings a number of times. Not all books were taken but the pile was significantly decreased.

Donate to your local library. My library has a book sale 6 times a year and crafting books are always in demand. The library sells them from 25 cents to about $2.00 depending on hardcover, soft cover, age and condition. The "profits" go to support the library's efforts to purchase new materials for public use.

I understand how painful this process is, but in the long run, you will feel more free and will have in your hands only what you love and what you will use in the next stage of your quilting life. I had to do this when I moved from a house to a condo. Buy a box of good tissues and dig deep and keep only what is meaningful and useful to you. Best Wishes as you downsize.

Last year I went thru all of my quilting books and magazines, contacted a local quilt guild and asked if they were interested in them. One of the ladies was over to my house within a couple of hours and took all of them and was happy to get them.

Our local library has a sale every year and quilt books sell really well. I also like to donate to Salvation Army. They serve so many needy people and don’t spend mega bucks for CEO salary like Goodwill does. Local quilt groups also sell books at their shows and church sales usually have books for sale.

I have four piles of quilt books next the my chair. I can no longer read them.
They have been setting here for four days, I just don't want to give them away.
Selling something here is hard because the post is locked and you can't take off what is gone and add anything new.
Making 40 seperate threads would probably get me modded.

we are in the same boat. Fortunately I quit buying magazines in 1998 and shipped what I had to Austria believe it or not.

standard books and books on CD I do donate to the library for their sale. I don't worry about if they put them in the system or not, it all goes to the good of all.

I moved last year and did a lot of purging. I save Block magazines in the yearly folders but take the rest to the guilds free table after I read them. I don't want any more stacks of magazines to deal with.

We have a couple local thrift shops run by the disabled groups. I've donated sewing items such as books, patterns and fabrics to them. All goes quickly too.

They would be welcome at your Salvation Army or Rescue Mission thrift shop. Try donating them there.

You know you probably will never reread those magazines no matter that you think you will. :D

Besides donations.
If your daughter can help with managing/doing an etsy shop see www.etsy.com/market/used_quilt_books
and see www.etsy.com/market/used_crochet_books
Maybe sell the book together with some fabrics and/or some yarn as a packet might be more attractive for buyers.
Post your books titles in the for sale section on this forum, there might be some people here interested in buying a book. I hope your books find a good home.
Success with whatever you do.

A number of years ago I was diagnosed with vision issues and had to admit that my vision was going to run out before my fabric did...

I've given away a lot of stuff by looking for "wanted" ads on Craig's List. Also posted free ads. I've given non-quilting stuff to textile students. Craft stuff to an elementary school art teacher (budgets are slashed for such things). Girl scouts, church groups, an entire box of Christmas fabrics for the Forgotten Children's Fund to make stockings, 4-H and other fund raisers. You might check nursing homes/senior centers. It was/is easy to find people who wanted large pieces of fabric, until I came to this board I couldn't find people to take my scraps/little pieces -- but now I have a couple of people that I send boxes of odds and ends to. There are also groups that have book sales as fund raisers, they might be interested in the magazines.

I'd rather give things away than throw them away, easier on my spirit if harder on my body -- but it never hurts to put in an "best offer" line.

Thank you all for your suggestions and caring thoughts. Don't know why I couldn't think of any of these myself. I will call some guilds and senior homes/clubs, then off to Salvation army they go. This is an awesome group of people. Someone always has an answer to the questions asked. I knew you would for me also. Through the years I have spent many enjoyable and educational hours in here. Thank you again.

Hi Jackie - Another suggestion is Better World Books. You can sell through them, or donate to them. In my area, BWB has bins in a few shopping areas and you can just put books through the slot. Check their website, I know I have seen info about donating/selling - probably in their faq section. DH and I have always been happy with their prices, selection and service, and we have dropped off piles of books in their bins.
Lefty , in Philly

I took all my paints for Tole painting to the Senior Center since they taught classes there. in Colorado.

Great idea. Our local library takes donated books, and has set aside a room just for the books they cannot use, and sells them to buy new books. Win, win.

I second the idea of offering them here for shipping if your going to donate them, that is, if you’re up for the extra work that will be involved in shipping them out.

There are so many worthy donation points as mentioned. Add to them charity sewing groups such as Project Linus, Quilts of Valor, youth education groups, church quilting groups, etc. Quilters exchange and share resources.

We had a new used book store open up in our small town. It made me feel really good to gift them with all the books I had loved, but no longer need.

You are not too far from Phoenix and there is a Arizona Quilting Guild with chapters all over the state. I did not find one in Laveen but maybe there is one some where close to you and you could offer them up. Also, Salvation Army or St. Vincent de Paul, they may come to pick up.

Do you have a "Half Price Books"? That's where I took my books when I had to eliminate some of mine and they buy what you need to get rid of. They, of course, don't give you much, but at least you feel like the books may find another person to love them for a while.

Before you put them on a "free" table at a quilt guild ask if they want them. On several occasions ladies have slipped in and left some on our "free" table. No one wanted them and we had to haul them out and do something with them. They all went into the trash, no volunteers to take them home or drive them to a charity.