That’s it?
So I started getting my stuff in order in my house. Things are still scattered all over my house, but I spent most of the morning cataloging my books using Delicious Monster’s Library. I’ve got lots and lots and lots of books almost 400, and I’ve yet to go into my office with the bookshelves. Tons of the books are manga. I’m gonna have to get rid of quite a few, because I can’t bear to re-read them or I didn’t like in the first place.
I decided to make use of the local used bookstore in town, Ukazoo. I know they buy books back, so I pack up my eight volumes of Black God and the volume of Biomega to test drive the book buy back. I’m no longer fascinated with Black God, and Biomega is not my cup of tea.
Into a bag they go, and I am off to Ukazoo. I drop them off at the buy back desk and wander around the store giving them a chance to decide how much they will pay me for used books.
Ukazoo’s manga section is somewhat sparse and features many older titles. I would like to grab a few, but that would defeat my purpose for coming here — to offload my junk without gaining any new junk.
I get back to the buy back desk. $4.98. Couldn’t they just make it a nice round $5?
I ask if they get any manga. She says they do, but they usually go to the warehouse to be sold online!!
So, I paid about $100 for 9 volumes of manga. They’ll buy it back for $5. They’ll then sell the manga for $4 a piece. I don’t know whether to feel outraged or relief.
On the one hand, my money is gone and I am not even coming close to recouping the cost. The store is gonna make good scratch off of me. On the other hand, my house is a smidge less cluttered. On the third hand, they only gave me $4.98!
Is the cost of having a less cluttered house worth $4.98? I think it may be, but I wish it was worth more. I feel foolish to accept such pittance, but I really want to get rid of this clutter. I did think about donating books to the public library for free and yet, I am bothered by this offer.
Should I be?
4 Replies to “That’s it?”
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I had a similar experience in school where I bought hard bound books and those gloss prints type, just coz that's what's needed. So buy back time during the end of the semester and I get $10 just for one book. I paid around $350 for a mix of new and old books in very good condition and that's how much I get? And they sell that hardbound book as a used book for $70.
Yeah, I thought about school textbooks while posting this. I know that it's a rip off even when you get it used. They'll still make more money off of you. Even if you go to an indy store rather than the local U's bookstore.
I'm just wondering to myself if I can be happy giving these books away. Is the money good? Would I rather have more money but less space? Is the reduction of clutter in my house worth more than $5? Can I be satisfied?
I say cut out the middle man and sell them yourself online. they made the mistake of telling you that you had something of value and how they would use it to turn a profit.
I'd say: like any collectible, if it's valuable, sell it yourself. Otherwise opt for more space.
I gave away a lot of books before I left since I didn't have any choice. At least I don't have them occupying space in my box and here at home now. Though now the problem is where to bring all my fiction books? I'm happy to say that some of it found a new home, my aunts house. No stress of not seeing them again, that they'll be neglected, and that they're of lower value now.
If no one wants to adopt them, the library is absolutely an option. Or that book exchange program I mentioned to u before (just that u have to mail them the books).