De-cluttering - old Professional Journals

Yes, I got a shredding company to take a couple of bags earlier this year, but forgot about my diaries.

Dh cleared our loft of old business stuff - accounts, patient records etc - and contacted a professional shredding company. It was much less expensive that we thought and very easy to use. Unfortunately he missed the Forest stuff!

I had a good clear out of professional books and journals, and now have to tackle all those diaries. They're full of names, phone numbers and notes from meetings, so can't just be binned, and shredding would take ages as well as having to rip the pages from cardboard covers. What have others done with their old diaries?

My DH has no problem throwing away his professional journals on a regular basis but we in grave danger of disappearing under an avalanche of Nottingham Forest programmes, magazine, annuals, scarves etc etc!

Nellie - my husband also hoards work related journals. I have managed to smuggle the 1933 children act and various probation journals out of the house, along with (shhhhh) some Man U programmes. I've found he just doesn't notice, though if I attempt to discuss decluttering he comes over all defensive of the piles of paper/books/notes etc. I'm not great, have to confess, but I have started a one book in, one book out police, which is almost working. It's a great shame about everything being on line, as I much prefer to read a book, or paper product but we'd be drowning otherwise I suppose. What is it about men and hoarding old books, maps, programmes etc. Tends to confirm they'e all a bit on the spectrum (no offence to spectrums of course). One of may friends insists that men just colonise space

Universities and colleges now want journals online not in paper form. I edit the journal of my local county archaeological society and after the issue currently in preparation we are going to become an online journal. Printing paper copies only for our oldest members who are not computerate.

I have a copy of the 1933 Children Act that has long been superseded. It is of some historical interest but that is all. It needs smuggling out of the house. My OH is the one who hoards things.

Professional journals tend to go out of date, so I binned mine - and have no regrets.

I've got lots of old Observer Magazines [mind you, they're in someones garage and have probably been eaten by mice by now]. I've always been fascinated looking at old publications for the advertising [cars, mobile phones etc] and how things have changed over the years. I know they need to be thrown away. And, of course, boxes full of old Racing Posts.I knew of someone whose grandad had died and they'd burned the entire contents of his shed, which consisted of Racing Publications going back years; articles about Arkle and Golden Miller etc etc. I could have wept . Would have given anything to read them. It's ok looking at something online but magical actually holding something from a bygone era if you're interested in that particular subject.

GadaboutGran the easiest and cheapest way for you to get rid of them is to offer them on Freecycle. Good luck.

Being lazy & posting this has got me doing a bit more research. On eBay the same Journals are being sold, starting price 99p plus £3 postage. Some have been sold but most as yet have no bidders. But do I want to be bothered to make the effort to sell them. I'll phone a few Colleges & groups though the last time I went into the local FE College Library, I didn't recognise it as a Library - hardly any books to be seen.

Does anyone here want back copies of History Today? A whole shelf full.

A lot of stuff will be archived online so that gives saved journals little street value..either money or in content. If not available online then they will have a value to someone!

I do not have a houseful of professional journals but DH has 100s of footie programmes and Private Eye mags! Wish i could persuade him to move them on!

Struggles to get rid of National Geographics - even the prison didn't want them
In the end they went to oxfam.
I guess college libraries might be interested gadabout . Otherwise it is paper recycling time...

Ebay, Gumtree or Freecycle, depending on how much they are worth.
Have a look on these and see whether anyone is selling or asking for anything similar.

i put a pile of New Scientists on to Freecycle and had several people asking for them. They went to the first to email me - someone who turned out to have a shop where he sold past issues of magazines.

Someone, somewhere, will find them interesting.