Encyclopaedia Britannica and the rest

There are people who make art out of redundant texts. Sadly I don't have a link but might be worth a search. As a reference source, they are worthless unfortunately.

A couple of people I know just took them to the local tip having exhausted any other options.

Your best best would be for paper crafters, particularly junk journalers and recyclers.

Some clever ideas on Pinterest. I like the occasional tables and shelves.

uk.pinterest.com/mocomstock/new-uses-for-old-encyclopedias/

Oxfam online sell craft packages comprising pages from old books. Here's an example:

onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/80-pages-from-vintage-and-antique-books-for-crafting/product/HD_302926135?sku=HD_302926135

I had a set of 8 Books Of Knowledge plus a huge Dictionary, all from the 1950’s, very expensive at the time.

They sat on the bookshelf for many years after no longer being used.

Eventually I took them to an Age UK charity shop that was in large premises, and actually had a dedicated book room.

They told me if they didn’t sell, (cannot imagine who would buy them), all surplus books went to be pulped.

Was so pleased to dispose of them, and tell myself that at least they weren’t binned.

Etsy sellers creating art prints from old book pages:

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1504265371/art-print-on-old-antique-book-page

Some National Trust places have second hand book shops, though I am not sure they would be able to re-sell EB. Anything they can’t sell goes to be pulped. Oxfam also has some bookshops.

It’s such a shame that these books are now redundant. Nothing nicer than seeing a bookcase filled with encyclopaedias.
I treated myself to nice dictionary & Thesaurus set.

Anglo Doorstep Collections will take things like that, and distribute them around the world where they are needed. Encyclopaedias might be of use in schools abroad who struggle for books, although some old text books probably have a very Eurocentric view of the world. What's left is sold and the profits after operating costs go to a different charity each month.

You book a collection date based on your postcode and ADC will come and get them, so you don't have to transport things anywhere. They also take old clothes and other items (not bedding or furniture) and there is a list on their website of what they accept and don't want.

Don’t think Anglo Doorstep Collections is nationwide though.

Calendargirl

Don’t think Anglo Doorstep Collections is nationwide though.

I can't get the map to fit on a screenshot, but the vast majority of England is covered.

anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/charity-collections-near-you/

When we were young, our 20's, and rather short of money, we made the mistake of inviting an Encyclopaedia Brittanica Rep into the house - he gave us the hard-sell for 2-3 hours, and ended trying to get us to agree stage payments for a £750 EB Set. He was angry when we showed him the door!
In my late 30's in Bangkok, I bought a buckshee EB on computer CD for $20.
Now we get Wikipedia for free!

That's Progress for Ya!

These books might be valuable from a historical point of view. In the last few years so much has been redacted, changed, lied about, that a true record might be useful to a historian.

JacquiG unfortunately they aren't a true record now (if they ever really were).

You only need to look up a few things you know about to see how poor they are.
It's very very sad - I'm afraid the ones my parents bought have had to go...

A lot of textbooks are now outdated as research etc has changed many thought to be true at the time information. If a charity won't take them, I'd just bin them for recycling.

grannyjan2

We are just starting to think about clearing the attic. There are shelves full of text and reference books, from both our schooldays (60 years ago) and those of our children.
I realise that these are of no use to anyone now that facts are literally at our fingertips. A few of my English literature set books might be of charity shop interest, but as for the rest .. ?
What did you do with yours when it came to it ?
It seems sacrilege to bin (recycle) them, but what is the alternative ?
The Britannica is a (very expensive at the time, but well used) 20 volume Children's set, 1988/9 edition. Ebay has lots, they go for a pittance, if at all.
Any inspiration would gratefully received.

Our local Red Cross shop used to send books for pulping which they didn't sell but now sends them off to World of Books.

Oxfam too, they sell older books to a local dealer and also have a second-hand bookshop.

Try all avenues before destroying them!

4allweknow

A lot of textbooks are now outdated as research etc has changed many thought to be true at the time information. If a charity won't take them, I'd just bin them for recycling.

No, they are still of interest to collectors.

Earlier this year I tidied the (extensive) bookshelves in "my" study. There were ten dictionaries (including kiddies ones) plus about ten French and German ones, and scores of textbooks from both my lecturing and student days. I'm 73. They were all grossly out of date (I looked up sample words as a test - none of them had "seatbelt" in, let alone anything more modern.). I also have a set of Children's Britannica which I bought for a fiver 40 years ago, dated 1960!! I wonder how (not) useful that would be now?

DH insists that we keep them!

I took all the others to the recycling centre.

sadly they are a thing of the past, they used to look lovely on shelves with their leather covers. But the sales people who used to sell them door to door could be very persistent! Once they came it it was hard to get rid of them without signing up!

If they have an ISBN number then try selling to World of Books but that usually means they have to be post 1970's. Some doorstep recycling take books for recycling or selling on but sad to say a lot of these books go for pulping but at least they don't go to landfill. I sort books at our local charity shop and have a big problem with getting rid of perfectly good but just too old books. Luckily our local Age UK warehouse takes ours for selling on to a bulk book buyer as there isn't many of those left now. We can't use them as we don't have enough to warrant him picking them up.

I have a (very dusty) set of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Cost a fortune back in the 80's but no longer needed. I can't bring myself to bin it but haven't yet come up with an alternative. I should offer it on Freegle but don't expect anyone will want it. I used it a lot back in the day. How times have changed!

My friend had a antiquarian
bookshop and used to sell unsaleable books by the "colour and metre" to people setting up photo shoots or dressing show homes, or to the theatres.

He'd get a phone call for (say) eight metres of (say) yellow to red or blue to purple or whatever.
I know he got rid of quite a few out of date books like this.

Does anyone remember the Arthur Mee’s set of Children’s Encyclopaedias? I’ve still got mine. I found them invaluable as a child for helping me with homework and just for reading and learning.
They are laughably out of date and hideously moralising. I can’t bear to part with them though. My parents didn’t have much money but they valued education. It must have given them great pleasure to see me making such marvellous use out of them.

edd269

When we were young, our 20's, and rather short of money, we made the mistake of inviting an Encyclopaedia Brittanica Rep into the house - he gave us the hard-sell for 2-3 hours, and ended trying to get us to agree stage payments for a £750 EB Set. He was angry when we showed him the door!
In my late 30's in Bangkok, I bought a buckshee EB on computer CD for $20.
Now we get Wikipedia for free!

That's Progress for Ya!

now we get Wikipedia for free
Lots of us pay a monthly donation for the information this organisation supplies.

They still have a value:
onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/chamberss-encyclopaedia-complete-15-volume-set/product/HD_302899305

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/396532149555

countryhouselibrary.co.uk/products/encyclopaedia-britannica-volumes-1-24
Ask your local auction house, or leave them in the attic for someone to find in years to come