You know cleaning a place up after a loved one passes is never fun. And then come, what do I do with her stuff. Her kids and grand kids took what they wanted so what do I do with the rest. Clothing went to the City Mission Womans Shelter. And medical stuff, went to where it could be used. Lots of stuff went to the curbside pick up. And now books, lot of books, she was a reader any and everything always on the journey till the end. So I called the local libraries looking for the book collection days. Non, wont except donations of books, no room no space, and so on and so on. I hate to put them in the dumpster, but maybe I will have to. Sorry but I just had to vent some,, carry on with your day
Just a little vent
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State College or nearby used to have a book sale in the summer and they took donations. I'll ask my friend if she knows about it. Books are hard, I can barely throw out magazines much less books. Around here they have little mini libraries on posts "take one leave one". You could carry around a bag full and just slip one in every time you go to store. Good Will or other thrift stores might take some.
Poohbear
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My heart goes out to ya my friend. Wife says around here we have second hand book stores that will take them, myself, I just look at the pictures. 
Bmyers
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Lil Foot
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I feel for you buddy, and know exactly what you mean. BTDT.
Slightly different situation a mile from here. Followed signs to an estate sale, 1 acre home with barn out back. The old folks who owned the place passed away 6 months ago, and their son (65yr old, who lived there in the '70s), his wife, and assorted grandkids & their wives out from Ohio, trying to empty the place to put it up for sale. Estate sale was to last 5 days, then back to Ohio.
Place was a borderline hoarder disaster. 90% was just crap- rusty tools, broken lawn mowers, broken dishes, old out of date food, broken toys, used (dirty) senior care gear, stained mattresses, busted furniture,power tools that didn't run, several tons of rusty scrap metal, you get the picture. Everything was dirty or rusty or both.
Widely spaced out in this mess were a few usable or re-saleable items. I would guess at least (3) 40ft dumpsters worth of just trash.
Now to the problem:
The grandkids, (who had to do all the labor getting ready for the sale) where making deals, giving reasonable prices, but were constantly being over-ruled by their parents who wanted above top dollar for everything no matter what its condition. Probably 80% of people who picked out something to buy left without it because of their pricing. Sale lasted 7 days, and probably 80+% is still there. We told the grandkids about a few charities that would take medical supplies, bedding & towels for animals shelters, & a veterans charity, but a week has passed & nothing seems to be moving.
Example of their pricing: There was a Brinly/Hardy garden dump trailer, some rust, completely flat, ruined tires, tailgate stuck/rusted in place. The kid told me $60, but his dad wanted $725, "because that's what we paid!". Yeah, right. The kid told me to come back in three days, and he would give me a good price if I took it out the side yard so the old man wouldn't see it. I got it for $40.
Somebody offered to bring a small Bobcat & dump trailer and would clean out the entire lot & barn (2-3 ft deep) for free, if he could take the scrap iron. The old man said no.
I assume they will have to sell it full of trash & take a big hit on the price.
People are hard to understand.
Slightly different situation a mile from here. Followed signs to an estate sale, 1 acre home with barn out back. The old folks who owned the place passed away 6 months ago, and their son (65yr old, who lived there in the '70s), his wife, and assorted grandkids & their wives out from Ohio, trying to empty the place to put it up for sale. Estate sale was to last 5 days, then back to Ohio.
Place was a borderline hoarder disaster. 90% was just crap- rusty tools, broken lawn mowers, broken dishes, old out of date food, broken toys, used (dirty) senior care gear, stained mattresses, busted furniture,power tools that didn't run, several tons of rusty scrap metal, you get the picture. Everything was dirty or rusty or both.
Widely spaced out in this mess were a few usable or re-saleable items. I would guess at least (3) 40ft dumpsters worth of just trash.
Now to the problem:
The grandkids, (who had to do all the labor getting ready for the sale) where making deals, giving reasonable prices, but were constantly being over-ruled by their parents who wanted above top dollar for everything no matter what its condition. Probably 80% of people who picked out something to buy left without it because of their pricing. Sale lasted 7 days, and probably 80+% is still there. We told the grandkids about a few charities that would take medical supplies, bedding & towels for animals shelters, & a veterans charity, but a week has passed & nothing seems to be moving.
Example of their pricing: There was a Brinly/Hardy garden dump trailer, some rust, completely flat, ruined tires, tailgate stuck/rusted in place. The kid told me $60, but his dad wanted $725, "because that's what we paid!". Yeah, right. The kid told me to come back in three days, and he would give me a good price if I took it out the side yard so the old man wouldn't see it. I got it for $40.
Somebody offered to bring a small Bobcat & dump trailer and would clean out the entire lot & barn (2-3 ft deep) for free, if he could take the scrap iron. The old man said no.
I assume they will have to sell it full of trash & take a big hit on the price.
People are hard to understand.
ehenry
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I totally understand where you are since I've been there my self. My mother was an voracious reader. Books every where in the house. Mamma passed before my dad. When Pop passed and after my three sisters and I divvied up the things we all wanted then we had the estate sale. My oldest sister, the executrix, hired a company to run the estate sale. We all agreed that would be best.....Huge mistake. They WAY over priced everything virtually nothing sold.
I went to an estate sale in Ozarka, AR sometime around 1998 and one of the items offered was a parkerized 1911 Colt (not A1) marked US Property. It had clear plastic grips, but otherwise looked very good.
It went for $900.
After the auction...THEN it was revealed the one of the grandkids had held-back the original WW-1 gov’t issue holster and belt which belonged to that pistol. He wanted something to remember GrandDad by.
THEN it was revealed the newspaper article which was printed about that pistol.... That 1911 had gone to war with the GREAT-grandfather in WW-1 who fought at Flanders, and he brought that pistol back home.
It was HIS SON who was the GrandFather who took it to France as his personal weapon in WW-TWO!
FURTHERMORE.... the newspaper article showed the picture of the Focke-Wulf fighter which GrandDad had SHOT DOWN with his Fathers WW-1 issue 1911. Seems the Focke-Wulf was making a low-level strafing-pass at his platoon and he took a wild-shot at the airplane as it flew-by overhead.... and the LUCKY-SHOT went thru the side of the cockpit and into the pilot killing him...and the airplane continued straight-ahead sliding onto the road, across a ditch, coming to rest in a field!
The farmer whose field it was took an axe and chopped out a piece of the windshield and gave it to the Grandfather as a keep-sake... and took a photo of the Focke-Wulf, Grandfather holding his .45 all together. The newspaper article included that photo.
The GrandFather had a set of grips made for that pistol out of that piece of windshield.... and THAT was why it had CLEAR GRIPS!
That pistol would have brought a LOT more money in that auction if the holster, belt, and newspaper article were made known BEFORE the auction! (And the anti-gun attitude of the parents of that youngster who wanted a momento of his deceased Grandfather showed what idiots they were to insist it be sold at an estate auction, IMO.)
True stories, all.
It went for $900.
After the auction...THEN it was revealed the one of the grandkids had held-back the original WW-1 gov’t issue holster and belt which belonged to that pistol. He wanted something to remember GrandDad by.
THEN it was revealed the newspaper article which was printed about that pistol.... That 1911 had gone to war with the GREAT-grandfather in WW-1 who fought at Flanders, and he brought that pistol back home.
It was HIS SON who was the GrandFather who took it to France as his personal weapon in WW-TWO!
FURTHERMORE.... the newspaper article showed the picture of the Focke-Wulf fighter which GrandDad had SHOT DOWN with his Fathers WW-1 issue 1911. Seems the Focke-Wulf was making a low-level strafing-pass at his platoon and he took a wild-shot at the airplane as it flew-by overhead.... and the LUCKY-SHOT went thru the side of the cockpit and into the pilot killing him...and the airplane continued straight-ahead sliding onto the road, across a ditch, coming to rest in a field!
The farmer whose field it was took an axe and chopped out a piece of the windshield and gave it to the Grandfather as a keep-sake... and took a photo of the Focke-Wulf, Grandfather holding his .45 all together. The newspaper article included that photo.
The GrandFather had a set of grips made for that pistol out of that piece of windshield.... and THAT was why it had CLEAR GRIPS!
That pistol would have brought a LOT more money in that auction if the holster, belt, and newspaper article were made known BEFORE the auction! (And the anti-gun attitude of the parents of that youngster who wanted a momento of his deceased Grandfather showed what idiots they were to insist it be sold at an estate auction, IMO.)
True stories, all.
My next door neighbor passed in February. His boys were over trying to make sense of his garage. When I moved in he was working on a 54 Studebaker. He got a 34 Ford dually . He bought 2 extra flathead V8s. Then he bought a 193 loop model A pickup . He has an extra cab for that. His last purchase was a 1920 model T . The 3 fords are all in a 2 stall garage along with parts of the Studebaker.
I've donated books to thrift shops and Friends of the Library for their book sales. Also given some to used book stores - they can be a little picky on condition if you're selling, but when I owned one, if someone GAVE me several boxes, I didn't complain.
Magicman
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Check the book stores that sell used books. My daughter sells and rebuys books all the time at her favorite book store. The store she uses is called half price books...I'm sure there are alot of good book stores like that.
I took several boxes of books to the local used book store, and got store credit.
Didn't really need it, just wnated to get rid of all the books.
Didn't really need it, just wnated to get rid of all the books.
Daren Todd
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Sounds like my mother in-law when pops passed. Most of the stuff was priced over the original purchased price.
She finally had an auction and took a hosing on the stuff.
She would have probably sold everything off within a week if she priced things reasonably to begin with. Instead she ticked off most everyone that stopped by.
When my father in law passed, I was tasked with emptying the home. I put a Craigslist ad saying that the contents of the home were free. Gave my telephone number, and when people called, I asked what they were looking for. A number of young families needed bedroom sets, and they were very appreciative of the free furniture. Same with the living room furniture. Almost all the furniture went to families that couldn't afford much, and were very grateful. They also took books, kitchen stuff, etc.. By screening the calls first, I made sure that there were no "resellers" that got past me. On the last day, what was left was all free no matter who they were. I just wanted it all gone, and I accomplished that. The home was sold a few weeks later, and the only things that went into the dumpster were old pictures that the family didn't want, and other assorted "junk" that no one wanted.
Talked to my friend and to her disappointment the book sale is cancelled for this year. They took in donated books and sold them for scholarship funds. Neither she nor I can bear to throw out a book.