Are your bookshelves starting to feel a little crowded these days? Whether you’re looking to do some decluttering or make space for new reads, the best thing to do for your unwanted books is donate them. However, not every book will be met with a warm welcome at the nearest thrift store. Thrift shops have some stipulations as to what books they will and won’t accept for reasons of resell value, high demand, and condition. To know what books would truly make a difference in donations, we spoke to a thrift store expert for the top books they say are in high demand. Here are the seven books thrift stores want you to donate that will most definitely be accepted every time.
Meet the Expert
Colette Kemery is Director of Retail at The Place, a non-profit in Georgia.
Tips For Donating Books To Thrift Stores
Before we get to the specific titles, let’s talk about how to donate books to thrift stores properly. The books you donate should always been in good condition. While a worn-out cover is more than okay, your books should have all their pages, appear clean, and have no funky odors. The same should go with your packaging. Whatever you’re planning on using to deliver the books in, it’s proper etiquette to make sure it’s clean and well-prepped.
It’s also smart to call the specific thrift store you plan to donate to so you can see if there are any specific requests they have. Depending on the season, like if school is getting ready to start back up, some books may be in higher demand than others. Calling ahead will also give you the chance to hear about donation guidelines so your stuff has a higher chance of being accepted.
7 Books Thrift Stores Want You To Donate Right Now
Recently Published Fiction & Bestsellers
You can pretty much guarantee that any newer releases you have or titles by trendy authors will be accepted. Best-selling books attract a lot of attention for shoppers and have a higher resell value, so most thrift stores would be happy to take them. Not to mention, many thrift store shoppers are looking for an affordable way to read books that are trending, so this is a great place for recent reads you’ve already finished (and don’t want to keep).
Gently Used Kids Books
According to Kemery, you can also never go wrong with bringing in children’s books in good condition. “This is always a popular genre,” she says. “Kids like to look at books while parents shop, and they really enjoy being able to pick out their own favorites to buy/take home.” So good news, parents. If you’re looking for a reason to go through your little one’s playroom, this is your sign to donate any unwanted books!
Cookbooks
Kemery says cookbooks are another highly-requested genre thrift stores are begging for these days, especially if they’re modern. “Even with recipes for everything being accessible with just a few keystrokes on the computer, many cooks still enjoy paging through cookbooks and making notes in the margins about any updates/changes that they make to the original recipe,” says Kemery.
Classic Novels or School-Reading Books
These books can be a great find for shoppers during the back-to-school season as most English classes include reading classic literature. If you have any older works, be sure to include this in your thrift store donation box around the summertime or beginning of August so they can be accepted.
Self-Help/Lifestyle Books
Like fiction books, any self-help or lifestyle book that reflects modern social trends is nine times out ten a good donation piece. Good topics are those that focus on organization, productivity, mental well-being. Also like fiction books, notable titles in this genre can be in high-demand.
Coffee Table Books
With recent modern design trends featuring coffee table styling, Kemery says thrift stores are really wanting to increase their supply of display titles. “People still like to display beautiful books in their homes or on coffee table. Think large books with scenery or art photos usually the most popular,” she says.
Bibles
Any Bibles you have on hand is another piece of work that Kemery says may be really useful to your thrift store. “Bibles without notes/writing in them and children’s bibles are highly sought after. This may be particular to The Place since we allow each person to take one free Bible per day,” she says.
What Books Do Thrift Stores Not Accept?
As we mentioned before, sometimes there are some books that will be turned away. This is oftentimes a rare occasion, but if you are met with a book that cannot be accepted, it’s likely because it fits into one of the following categories:
It’s an old textbook or encyclopedia with outdated references.
Your book has a bunch of writing or highlighting inside.
It’s in an overall poor condition.
Best Places To Donate Books
If you happen to take a load to the thrift store and are given some they cannot take, there are other places you can take them. Here are a few other places you donate books rather than a thrift store:
Community centers/shelters
Read the original article on Southern Living
