My goal is to remove 500 to 750 books from my series book collection so that I will have more room to display my other collections. I have neat items that have been stashed in boxes in closets or in cabinets that I have not seen in years. I must reduce the items in my several collections so that I can once again enjoy what I have. Otherwise, there is no point.
This time in history is very difficult. We've had every kind of societal upheaval imaginable in the last year, and we continue to do our best to avoid getting Covid-19. I cannot control when I will be able to get the Covid-19 vaccine and when this horror will end, but I can gain better control of my collections. I do have multiple collections, even though I typically only mention the series book collection in this blog.
My collections have taken over my home. I want to keep everything that is important to me, which is most of it. But I can cull out many items to bring the collections under control.
I have been roving around my home for close to two weeks now, pulling books out from here and there, deciding to sell them someday when I open my online stores again (four to six weeks after I am finally vaccinated or late May, whichever comes first). These pictures were ones that I shared on Facebook near the beginning of the process.
The pictures are of books that I will sell when I open my stores again. In the time since I photographed the above books, I have pulled a large number of additional books out of my collection. I'm not sure how many altogether. When I last counted, I was at 350 books. I feel like I'm up to around 500 books right now.
My collections have taken over my home. I want to keep everything that is important to me, which is most of it. But I can cull out many items to bring the collections under control.
I have been roving around my home for close to two weeks now, pulling books out from here and there, deciding to sell them someday when I open my online stores again (four to six weeks after I am finally vaccinated or late May, whichever comes first). These pictures were ones that I shared on Facebook near the beginning of the process.
The pictures are of books that I will sell when I open my stores again. In the time since I photographed the above books, I have pulled a large number of additional books out of my collection. I'm not sure how many altogether. When I last counted, I was at 350 books. I feel like I'm up to around 500 books right now.
Today I worked on my Nancy Drew Files. I have been building a set of hardcover library editions of the Nancy Drew Files. Even though I am working on the set of hardcover books, the Nancy Drew Files books are at the low end of my Nancy Drew collection as far as how important they are to me. The original 56, the Digest books, and the Girl Detective books are all more important to me. I'm not sure about the Diaries books. The Diaries books are probably more important to me than the Files, and I don't even like them that much.
I decided that I don't need a complete set of Files #1-124 in the softcover edition when I am working on a hardcover set. I combined the two sets earlier today, removing the softcover books for any title where I own a hardcover copy. This will also make it easier for me to see what I need in the hardcover version. Select a picture to see a larger version.
That gave me some extra space. I have never been able to get at my Files books since they are on a top shelf (books less important to me are always up high where I cannot get to them) behind the front row of books.
I knew what to do. I got out my lunchboxes which were in a closet and a cabinet. I placed them on the shelf in front of the Files. The lunchboxes will be easier to move than a shelf full of books if I need to get at my Files books. Even better, I can see the lunchboxes now.
The Dana Girls picture covers and German Trixie Belden books will not necessarily stay on the bottom shelf and are not perfectly arranged at this time. I am not going to be culling any of them, but I will be culling and moving around other books, so they might get moved at some point.
I have three categories of books in my house: my collection, extra books that have not been listed for sale, and books that have been listed for sale. I don't have trouble keeping my collection separate from the other two categories. I do have problems with the unlisted extra books and the listed extra books.
Even though none of you can see the listings, I do have around 500 books that have been listed for sale online. The listings are inactive but are still there ready to be activated when I am ready. I have to keep those books together on certain shelves so that I don't get them mixed in with other books. I have managed to get those books to take up less space as I have expanded my shelves full of unlisted extra books. I need to do some more combining so that I can squeeze the extra Files books onto some of the shelves.
It would certainly be easier on me if I were able to sell books right now and get some of them out of here. But then, if I were selling books, I wouldn't have the time to organize my books. I have to get creative, and so far, I have avoided having to box books up. I can always box up the extras if I must, but I am trying to avoid that for as long as I can since boxing up books makes it harder to get to them.
By the way, I checked sold listings on eBay to see what my lunchboxes are now worth. The Bee Gees lunchboxes have gone up in value. The disco backlash is now a part of the distant past, and those lunchboxes are more desirable than they were years ago. The Zorro lunchboxes are not worth as much as they once were, but they are still quite desirable. The Nancy Drew lunchbox has the lowest value of the six lunchboxes.
I have three categories of books in my house: my collection, extra books that have not been listed for sale, and books that have been listed for sale. I don't have trouble keeping my collection separate from the other two categories. I do have problems with the unlisted extra books and the listed extra books.
Even though none of you can see the listings, I do have around 500 books that have been listed for sale online. The listings are inactive but are still there ready to be activated when I am ready. I have to keep those books together on certain shelves so that I don't get them mixed in with other books. I have managed to get those books to take up less space as I have expanded my shelves full of unlisted extra books. I need to do some more combining so that I can squeeze the extra Files books onto some of the shelves.
It would certainly be easier on me if I were able to sell books right now and get some of them out of here. But then, if I were selling books, I wouldn't have the time to organize my books. I have to get creative, and so far, I have avoided having to box books up. I can always box up the extras if I must, but I am trying to avoid that for as long as I can since boxing up books makes it harder to get to them.
By the way, I checked sold listings on eBay to see what my lunchboxes are now worth. The Bee Gees lunchboxes have gone up in value. The disco backlash is now a part of the distant past, and those lunchboxes are more desirable than they were years ago. The Zorro lunchboxes are not worth as much as they once were, but they are still quite desirable. The Nancy Drew lunchbox has the lowest value of the six lunchboxes.
3 comments:
Ahhhh, I've been trying to clean out some of my collection as well. That's one of the few good things about having to be home more. I have found that due to ebay wanting specific box/package measurements for a listing, I then have to keep whatever I'm selling in said box and find a place to put it, creating a giant stack of boxes. You said, "I have to keep those books together on certain shelves so that I don't get them mixed in with other books." If you don't mind my asking, how do you go about keeping them on shelves, assumedly not in boxes, when ebay requires box specifications for listings? I just have a giant stack of boxes in my kitchen corner, and I'd love to find a better way to go about storing books for sale/to be sold.
The box dimensions can be changed when the shipping label is printed, so my listings usually don't have the dimensions of the box I will actually use. Also, many of my buyers purchase multiple books, and in those cases, I end up having to use a larger box. My default box setting is 9" x 6" x 3" and I change it to what is needed when I create the shipping label.
My shipping charge is either free shipping or set at flat rate media mail at $3.95 plus $0.60 for each additional book. For that reason, I don't have to try to figure out the exact weight and dimensions ahead of time. I try to keep it as simple at possible.
My extra books that are for sale are just shelved together like any books normally would be. I just have to make sure that I don't mix them in with other books, as that would cause problems.
Oh my gosh. I had no idea the box dimensions could be changed at that point. This is a game changer. It'll save so much time. Thank you!
As for separating out books, aside from actively putting ones for sale on different shelves, I've found that before boxing, separating them with thin but long objects works (paint stick, ruler, measuring stick, etc.) It sticks out a bit so you can easily find it, and if you use multiple you can even block off book lots from the other books for sale.
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