What do I do with a huge box of creepy books?

Question

My twenty-something daughter left a lot of stuff at my house. One thing is this huge box of creepy fiction and non-fiction books about stuff like serial killers, witches, prostitutes, vampires and all kinds of weird stuff involving the aforementioned. I don't want to have anyone come to my house for these books. I don't want to just dump these into a charity store or the public library and I doubt the local hbospital or prison wants these.... Should I sell on Ebay? Any ideas?

Answer 1

As a librarian who has looked at many boxes of gift books, I can assure you I wouldn't be shocked.  After the first box of donated p**n, I'm pretty unflappable.  And I wouldn't think any less of you: usually I don't even know the name of the donor.

You might worry that we don't want them, so I'll share what most libraries do with donated books.  

First a selector goes through the donation to see if anything fits our collection -- and you might be surprised at the popularity of the kind of literature you're describing.  Most libraries have a policy that _only_ the selector examines the donation, so if you are concerned about what staff might think of you, then you can drop off the donation in sealed boxes without your name on them; just say you're donating some books.  More often than not, the selector doesn't know who donated the materials, and doesn't care.

Almost anything that doesn't fit in our collection goes into the library booksale -- and by that time _nobody_ knows where the books came from.

Then there are things that don't even make it to the booksale: maybe they aren't in any condition to sell; maybe they are things we don't care to sell (the box of p**n comes to mind), ... and those things go into the recycle bin.

So I'd ask you to reconsider giving the books to the library -- we'd be happy to have them.  

(Of course you'll first want to make sure that your daughter doesn't mind.)

Answer 2

I suggest you throw them away. If they creep you out then why would you want to profit from that or give it to someone else. Throwing them in the trash would be best or your recycle bin.  

Answer 3

Ship them to me for free or ebay them.

Answer 4

www.paperbackswap.com you can list them on there, its where I get all my books

Answer 5

if they are in good condition you can go to a used bookstore that buys back books and you can get credit for other books and or cash back. there is nothing wrong with those type books, they are simply not to your liking which is fine. Did your daughter leave them there to store and come back for them at a later date or did she leave them there with the intent to have you dispose of them? Beleive it or not, what you consider 'creepy' is actually intriguing to many and there could many who would benefit from reading them as it is a form of entertainment.  

Answer 6

I'd ship them to your daughter. Make her take care of them.

While you might be embarrassed to "dump" these at a charily store or library other people are into this kind of stuff. So technically you are still helping out your community by donating them to someone.  

Answer 7

They are only books and no one is forcing you to read them.  Give them to your local library or sell them on ebay.  Or if you have a really nosey neighbour give them to him/her and wait for the ambulance to arrive.

Answer 8

Ooh I want them! just kidding, but i do like scary books.

Burn them in your fireplace or next campfire.

Give them to a friend who enjoys those kinds of books.

Ebay seems like a good idea.

Answer 9

Sell  the books on Ebay.

I sold some of my own creepy books on Ebay.