What do I do with my loved one’s books when selling an estate

First review the will to check for specific instructions. Next, determine if any heirs or family members have specific books or book collections that are important to them. Use our helpful survey form for this purpose by clicking here.

Second, if you are using an estate seller, consult with them before moving or organizing books for better direction. They may want to group them for sale, and if you spend a lot of time relocating and organizing these books, it may be a waste of time.

Once you have established the above, only then to we recommend that you group books by category. The first of which will be:

Donate
Garbage or recycle
Sell

Within each of these categories, you can further break them into smaller groups by genre and then by paperback or hardcover.

To transport books be sure to use sturdy boxes or bags and don’t overload them. Usually, about 15-20 pounds of books per box is sufficient.

Go through the books to make sure nothing is hidden or tucked away in them. It’s not uncommon to find money or personal notes hidden in books.

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Avoid storing the books outside or in direct sunlight. And do your best to get help from other heirs and family members.

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DONATE LOCALLY

Friends of Seattle Library

Their dedicated team stands ready to assist you in unloading your book donations hassle-free.

Through annual sales events, every dollar earned is directed back into the community’s educational programs and public libraries. https://friendsofspl.org/donations/

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, a longstanding nonprofit ministry, has been dedicated to serving and supporting the homeless population throughout the greater Seattle area since its inception in 1932, amid the challenges of the Great Depression. They gladly accept book donations.

https://www.ugm.org/

Local thrift stores

Local thrift stores like Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul’s offer convenient options for donating books and music while supporting worthwhile causes in the community.

https://www.goodwill.org/locator/

https://svdpseattle.org/thriftstore/

SELL

Half Price Books has been around for over 25 years and is in many locations all over the greater Seattle Metro area. Take the books in person for instant cash or store credit. Their website states, "Just bring your pre-loved items to the Buy Counter of your local HPB store*, take a look around while we evaluate them, accept our offer, and buy yourself a little something new (or used).

They also share that their customers tend to have a preference for current bestsellers and perennial classics in every genre, from fiction to science”

Antique and Rare Booksellers: https://www.abebooks.com/ These will generally be leather-bound books.

RECYCLE or LANDFILL

Keep the waste and recycle service at the property while you are liquidating items. You may want to even consider asking for a larger waste and/or recycling bin. This will allow you to chip away at this task while working on the other aspects of liquidating the estate. Make it a goal to ensure those bins are full for every collection period.

Paperback books are recyclable and generally not worth much in resale value unless old or rare so toss them in the recycle bin guilt-free.

Hardcovers should go in curbside garbage, remove the pages from the cover, and recycle the paper.

Want more, King County offers a handy PDF resource with additional options as well. Click here for that resource.

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Authored by Diane Henning

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Attend Our Webinar - How to Get Rid of Mom and Dad's Stuff When You Have to Sell Their Home

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