Books for sale.
In July of 2018 I made the first pile of books on the hallway floor. Why the hallway? Great question. It was the most obnoxious place I could think of. This was suppose to fuel my desire to sell them. I would see it multiple times daily, it'd be a hassle to clean around, take up valuable walking space (especially when bringing in groceries or wanting to play tag), and the visible collection of dust would prompt me to take action sooner than later.
Since July, the collection grew to over 550 books, a box plus 9 or 10 piles depending; I've kept about 200 for myself (I really can't bring myself to part with those). What I did not consider is how aesthetically satisfied I am to see books every day. (Normally they're on a shelf in the living room that I would only see if I sat in my chair.) I've come to terms with my younger siblings not sharing in the same literary interest as me so saving it for them is invalid. Moreover, seeing them prompts me to want to re-read them. This is funny to me because the intention behind selling them is that I haven't read them in years. Alas, I find myself in a difficult place emotionally. I want to sell them to free up space, to declutter, and make some cash (nowhere near the actual cost of purchase); however, they have value beyond cost...
I made slight effort. I created a list of the books here, though it changes weekly when I take something out. I posted it on my newly created Instagram, though the only effect that had was a "hmm" from my family, but not a serious intention to buy (I also only followed by family so my outreach is very, very small). I downloaded the electronic versions to (supposedly) make parting with the books easier. The three books I did sell earned me $20 and a desire to put forth no more effort for 6 months.
It's now January of 2019. I want to be open to new titles and literary adventures. To do so I need to part with the ones I truly won't revisit. It's not a resolution per se, but I am going to get serious about seeing this through. The first step is to talk about it more to increase my accountability. I suspect the piles will diminish to 300 books or so before I try again, but that's okay for now. I will be kinder to myself this year, even if it means ripping off several band-aids.
Since July, the collection grew to over 550 books, a box plus 9 or 10 piles depending; I've kept about 200 for myself (I really can't bring myself to part with those). What I did not consider is how aesthetically satisfied I am to see books every day. (Normally they're on a shelf in the living room that I would only see if I sat in my chair.) I've come to terms with my younger siblings not sharing in the same literary interest as me so saving it for them is invalid. Moreover, seeing them prompts me to want to re-read them. This is funny to me because the intention behind selling them is that I haven't read them in years. Alas, I find myself in a difficult place emotionally. I want to sell them to free up space, to declutter, and make some cash (nowhere near the actual cost of purchase); however, they have value beyond cost...
I made slight effort. I created a list of the books here, though it changes weekly when I take something out. I posted it on my newly created Instagram, though the only effect that had was a "hmm" from my family, but not a serious intention to buy (I also only followed by family so my outreach is very, very small). I downloaded the electronic versions to (supposedly) make parting with the books easier. The three books I did sell earned me $20 and a desire to put forth no more effort for 6 months.
It's now January of 2019. I want to be open to new titles and literary adventures. To do so I need to part with the ones I truly won't revisit. It's not a resolution per se, but I am going to get serious about seeing this through. The first step is to talk about it more to increase my accountability. I suspect the piles will diminish to 300 books or so before I try again, but that's okay for now. I will be kinder to myself this year, even if it means ripping off several band-aids.
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