Squaba13
81288
865
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Happened as I was at the dump right next to me, my heart sank. Seemed to be mostly cook books and religious stuff (bibles and books about the gospel). A few kids books and some science/engineering stuff. Hurt me deeply to see all these just being tossed.
As I was looking at the books someone came and dumped a load of yard waste on part of the pile.
I saved these two. I would have dug through for more to save but the place was busy and dump employees get really sassy when you take the "trash."
sesamestreetfighter
Could have been a hoarder house, or a roach/bedbug infestation, or as someone else suggested, an aging relative going into end of life care or dying.
flarflarf
if you think this is bad i have some terrible news for you about how the publishing industry works
MisadventurousFlapJack
Shouldn't paper be taken to be recycled? It's a pity when books are unwanted - and some books no one will take off you. But the dump seems an odd place to go.
DonkeyGoat
skipweasel
I was at our local dump the other day and the staff were busy pulling a big pile of books out of the Non Recyclable skip.
Psycopaz
The thing is that most of the books that I've tried to donate to the library have been rejected due to condition. So I've thrown away boxes of books before. Not even goodwill wants anything that's been dog eared or worn through use.
drone6040
You want bed bugs? That's how you get bed bugs.
TheMayorOfTittyCity
I'd say take them to a Goodwill but honestly the book shelves at most of those are overloaded all ready. Im not even sure if they would all take books. A library sure doesn't want them. What do you even do with 200 largely obscure books?
testaccount444
They dropped their brick of cocaine, too.
UmmRonYourOn
Cash Moves Everything Around Me
laacis2
nixwheenie
Saaaaaaaame
DocWino
My thought too but was let down when I realized it was a foam brick.
jonReremy9669
left a few behind... im_straight_up_not_having_a_good_time_right_now_bro_webp.exe
MuffinProof
The fuck is that link and why does it have an exe in it?
Frankasti
It's a joke.exe, and then the user added a gif or an image. The stupid Imgur app didn't put a space between and we get this non working link. I bet it's OK on PC.
TempyLOL
Neat, I also have that Hawking book.
ksa55bizmarck7
Not every book is a precious resource. There are billons of books, lots of the in ebook form. Its not a pile of knowledge forever lost Not every book has a forever home. Sometimes extra books are just...trash. And this isn't a commentary on the contents. Maybe a local charity shop is dumping them because no one wants them and now have to spend money to trash them because people keep donating garbage instead of throwing them away in the first place.
redstaterefugee
Yes. Also, if libraries can't sell the books at their "Friends of the library" sales, they throw them away.
Marsupialmessiah
Theres a cadmium battery there too, my guess? Someone hated their parents
reformedxile
@squaba13 I would very carefully look over those books. they may have been dumped because of insects, mites, or mold/mildew
GTimgur
As someone who's worked in libraries, I was initially shocked to find these book temples would cull their collections and often had to turn away donations. You can't keep everything. There's only so much space and time, and it's far too easy for "donation" centers of any kind to become glorified trash dumps.
Dazzledent
I worked in a library too, we definitely had to cull an excess of bestsellers after the frenzy, damaged and out of date texts, etc. I was told they were sent off to be ‘pulped’
curtainlady5
They may be moldy!
TheMomaw
Maybe a dumb question but what do people expect to happen to excess books? Most people don't have endless storage space, they don't read for fun, libraries don't want stuff that's super common and non-reference, and it costs more to even try to sell used books than you'll ever get out of it.... ? If this makes you sad, what's your alternative that doesn't cost money?
MerryXMan
In my town you donate them to the suicide prevention charity and they sell them at a massive book fair for funding.
TI99Kitty
How does it cost more to take the books to a used book store? They might not pay you as much as you want, but unless it's something they've already got too many copies of, or they're in terrible condition, you can at least get SOMETHING for them, instead of paying to take them to the dump. Or put them on the curb and let people take what they want. Or, at the very least, put them in the recycle bin.
Larktonguesinadicecup
Used book stores are extremely selective. They have to be. Most books aren't valuable, and the literal dollar they might bring isn't worth the man hours (or probably woman hours) to assess, sort, move, price and store it, not even close
freemab
Bookstores and thrift stores can’t sell everything either. Just delaying the trashing in that case. Maybe they had already sold the stuff worth anything.
vonKaiser
I've been trying to offload a lot of my book collection. History stuff I've spent my life collecting. Libraries won't take them, book stores don't want them, library referred me to a place that was a recycler plant. Still waiting to hear from my old high school on if they'll take them. Hate the thought of them just going to the trash.
LoitninStroik
Um, what kind of history stuff? Feel free to message.
Bystandr
Make an imgur post with the list, offer them for shipping cost (tell people they ship from your drop off point, say where that is).
kingkongkeom
Impossible in many cases...my parents have about 5 more of these book walls...I am not looking forward to the task of deciding on what to do with the books after they pass away.
belongsinamuseum
Put them outside with a sign that says, “Do Not Steal.”
BenHobson
Note to self; make a note for relatives for when I pass that lists my valuable books from my non-valuable. I own a lot of science fiction, and there are a couple of books that cost me to acquire, but an untrained eye wouldn't know the rarity. Still working on finding a hard cover copy of Snow Crash.
dinahmoe
We have a massive used book store here, they won't take most books. It's damn near impossible to get any place to take used books. I finally found the friends of the library would take some, not all, but in reality, most go to the dump
smhippy
We have a neighbourhood bookcase in our street, take a book - leave a book, these would go nicely in it.
jdaviCakeQueen
So sad
rokucitymayor
I have so many books at my house it’s insane. Time to start a bookstore I guess
ShitIstoleFrom4chan
I hate to break it to you OP, but many books end up getting tossed out like that. Like any other things, eventually when nobody wants them any more, books are just, well, trash. There's tons and tons of books that nobody wants, not even for free. However it would have been better to recycle them instead of dumping them. Not all books are holy relics to be preserved forever. Specially not copy number 9573.
VagrantKoba
Then I suggest you never work for Saint Vinnies, Salvation Army, or the ilk. So many good books get thrown out. I once saw a collection of TinTin and Asterisk and Obelisk books about to get thrown out. I asked if I could have them (I was a volunteer) the lady looked at me, googled their price and told me they wanted $200 for the lot. I said I couldn't afford that, she shrugged and they took them to the dump.
xmaneds
well you did save the two best ones, so
Snooj
Looks like a lot of cookbooks. Maybe even as many as my wife has. None of which have been opened.
Raeilgunne
How? I've poured over every cookbook I own.
Snooj
Compulsive book buyer. I've had to buy literal storage racks for boxes of unread books.
clotholiver
Why are the apples being thrown away?
irisewithredeyes
Bacteria gotta eat too...
Squaba13
Probably someone has trees in their yard and these were waste. Lots of apple trees around here and one can only give away/eat so much.
aristera
I heard there was one bad one.
Chromentor
I heard it was a doctor that bought all of them and then dumped.
tinydog
An old one. I also saw Steinbeck, and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy".
Guestmod
Practical Engineering is the title from another angle in the last pic, can see others with same textured cover, going by the red text on the spine I imagine its part of a set, probably some value to a collector. Theres a lot of academic/college books too, Math, English, Economics, physics, Theology etc, saw Doctor Zhivago too. I'd take em if I didnt live in a different country
GreaseMonkeyOfLove
Is that mold or edge decoration?
rubypilgrim
could be either. Probably decoration since nothing like that on any of the other books.
Squaba13
Dang I would have grabbed it!
gft8gd5khn101
These older books can be high in lead, and mold can be a risk depending on storage conditions. Just in case people like to hunt antique books, something to keep in mind.
tinydog
I used to dumpster dive, for goodies. Stores throw away all sorts of serviceable stuff. But they don't want you looking through their trash. They'd much rather it go to a landfill, than actually get used.
MMX2019
We have projects at lots of landfills in Germany where volunteers have set up containers where you can bring still working applicances, serviceable furniture etc... - they will then get refurbed and sold for money for the homeless or straight away donated to those that have made the move from the streets into their own apartment and now need some furniture and stuff.
barbarian818
#1 I'm willing to bet someone's Mom passed away or went into long term care and her kids don't want her old books laying around gathering dust. But what's that taped bundle at the bottom, slightly right of this image? Looks like a smuggled drug packet.
Affray
That packet probably has something expensive in it to be kept from damage. Looks like a bubble packet.
BootsCatsBeeeeeeez
Libraries take book donations! Anything that isn't suitable for the collection usually goes to a volunteer group, Friends of the Library & they sell them - proceeds go to the Libraries. Anything after that gets recycled!
Justboredtobehere
Why not donate to a library???
thinkybrainpains
I had to clean out my dead friend's storage unit. There was a nasty smell in the books. Like damp old basement. Other things had mold. I was emotionally overwhelmed and had to do things I didn't like to be done with the job. I threw away books and many other things. It felt awful but it was literally the best I could do at the time. Two truck loads of the very best stuff went to charity. Every thing else to the dumpster.
Melbuf
Likely, when my grandmother died we took no joke 30+ bankers boxes of books and donated them to the local library
PineappleLoopsBroether
That’s the RIGHT way to do this.
shiyal
To be fair the microwave cookbooks section at goodwill could go there. And any of the LaHaye/Jenkins end times series. I’d’ve taken that Annie Oakley story though.
ThatShiftyMonkey
That'd be her ashes.
Youhavinagiraffe
My granny died a little while ago and we had to throw away most of her smuggled drugs as well
Rufferstuff
Did you throw it away or "burn" it?
Purplecat1
I think it's packing material.
Marsupialmessiah
Its the filling of a booster seat, why was it removed? Drugs prolly
SarcasticComment
not all books are debatable for resale. A 1970s cook book will probably get tossed by the second hand store. OP is sad to see what happens behind closed doors.
SweetGingerJane
Looks like expanding packing foam.
pyr0chaos
yep, exactly what it is! good eye! I see a lot of it when unpacking machines at work.
SweetGingerJane
Something like this.
Qouththeraven
Horton, that's some blow!
ThePunishersVengefulBrother
Sometimes books get musty-smelling. We had to throw out a couple of boxes because they smelled so bad you gag when you read them.
WhichIsIt
Sendmen00ts
They have library scan stickers on them
Sendmen00ts
And that might be where they use to put the check out card
RevolutionOnHerLips
when I lived in the south my library used to sell books nobody checked out. I still have some of them I bought 20 years ago
Ghlargh
Libraries get new books all the time and have fixed shelf space, they have to throw out as much as they buy new.
ThailandExpress
Wolfshead009
How did you get a picture of my grandparent's garage? Worse, the basement was like that too. Years of old Wall Street Journals "he was going to read", boxes of broken flashlights "he was going to fix", and other similar crap.
DarkBusterBaron
I got kinda lucky my grandpa had tons of notebooks full of notes from his college classes and med school too bad I couldn't read it.
mikeatike
Nope nope having a flashback panic attack.
SarcasticComment
I'll take the cooler
mikeatike
It is full of mold.
PrincePiggo
I'm in this picture (on the left) and I don't like it.
ROBOTvsMAN
Me. And I have no kids.
drizztx
When my dad passes, he will leave behind an entire library of books, some that potentially could be worth real money - BUT... /1
drizztx
...he has left them all in an un-airconditioned, leaky, drafty shed, for *decades*. Not about to tell him that they're all garbage. /2
tallyhoho
You need to sneak in there and save the ones that can be saved! You could have the first edition of a book just rottimg away in there!
drizztx
I'm fairly certain that even HPB/Goodwill won't take them. We're certainly not taking the time to clean/sort them. 1000+ books, wasted. /3
StickToTheFuture
Your local library is also an option, but if they're in that bad of condition, your library probably won't take them either. The amount of people who drop off literal trash to us is astounding.