Do you sell your books?

Mercador

Adventurer

• Sep 18, 2021

• #1

Hey guys, I'm looking at my bookshelf full of TTRPG (mainly D&D 2nd, 4nd, 5nd and Pathfinder 1ed) and I was wondering what to do with that. My local gaming store is offering me 250$ CDN for 35 books, I'm not too sure about that. I remember that I was really upset when my mom trashed my Cyberpunk books back in '90 and I wonder if I'll missed them in the long run. I want to sell them because I feel ashamed that I don't read/use them, not really for the money (but I still prefer having a few bucks than trashing them).

So I was curious, do you keep your old TTRPG books or you sell them after a while?

Thanks!

 

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Morrus

Well, that was fun

Staff member

• Sep 18, 2021

• #2

I keep them all. Books are one thing I can't bring myself to ever part with.

 

Cadence

Legend

Supporter

• Sep 18, 2021

• #3

I have copies of the core books for systems I played a lot and a couple non-core favorites (some I had to repurchase after selling years ago and regretting). I sometimes pull those off the shelves to respond to threads on here or like to just see on the shelf. I don't miss the ones from any games I didn't play much or the splat books or run of the mill modules for the ones I did, for example.

If it brings pleasant memories I'd keep it. Even if it's in a box in the closet and not on the shelf.

 

ad_hoc

(they/them)

• Sep 18, 2021

• #4

Yes. I sell everything that I don't use.

I used to collect things but I found that they weighed me down so I have sold most of my collections.

I've got a few 5e books as I sell each adventure after I run it. I've also got a big collection of miniatures but only because I use them to play.

If you're interested into looking more into the subject look up "loss aversion."

In a nutshell it is a cognitive bias where we feel worse about having something and then losing it than we do about losing the opportunity to have it in the first place. For example, if I invest $1000 into stocks and then they drop to $100 I feel bad that I've lost money. However, if I invest $1000 and that grows to $2000 and I have the opportunity to sell but don't and it drops to $1000 I have lost $1000 but it won't feel as bad b/c it doesn't feel like I actually had the money.

I have made a point of not being 'loss adverse' in my life.

 

Kobold Stew

Last Guy in the Airlock

Supporter

• Sep 18, 2021

• #5

If you are discontent with the offer, ask if they'll give you store credit. In all likelihood, $250 cash is the same as $400 in merch for you, and that's more than ten bucks a book. I mean, even if you have to spend it right away, you'd get a good deal.

(And if you don't think swapping your collection for 6 or 7 new books, or 4 or 5 games (or dice...somanydice) isn't a good deal -- if that makes you feel like you're losing out -- then keep the books!)

 

Longspeak

Adventurer

• Sep 18, 2021

• #6

I sell things in occasional spurts. Every few years I identify the items on my shelf that aren't seeing use, and I sell them. I don't take them to book stores because you get a very poor payout. Last time, I sold through another forum's buy/sell subforum. I sold about half my stuff that way, but I got way better than the bookstore offered. It's more work though, arranging shipping for all that product.

 

Warpiglet-7

Cry havoc! And let slip the pigs of war!

• Sep 18, 2021

• #7

I traded all of my 4e stuff for store credit and ended up with some 5e books in exchange.
I have lots of attachment to my 1e books. I will never part with them!

may 3e books take up a lot of space. I have mixed feelings about letting them go.

I still have my players handbook with the disc in the back….I want to keep that….

 

delericho

Legend

• Sep 18, 2021

• #8

I've never sold a book, and until recently I kept all my books. But there came a time when I needed the space a lot more than I needed hundreds of never-used RPG books...

I've culled my RPG collection twice. The first time I gave away a lot of rarely- or never-used games, plus anything related to a game for which I didn't have the core book. The second time I got rid of all of my Pathfinder 1st Ed books (except adventures). I first tried to give these away to other gamers I know, on the grounds that I'd rather see them used. Failing that, they went to a local charity shop.

One thing I have noticed recently: some of the books I've kept have shot up in value recently (specifically 3e FR books). I may choose to sell those, as they're also in the never-used pile and if they're now valuable... When considering a sale, it's maybe worth having a quick look to make sure you get a good price.

 

delericho

Legend

• Sep 18, 2021

• #9

Regarding the possibility that I might miss having them: I haven't noticed any loss. However, when I did the cull I did set aside some money for a while, just in case - I figured that if there was anything I found I really missed, I would just have to buy it back. (I didn't ever expect to miss many of those books - correctly, as it turned out.)

And, of course, in many cases (especially Pathfinder), I also had a PDF copy anyway, so had even less cause for concern.

 

Jd Smith1

Hero

• Sep 18, 2021

• #10

I dumped most of my old RPG stuff when Ebay first got big, and switched to PDFs. I just gave away an entire set of Fading Suns books last year to a new GM.