D&D General Where to divest oneself of 5E books?

[Moonmover]

If you don't care about getting money for them, your local library will almost certainly take them. That's where my 4e core books went.

 

[Reynard]

If you don't care about getting money for them, your local library will almost certainly take them. That's where my 4e core books went.

I wouldn't mind getting a little just to feed my PF2 habit, but it isn't my main goal.

 

[MNblockhead]

From order of least hassle to most hassle:

1. @Jd Smith1 method: throw them in the dumpster. I love the simplicity of it, but I could never bring myself to do this.
   
   
2. Drive to a local campsite and burn them in small bon fire while reading the Jack Chick "Darkest Dungeon" track aloud. Enjoy the reactions of nearby campers. Be sure to check the camps rules and local ordinances and codes.
   
   
3. Give them to a friend.
   
   
4. If your local FLGS has a lending library, donate it to that.
   
   
5. Sell them at Half Price Books, or other used book store, or a FLGS if they sell used books. You won't get a lot of money, but its easy if you have one nearby. Problem with HPB is that they will not necessarily take every book. With 5e books, if they are in decent condition, you shouldn't have an issue.
   
   
6. Donate them to those "Free Little Library" boxes that are popping up everywhere (Take a Book. Share a Book. - Little Free Library). But you'll have to drive around to multiple ones to get rid of all the books.
   
   
7. Sign up for Book Crossing (BookCrossing), buy some stickers from Book Crossing to stick into the front covers, or just hand write a note and link in front cover of each book. Then sprinkle the books around town at coffee shops, metro stations, air ports, etc.
   
   
8. Garage Sale season is almost upon us. If you are not in a hurry, ask a neighbor who is throwing a garage sale if you can put out your books for sale.
   
   
9. Give them away for free on Craigs List. Make it clear that it is an all or nothing deal. They take all of the books or none. First to respond or responder who can pick them up earliest gets them. I usually meat in the parking lot of grocery store or coffee shop, but if you are less paranoid than I am, have them pick it up at your house.
   
   
10. Craigslist, same thing but set a price. More of a hassle. Not worth the effort for me. Make it clear you only accept cash. I would still sell as an all-or-nothing deal.
    
    
11. Donate to a kids, school, or military charity organization. There was a program to send games to troops overseas that was discussed in ENWorld a few years ago. Not sure if still active. I'd consider this if the charity takes everything.
    
    
12. E-Bay. You'll probably get the best deal from this, but make sure you understand your shipping costs. Especially if you are are selling books individually. To much of a hassle for me. My wife used to do this, but Ebay was like a hobby for her in and of itself.
    
    
13. Some game conventions have events for people to sell old game material. Only makes sense if you are already going to a game convention and don't mind spending time selling stuff than playing. In 1990, I traded a decade's worth of TTRPG material to a fellow SCA member couple for a large case of home-vinted wines. They brought the stuff to Gen Con and apparently it was worth it for them.
    
    
14. If you have a vibrant local flea market scene, you could try that. I put this at the high-end of hassle, but that just may be because I've never done this and it seems like a lot of effort.
    
    
15. Stand in the middle of Times Square (or the closest analog in your town), dressed as a stereotypical wizard or Dungeon Master (https://www.spirithalloween.com/product/adult-dungeon-master-costume-dungeons-dragons/217988.uts) and hand out the books to passers by.
    
    
16. Hide them in the attics, walls, under the floorboards, rafters, etc. of you old house for the new occupants to eventually discover. I've done this at every place I've lived.
    
    
17. Geocache them. Sign up for https://www.geocaching.com/play, package up everything well to protect against the elements. Drive and hike out to somewhere deep in the woods, mountains, etc. And post the cache. I've only done this with dice. People WILL work to be the first to find your cache.
    
    
18. Take all the books apart carefully. Shuffle all the pages together. Rebind the shuffled pages using the original covers. Shelve them randomly in your local library.
    
    
19. Make a "found art" sculpture using your books and various interesting items you find in your neighbors trash. Install it in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with a plaque that reads "There, I finished it for you."
    
    
20. Convince Elon Musk to launch it into space. We need to send messages to potential hostile aliens that will convince them to leave us alone.

 

[Cadence]

We've used Paperback Swap for quite a few things (granted it only works if you want other books and have patience... and might not be great for game ones).

 

[SlyFlourish]

Various local social media sites like next door or certain Facebook have local giveaway forums where people just drive up and grab them. I unloaded a lot of old stuff that way.

You can also bring them to local game conventions and either give them to anyone running an auction or just leave them out on a table with a "free, take one" sign on them – they'll go to gamers who want them at least.

i've never bothered to sell my old books.