Do you take donations?
YES! We sure do! We love donations. Please read carefully through this page to make it the best experience possible!
*A note on SELLING your books!* We do also purchase books. We do not purchase books on demand. It usually takes a week or so to assess your collection at which point we will call you to make an offer. We usually offer quite a bit more in store credit than we do in cold hard cash. If you don't want to accept our offer, you don't have to! We just ask that you come pick your books up within a week or so.
Below are some notes on books we love to spend money on!
How to make a great book donation!
Sniff test
Smell maybe four or five books from different areas of the collection. Do they smell like mildew? Like cigarette smoke? Like cat pee? Like something EVEN grosser? If so, those books are trash! You can bring those right to the dump.
Packing test
We accept books that are neatly stacked in boxes, bins or sturdy bags. We will not take books that have been tossed together in a trash bag. Please plan on leaving your bag/tote/box with us until we are done sorting them, which can sometimes take up to a week.
Mouse Test
Did a family of mice make a home in your box of books? If so, we don't want them! You can bring those right to the dump.
A note on volume
Huge amounts of book donations (while appreciated!) are difficult for us to process quickly. If you have more than 10 bags/boxes/totes please call ahead to schedule a time for drop off!
Subject Test
Is your book an Encyclopedia set from the 70s; your old text books from college, or a bathroom reader that has been well used? We don't want those, thanks! You can bring those right to the dump!
A note on unloading
All we can offer is street parking. We will always do our best to help you unload, but if the store is busy, we simply can't pause the register to help. Please plan to do your own unloading, for the most part.
An incomplete list of things we spend money on.
[a poem]
Books about mushrooms, ferns, insects and birds.
Books about building boats.
Books about MAINE, books written by MAINERS or books that somehow, somewhy, relate to MAINE.
Books about a very special, magical ring.
Books from book clubs run by famous women such as Reese and Oprah.
Books that still smell like Barnes & Ignoble.
Books about The Richardson Lakes.
Books that address issues related to race, gender, sexuality or class.
Books that children never forget. You know the ones.
Cookbooks that are delicious to simply even look at.
Poetry books by Mary Oliver. Bring us all of your Mary Oliver.
Books about homesteading or living off grid.
Newer travel guides, or really beautiful old ones, or ones to places where nobody usually goes.
Books about witches, cults, wizards, ghost, UFOs, or other weird, off-the-wall things.
Books about Eastern Religions and practices.
Books that made you laugh or cry or think hard.
Books that you have pressed into someone else's arms insisting that they go read right this second.
Whatever it is that teenagers love to read. Bring us those.