tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post4147634193424952994..comments2024-03-29T06:05:14.320+00:00Comments on Wargaming Miscellany: Inevitable downsizingRobert (Bob) Corderyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-16466751924426655602018-05-31T22:01:41.451+01:002018-05-31T22:01:41.451+01:00Lindsay (Guy),
I am hoping to pass my surplus on ...Lindsay (Guy),<br /><br />I am hoping to pass my surplus on to people who will enjoy and use them. I've managed to sell some of the hardback novels, but don't expect that second-hand booksellers will be interested in buying very many of my military books.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-77566512537432085792018-05-31T21:46:57.872+01:002018-05-31T21:46:57.872+01:00Last year after my father died we had to try and c...Last year after my father died we had to try and clear two rooms full of books - these were mainly military biographies and WWI and WWII. These were of limited interest to me and local charity shops to him in Sandwich swiftly said no more so my brother ended up taking car loads to charity shops all over Kent and I brought loads up to the Oxfam shop here.<br /><br />We didn't sell a single book but I take the view they gave my father decades of pleasure so they had paid for themselves many times over. The Oxfam man here was delighted and assured me they would have no problem selling them and if they raised a bit of money for the charity, so much the better.<br /><br />GuyLindsayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06910767170651162623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-72946009562665723822018-05-30T16:17:50.773+01:002018-05-30T16:17:50.773+01:00Robbie Rodiss,
You are in luck! I found a copy! I...Robbie Rodiss,<br /><br />You are in luck! I found a copy! If you contact me by email with your address etc., I can arrange to post it to you.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-60043478978537096872018-05-30T13:13:44.090+01:002018-05-30T13:13:44.090+01:00Geordie an Exile FoG,
It's a common problem ....Geordie an Exile FoG,<br /><br />It's a common problem ... and something that we all think about but don't always do much about.<br /><br />Acquiring books is also one of my 'failings' ... but it's a very pleasurable one!<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-42318984922031733062018-05-29T22:59:52.236+01:002018-05-29T22:59:52.236+01:00Not surprising that you got so many comments to th...Not surprising that you got so many comments to this one Bob ;)<br /><br />I have literally just come down from the "loft" where a mini cull is taking of 'hobby items' in said loft. Books .. my Achilles heel ;) Geordie an Exiled FoGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01002743056274635657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-89386365123649524932018-05-29T10:44:18.553+01:002018-05-29T10:44:18.553+01:00Fitz-Badger,
My wife has suggested that once the ...Fitz-Badger,<br /><br />My wife has suggested that once the sort-out is completed that I try to stick to a 'one book in, one book out' policy. If coupled with a limited amount of shelf space, it should stop the problem coming back.<br /><br />I happen to prefer to have printed non-fiction books, even though many are available electronically. There is something more aesthetically pleasing about holding a book than holding a Kindle ... and the same goes for toy soldiers as opposed to cardboard counters.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-39975222947180754122018-05-29T10:36:26.111+01:002018-05-29T10:36:26.111+01:00Prince Lupus,
Years ago I lent someone a book, bu...Prince Lupus,<br /><br />Years ago I lent someone a book, but after a very long wait and several reminders, it hadn't been returned, so I bought a new copy.<br /><br />The new book arrived in the same post as the loaned book ... which was returned with profuse apologies by the person who had borrowed it!<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-80793400076714510522018-05-29T10:32:42.031+01:002018-05-29T10:32:42.031+01:00Pete.,
I sympathise with your recent dilemma. Whi...Pete.,<br /><br />I sympathise with your recent dilemma. Whilst looking for a box that was under the table in my toy/wargame room, I managed to crack my head twice; once on the way under and once getting out.<br /><br />The sooner I don't have to do that again, the better!<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-37975273496636836922018-05-28T23:51:11.138+01:002018-05-28T23:51:11.138+01:00That time is upon me already- today I spent 10 min...That time is upon me already- today I spent 10 mins looking for a book I was sure I had but was hidden in a pile of books. Rummaging for it caused two 'bookalanches.'<br /><br />I refuse to confront the reality that is staring me in the face.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Pete.Pete.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06668389518826053090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-29738294759313085742018-05-28T15:32:27.436+01:002018-05-28T15:32:27.436+01:00Prince Lupus, that made me laugh. (I could see mys...Prince Lupus, that made me laugh. (I could see myself doing that)<br /><br />This discussion is good. It's making me think about my own situation. One idea that occurs to me is to decide on how much shelf space I want to keep and then limit the collection to that. That might be easier to settle on when I know how much space I will have when I get a smaller house, but it would be better to start downsizing the collection sooner, over a number of months, rather than trying to do it in the midst or aftermath of a move. So I'm stuck in a bit of a loop. The best I can do for now is to try to do some sorting out on a regular basis, bit by bit (or book by book).<br /><br />I'm with you guys on preferring paper books for certain things for sure - especially when maps, diagrams, and pictures are part of the equation (although, if those things were made for digital, taking advantage of things digital can do that paper can't that might be a different story).Fitz-Badgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15510866929782142007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-34661632292441821592018-05-28T13:36:45.207+01:002018-05-28T13:36:45.207+01:00The number of times I've searched my shelves o...The number of times I've searched my shelves only for my wide to tell me it went to Oxfam last year. I have bought a book from Oxfam that i had donated the week before!Prince Lupushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205758324137548941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-81741792862669614512018-05-28T09:36:32.142+01:002018-05-28T09:36:32.142+01:00James James,
One thing I am sure about; as soon a...James James,<br /><br />One thing I am sure about; as soon as I get rid of a book, I'm going to discover that I should have kept it!<br /><br />Its one of the inevitable consequences of downsizing any collection.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-39356545013052260472018-05-28T09:29:27.271+01:002018-05-28T09:29:27.271+01:00I agree with the criteria except for the last; som...I agree with the criteria except for the last; some books I have read I kept for thirty years before I read them but I'd be unlikely to find the more obscure ones when I was finally ready to read them.Quantrilltoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03824237942276969880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-19019077664966524222018-05-28T09:20:49.086+01:002018-05-28T09:20:49.086+01:00Norm,
You are absolutely right; if you keep askin...Norm,<br /><br />You are absolutely right; if you keep asking '<i>what is this worth?</i> or saying to yourself '<i>that might be very useful in the future if I ever decide to do ...</i>', you never get rid of anything! Likewise, looking at your collection and thinking '<i>it cost me x, so it must be worth that</i>' will only lead to disappointment. It is only worth what someone else will be willing to pay for it ... which is not a lot!<br /><br />I am currently sorting the books I have into categories:<br />1. Those I will definitely keep<br />2. Those I will definitely send to the charity shop (mainly novels)<br />3. Those I will try to sell (a very small pile indeed!)<br />4. Those I will give away to anyone who wants them<br />5. Those I'm not sure about<br /><br />The last group is - in fact - the most difficult category to sort. They are more a sort of '<i>I'd like to keep them if I have room</i>' category, and are the group that I am going to have to be really ruthless when I make any final decisions about whether or not to keep individual books.<br /><br />I do have some military history books on my Kindle, but in the main I prefer to have printed versions, if only because of things like maps and diagrams. Like you I don't like having electronic versions of rules, but I have found that quite a few people like to buy mine in electronic format, and then buy a printed versions if they like what they see.<br /><br />I'll be off now to do some more sorting before it gets too hot and humid in my toy/wargames room.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-88913680728544612402018-05-28T09:07:08.193+01:002018-05-28T09:07:08.193+01:00Robert Hingley,
Thanks for the suggestion.
Funni...Robert Hingley,<br /><br />Thanks for the suggestion.<br /><br />Funnily enough, whilst in the earliest stage sorting my books I discovered that I had already given away most of my old textbooks, many of which were for courses and qualifications that are no longer taught!<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-29831214047350913312018-05-28T08:26:22.216+01:002018-05-28T08:26:22.216+01:00Down sizing etc is a tough one, if I could only fo...Down sizing etc is a tough one, if I could only follow my own advice, I would be winning :-)<br /><br />When I moved from a house to an apartment, pretty much the entire book collection had to go. The Ospreys were quite saleable to a dealer, everything else was not!<br /><br />I just think you have to be ruthless, even if that means a combination of refuse / charity shop / sale. The problem with e-bay etc is that books are heavy and so postage is high and so selected items of interest can be sold, but the bulk removal of the collection is unlikely to happen that way.<br /><br />As an aside, I now have over 140 military books on my kindle / iPad, sometimes reading in that way can be like having a bath with your wellies on, but the thought of how much space they would take and the sheer weight of that much paper, makes the e-format a winner for me ... except for rules, I hate e-rules (like having a bath with both wellies AND an overcoat on!).<br /><br />One of the big obstacles to getting rid of things is our own mindset about value, it can be most liberating to turn value to zero and just get rid, the real value of that become the liberation of space and of one's continual struggle and distraction to ensure it.<br /><br />I am about to 'bin' some stuff myself, just to break my cycle of inertia on the matter. It has taken a lot of 'thinking' to get me to this point, but overall it is a force for good, for me, I feel, but a step too far for others perhaps.<br /><br />I do sell things at shows, but I love my shows and I want to be there to fully immerse in the experience, not be sat there at a table selling or fighting through the queue (bad back thing) with my stuff to sell on an overcrowded Bring 'n Buy table and then later queue again to collect (cash or unsold - though everything I take is cheaply marked so it goes, it almost feels like 'what is the point').<br /><br /><br />Well there you are, I've gone off on one now :-)<br /><br />Good luck with your plans, I'm just off to the tip … or maybe I will wait for a few days :-)<br /><br />Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-13943455954430422562018-05-28T02:24:12.859+01:002018-05-28T02:24:12.859+01:00I got rid of my old textbooks by posting a message...I got rid of my old textbooks by posting a message on Kijiji. I had a couple of people show up, who took them all off my hands.rhingleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05084435959839601918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-55007484510360361232018-05-27T23:55:41.930+01:002018-05-27T23:55:41.930+01:00Fitz-Badger,
I should have done this a long time ...Fitz-Badger,<br /><br />I should have done this a long time ago, and once or twice in recent years I have had a big sort-out ... but this is different and will be far more drastic.<br /><br />Judging by the opinions expressed so far, trying to sell anything is going to be long-winded and potentially fruitless, hence my growing inclination to give stuff away to people who will use it.<br /><br />Its going to be a tough few weeks ahead, but once it is done, life should be a lot easier if and when we decided to move.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-4639514850065416962018-05-27T23:51:39.676+01:002018-05-27T23:51:39.676+01:00Pete.,
I used to be like that ... but in the end ...Pete.,<br /><br />I used to be like that ... but in the end I had to accept that you can either live in a house where you cannot find anything or live where you can find what you have when you need it.<br /><br />Its not an easy task, but it is a necessary one.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-88762053760352247762018-05-27T23:49:00.680+01:002018-05-27T23:49:00.680+01:00I should start doing that (weeding out/downsizing)...I should start doing that (weeding out/downsizing) with my books, miniatures and games. I hope to downsize my abode in the next year, so taking time to downsize my "stuff" in the meantime is part of my plan. I'm also of the mind that trying to sell stuff online isn't worth the hassle (especially if you factor in the time and expense of packaging and shipping and handling).<br /><br />The trick is to figure out what to get rid of. I have unloaded so much "stuff" during past moves that I later wish I had kept. But then I have replaced a few of those things and have learned to live without the rest.<br /><br />Good luck in your endeavor!Fitz-Badgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15510866929782142007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-76567752867040300132018-05-27T22:50:37.884+01:002018-05-27T22:50:37.884+01:00I find it near impossible to get rid of books that...I find it near impossible to get rid of books that aren't duplicates, even ones that have sat unread for acouple of decades... I don't envy your task.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Pete.Pete.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06668389518826053090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-18703400205282788142018-05-27T20:39:46.726+01:002018-05-27T20:39:46.726+01:00JWH,
What a good idea! I'll see what the book...JWH,<br /><br />What a good idea! I'll see what the books are worth as a means of separating them into 'sellers' and 'givers'.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />BobRobert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-23733486987994224102018-05-27T19:09:51.223+01:002018-05-27T19:09:51.223+01:00Hi Bob,
One thing you could do is check how much ...Hi Bob,<br /><br />One thing you could do is check how much each of your books is going for on Amazon (much more popular for books than eBay). Have a limit for what you think is worth the effort, so everything under £5 or £10 or whatever gift away, everything above that, sell. I have found this basic approach has worked really well.<br /><br />All the bestJWHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01637785437909299947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-35249567907499181052018-05-27T17:54:26.908+01:002018-05-27T17:54:26.908+01:00Robbie Rodiss,
Yet another vote against using eBa...Robbie Rodiss,<br /><br />Yet another vote against using eBay to sell my books. It looks as if I am going to have to knock that idea on the head ... but I like your idea of selling the books at a wargames show. That is something that I'll have to give some serious thought to.<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Bob<br /><br />PS. If I find a copy of Stuart Asquith's book, I'll let you know.Robert (Bob) Corderyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13109130990434792266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6933470253715910366.post-36157048848534289192018-05-27T16:16:12.610+01:002018-05-27T16:16:12.610+01:00Bob,
There is very very little return on placing ...Bob,<br /> There is very very little return on placing books on E Bay Frankly its quite heartbreaking to see what prices books that you have enjoyed never selling. Personally a great way to down size is book a table at one of the wargaming shows, preferably a big show that organises a table top sale. Far more satisfying to meet a buyer who delights in buying something you want to sell. You wont make a fortune but you should be able to move quite a bit of stuff. Dont forget if you use this method that you will have people haggle so start at a decent price and work downwards. Best of luck. Oh, and if you have a copy of Sturat Asquith's Siege Warfare, I would love to pay a fair price for it.<br />Independentwargamesgrouphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07019172667119107650noreply@blogger.com