The Bookmill Can Take Some–Not All–of Those Books off Your Hands

One of the biggest challenges of moving is what to do with all of your books. It’s just not always possible to box up and bring every single old textbook or novel you’ve got on your shelves, and for this reason, I’d heartily endorse taking a visit to see Susan Shilliday, proprietor of the Montague Bookmill. But give her a call first because you need an appointment.

I was just thrilled to have Susan pore through six boxes of books that Mary had wanted to give away, and find enough she wanted to earn a check for $88. Or I could have taken $132 in credit at the store, but the truth is, we don’t have that much more bookshelf space.

I asked Susan about what her criteria are for buying books and what’s the most valuable book she’s ever bought. She said condition is pretty important–some people go to tag sales and buy ruined, dirty ripped up books and try to get her to buy them. She also said that people who clean out their parent’s houses often are left with unsaleable books like Reader’s Digest Condensed Books. Nobody wants those, nor do most bookbuyers want old textbooks.

“One woman brought in a first edition by HP Lovecraft, a famous early science fiction writer,” she said. “And she had bought the book at a tag sale in Orange. We told her she had something really valuable, and she ended up taking it to the Book auction in Northampton and it sold for $2000!”

Montague Bookmill 413-367-9206