Books, War Dogs and Me

The time has come for me to do something with my print books. I have been using a Kindle ebook reader for the past 18 months. I have dozens of boxes of books packed away and more lining my bookshelves. I bought these books new, at thrift shops and at yard sales. I have read some of the books and others were purchased with the intent of reselling them on eBay.



My Problem
Last week I received an email from eBay congratulating me on 15 years of using their site. I listed my very first item on eBay in May, 1997. The problem is....I lost my enthusiasm for listing items on eBay but I did not lose my enthusiasm for hoarding books and other various treasures.
The time has come for me to do some serious decluttering and clearing out my living space. I am going to start with the books.

What Is My WHY?
Your WHY is the purpose behind your actions and the primary motivation for accomplishing your goals. 

My WHY is that I am ready to let go of these books. They are cluttering my space and no longer serve a useful purpose in my life. I would like to use these books to earn a little money for myself and to support some worthy causes.

The Solution
I have decided that I want to pass along my books to people who need them and will appreciate them. I will do this by selling the books on eBay and in my Etsy shop. The books that do not sell will be donated to my local Friends of the Library group and thrift shops.

I have decided to donate 25% of the proceeds that I earn from selling books on eBay to the United States War Dogs Association, Inc. This is a nonprofit organization of Former and Current US Military Dog Handlers and supporting members committed to promoting the long history of the Military Service Dogs, establishing permanent War Dog Memorials, and educating the public about the invaluable service of these canines to our country.
I believe our canine veterans should be recognized and honored just like the other brave soldiers who serve our country.

My Goal
My goal is to have all my boxes and bins of books sold by August 31, 2012. Books that are not sold by this time will be donated to local charities.
I will only save books that fill a specific need in my life or that have emotional value to me.

My eBay seller ID is jandeantx and my Etsy shop is named Shepard Hill Farm.
I will post progress reports on this blog.

How do you feel about getting rid of your print books? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.