LOL. If the pottery place wants to thrive then they certainly don’t want seconds in your store.to advertise. That’s just crazy thinking. But I do think it’s a great opportunity to advertise off one another. At the same time, accepting second class art doesn’t help you either. It makes your store second class.
But if you have room for art and aren’t tied to the pottery place you might attract some good donations of art to sell.
I promise, the pottery center IS thriving. It’s very popular and classes fill almost immediately.
I was thrilled to buy “seconds” at the holidays for some extra gifts. And apparently others were too as they turned over a lot of pieces.
It’s a fun place.
Unless you have someone responsible for these book drop off bins…expect a couple of things. You will get trash in addition to books. And if the weather is iffy, you can end up with wet books. Or hot and humid…mildew.
We have folks drop off donations when we are open. They typically come around to the back where a volunteer meets them. If they have a carload of books, we DO look at them, and sometimes don’t take the whole donation.
Fact is…dumpsters cost money to use. Taking books to the landfill costs as well. We are a charitable non-profit and can’t afford to spend money that really should go towards our charity.
We are very clear about what we accept. Even with that, people do put other books at the bottoms of boxes.
We pack some of these up and take them to Goodwill. But not damaged stuff. We throw that away.
@abasket if you already have a known reputation for what you take…that will help.
Adding…it sounds like you will have fun setting this up!!
Another thought…is there a place for people to sit down…or pile their books while “shopping”. It might be nice to have a few strategically placed sturdy benches. Or chairs. We don’t have that because of lack of space.
Yes there is! There is a lounge area with chairs/couches and in the winter is warmed by a corn stove furnace!
Things I love at book stores:
Tables of books reflecting popular trends/current events. Reading has become cool all over again with the youth thanks to Book Tiktok, so I think a table or section for YA novels would be great. Maybe a table of books by Black authors for Black History month, etc.
Personalized recommendations. I love stores where a book is turned forward-facing with a card under it explaining why it is one of the staff’s favorite “picks.”
stools or chairs to sit and thumb through selections are helpful
It may not be practical, but I also love a bookstore that comes with a resident cat. 
I don’t know of any used books places here that don’t require the donation to be left inside a building. At the Friends of the Library, they have a room that opens to the outside so folks don’t have to go all the way in the library, but books are inside out of the elements. I think the other stores I know of that take used books do require the donor to wait until a worker looks through them.
I like the idea of a “new arrivals” table or “what’s hot” or “current interests” or something.
At the library we try to leave the bottom shelves open, but if it happens that we need the space we do use it. So I would try to leave them open (except maybe in the kids section) and then if you get a pile of James Pattersons or something you can easily shift things in the Ps to accommodate that and use the bottom shelf as needed.
The used book store I frequent has a storefront and an outside shelf area. They have books alphabetically organized by subjects inside that are priced to sell, prices ranging from nominal to high. It’s a book collector’s dream. They have library stools and step stools inside.
They accept donations, regardless of the state of the books, and sort through it to keep or throw. We often donate books there in boxes, if the bookshop is open one of the owners will look through the box for anything of value.
On the outside shelves they have 10c (paperback) and 25c (hardbound) books. This section is accessible at all hours. They have an honor system to collect the money (proceeds of which go to public radio) in a collection box. I have gone there late at night and seen other bookworms like me rummage through the shelves for books. As far as I’ve seen, everyone puts the money into the box.
Textbooks, National Geographic, Readers Digest omnibuses share these shelves with other not in demand books. There’s usually something there that I want but occasionally it’s a wasted trip.
I would love for some stools for the lower shelves or for the books to be displayed so it isn’t so darned difficult to read titles— as I age, it’s harder to kneel down to look.
I like the two sections, I treat the outside section like a library and drop off books that I’ve bought from there so that someone else can enjoy the books next. The indoor section is more targeted towards serious collectors and people looking for specific books — it requires having someone who can judge the value of the donated books and price it.
For sure you will get more book lovers coming in if you have a way to do this. Earn money and a loyal customer base.
Just the opinion of a book lover who hates the thought of even one book going to the landfill.
I should also say that this book center is not manned a lot of the time. It’s on the grounds of this complex where people are enjoying nature, gardening, doing pottery and other classes. People are around but there is not always a staff person inside - at least not in the past though they are talking about hiring a part time person.
They will never be pricing books individually. Just some subcategories.
Again what they had going for decades worked, but can be tweaked AND it’s getting a mild interior makeover so that’s where we can rearrange and make some improvements
Don’t do what my library book sale did a few years ago and organize the fiction by the color of the jacket! Fiction should be alphabetical by author. Some series can be together even if the author is different (Star Wars books for example.) I think it’s helpful if sci fi, fantasy and romance are in their own sections because people who read those genres often prefer not to have to wade through last year’s bestsellers.
For non-fiction by subject, but not as detailed as the Dewey Decimal system!
I like the idea of a rolling stool for the bottom shelves. I’m unlikely to spend more than $2 on a book unless it’s really new or something like an art book.
Have fun, I used to work for the Foreign Service Book Sale and it was great fun. I’ve been to volunteer with the Friends of the Library on their sales. They apparently have many more books in the basement that never even make it upstairs! But I’m still too busy with other stuff at the moment.
Pretty much every book store that I have seen (with new or used books) had the books grouped by topic, and then ordered by author within the topic groups.
We have a huge book sale in my community put on by planned parenthood. I’ve heard that they try to have volunteers search online to see if some books have a higher value. I’m not sure how they handle selling them outside their book sale.
My H sells plenty of books - many old - on eBay.
Our Friends of the Library non profit only accepts donations while staffed. No Textbooks, computer books or magazines. Volunteers give receipt, indicating how many books…and the donor fills out what they think their donation is worth.
Sectioned like many mentioned above. Some of the very current/popular paperbacks are on a rolling library cart near the entrance. There is also a whiteboard list of bookclub faves–for inspiration. Big coffee table books are on upper shelves, but propped against walls, not shelved like regular books.
Paperbacks $1, Hardcover $5, kids board books $2. Very easy for volunteers.l
There is a section for CD/DVD’s.
Twice a year sales (held outside) to cull the collection. A bag of books for $10.
I’m thinking more about atmosphere. I like music in the background but not radio. Our local bookstore has a vinyl record section.
Old books can smell. Some potpourri or aromatherapy is nice.
I also like the old magazine section.
Maybe a Sunday newspaper day? Get a few copies of the NY Times?
Maybe a small coffee area? Local bakery goods?
Some instrumental music is a nice idea. They do play that in another building on the grounds and it is pleasant.
One of the fun features of the book center is that it was an old carriage house/garage/storage at one time so the entire front wall of it can open up for fresh air. On those nice spring/fall/summer when it’s not hot days it’s open to air out!
Great question!
Definitely sort books by category.
Maybe you should have a small section of more expensive books. Maybe very beautiful covers, any first editions or autographed books, unusual one offs, very popular but in like-new condition, boxed book sets, and the like.
One thing I LOVE is when a book store puts a note by a book an employee loved. I’m much more likely to buy a book that has a hand written recommendation. So as you and others go through the books, anytime someone says “This is a great book!” maybe write a few words on an index card and tack by the book.
The books on the lower shelves get overlooked for sure. Put the kids books on lower shelves maybe? Like all lower shelves could be tacked up with a colored string/ribbon to demarcate from the upper bookshelves. You could put all the Harry Potter, Narnia, Tolkien, etc… on lower shelves.
Yes to a rolling stool to make it easier to scoot along and peruse books on lower shelves. Might make it easier for older patrons too?
I get turned off when a used bookstore seems to have no organization whatsoever. Maybe break up shelving into sections so there aren’t huge intimidating rows of books. That may not be practical of course.
Please no. Do not do scents. Old books smell wonderful. “Aromatherapy” and patchouli give mde a headache.
With those that say organize by type and then alphabetically by author.
We all tend to look more at the shelves at or around eye level when browsing. If there is a particular author I am looking for, will look at the bottom shelf. Agree with displaying books there with the covers showing to catch people’s eyes.
I think very popular, brand new, good condition hardback books could sell for more than $5 ($8 or even $10 if super popular). If they don’t sell, can move them to the $5 group.
Good luck!