Before burning the textbooks, look them up on half.com to make sure they're not worth something as reference material. Many library systems accept donated books for annual book sales but the ones I've seen don't take old textbooks. You might also check a local community college to see if they'd be interested in them as reference material.

Sell any baby items, they usually bring good money! Textbooks are usually out of date and useless, but perhaps a garage sale for both?

Textbooks get out of date very quickly so I doubt they would be of use to anyone. I think the best bet is to rectcle them. You may have to tear off the covers. I don't think a library would want them even to resell. When I worked at the library people were always trign to give us old textbooks and ole National Geographics. No one wants them.

Donate the clothes to your hospital thrift shop or Goodwill. Just be sure it's a store that actually benefits a non-profit organization. Some used clothes/items stores are really just for resale and the owner makes money off of them.

You can also list the clothes on Craig's List (See how others do it) and someone will come by to pick them up. Again, the resale value for you is very low and if you donate them you would get a tax credit (small) for them.

I love getting rid of stuff.

Are these text books hard cover or soft?

People buy the hardbound to make purses out of and they sell for quite a bit of money (once the purse is made). I have one that my SIL made for me. It is really cute. I need to find a picture of it on my computer.

I bought and resold lots of the Kid's clothes at our consignment shop. She still makes spending money hauling in any clothes we get rid of that she thinks will sell. They donate anything they don't want to the thrift store (consignment shop also has a tanning booth so for her it's a win-win. lol).

I agree your library won't want textbooks... we route them to the Friends of the Library and they sell them at book sales. We have lots of home schoolers, though.

Dixiedog, I'd love to see your purse. I think it'd be a cool teen/adult craft.

Robin, you can certainly try to sell the clothes. Craigslist is a good option. If you want to donate them I'd suggest Freecycle. Kids clothes are the most requested items on our Freecycle. People just don't have money for clothes when they're having trouble paying rent and putting food on the table. You can meet people at a neutral location if you don't want them to pickup at your house. Porch pickups are common too. Just google freecycle and your area. I'd even give a shot offering the books on there too. Thanks for thinking what you can do besides tossing all that stuff.

Good suggestions everyone, thanks. I sure would love to see your purse too Dixiedog.

I think I got burned on consignment a couple of years ago, so I didn't really want to do that unless you all gave it glowing reviews, saying it was terrific (and I was totally unlucky)!!! I overheard friends at work who have children 3 months-24 months old lamenting how they were trying to get by, so they got the clothes.

As to the textbooks, I guess I can try craigslist or free cycle. I can't imagine someone wanting a chemistry book for a purse, just seems icky. Maybe I'll write one of those cute Craigslist entries: "They're a handy four-in-one tool. You can make some purses out of them!!! Use them for your homeschooled college student!!! Tired of all that constant burning from steam irons? Well no more! Iron your clothes the easy way, just set these tomes on top your shirt at night leaving the work to the books, and in the moring it'll be flat as can be! Missing a leg for your table? Use these to prop it up instead!" Only, I'm not witty enough for that.

Well, off to find someone looking for outdated university textbooks.

Here is a link that might be useful: some book purses, I may have to try one or two.

HA! Rob that would be a classic write-up! I love it. Katie and Rob, I can't seem to find the picture that I had on my computer of the purse but will keep looking. She sells them at craft shows, has them on Etsy and a couple of shops sell her purses also. She has really gotten quite creative with them in the last couple of years.

I would post her site for you to see them but I think that would be considered advertising so I don't want to do that.

If you go to Google and search under "Image" and do a search under "book purses" you can see tons of them there. They are really cute.

Great way to recycle!

Check out this craigslist for wanted textbooks (?why would they want them? Cheating?!):

Attention College Bookstore Managers/Professors (Nashville and Surrounding)
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Do you have textbooks that are either unreturnable or your school is not using in class? I can take those off your hands for cash on the spot! We buy review copies, instructor copies, and desk copies as well! Just reply to this ad and we'll talk. Discretion assured and top dollar paid!

OMG, those bags are adorable! I have to get one. A "bookbag" -- funny.

I work at a college and there is a whole underground market for reselling CURRENT textbooks. (People trying to undercut the bookstores by selling them direct). But not ones 20 years old. There's no way anyone who teaches a class regularly can use such a book. I'm wondering if there is any kind of organization that sends them overseas? I have a lot of old books myself, but I have actually used quite a few of them as references over the years. At least the ones I kept.