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patser

Travel books - how long to keep?

patser
16 years ago

Over the last 20-25 years, I've been fortunate to have traveled around the world. For each trip, I've purchased guide books to the place I've gone. As a result, now I'm looking at books like 1985 guides to Italy, 1989 guides to Germany and 1992 guides to Egypt (and lots more). But I'm also looking at fairly cluttered bookshelves which need cleaning out.

How long would you keep travel materials and do you think there is a garage sale type market for the older things?

Comments (14)

  • Adella Bedella
    16 years ago

    If they have prices and things in them, they aren't going to be good after a couple of years. I'd put a 1-2 year limit on them.

    If you're having a garage sale, I'd put them in it. The books could have value to someone who is interested in going to those countries someday or a student who has to do a report could use them for research or to cut up for another project.

  • marie26
    16 years ago

    The ones I've kept hold special memories of places I've been to. The books are reminders of those trips. During my recent move, I did finally get rid of those that didn't fit that criteria.

  • colebug
    16 years ago

    Another option is to keep just the pages that have information about the places you went. While you were in Italy in 1985, I am betting that you didn't visit every city and event.

    The few pages you keep can be added to any museum guides, bus passes, old money, etc. from the city and kept together in a ziplock bag. That way if you ever want to remember the name of the Church you saw in Milan, you can still find it, but you don't keep all the information about the places you didn't go on that trip.

  • jannie
    16 years ago

    I don't keep travel books more than 2 years. Everything changes. The last time I visited Europe was 1985, when I bought a three-week Eurail pass for under $400. I flew on Laker Airlines, now defunct. I know that's ridiculous in today's world.

  • patser
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks everyone. I will be doing a garage sale in a couple of months so the older books will go into the very low priced bin. Jannie, although everything costs more, airline tickets are about the same price. With the $ so weak, the airlines are pretty much giving round trip tix away...but one can't afford anything once they get there.

  • talley_sue_nyc
    16 years ago

    restaurants close
    public attractions get remodeled, or closed to the public.

    Were I going to Italy now, there's NO WAY I would bother with any travel guide except one that's current NOW.

    If I can afford to fly to Italy, I can afford to buy a current travel guide.

    True, all the historical stuff is still the same, and the directions are still the same, but that info will be in a new travel guide as well; why would I want 2?

    The only uses I can think of for a travel guide that's more than 20 years old (or more than 3 years old) is:
    -a keepsake (in which case, tear out the sections that matter most to you, and recycle the rest of the book)
    -cutting apart for collages

    Out of date books should NOT be passed on to other people. Think of it as a service to the factual accuracy of the world, and put them in the paper-recycling bin unless they have some strong personal connection.

  • mustangs81
    16 years ago

    The only travel books/guides that I have kept are the castle directories. While the prices change I have found these guides helpful in mapping where the castles are in the area we will be traveling to. Then I can verify online if there is a vacancy and what the current lodging prices are.

  • jannie
    16 years ago

    If uou need updated travel directory information, check your public library. I fondly remember Arthur Frommer's Europe on Five Dollars a Day. There are more updated Frommer's books now.

  • morfydd
    16 years ago

    I figure, of all the clutter in my life, books are the least of my worries. They usually look tidy and don't take up much space. YMMV.

    I buy new copies of the generic guidebooks whenever I make a major trip, and only keep the latest if I have multiples. They're a good start to the obsessive planning of the next trip - "oh, I wanted to see this museum but it was closed for renovation," or, "I wonder if this restaurant is still there". I lend them out freely to friends without worrying about getting them back.

    On the other hand, I'll keep older books that have something interesting to them - The Jane Austen Guide to Bath, for example, or Literary Walks in Rome.

    The last time I got ruthless about a travel book, I was on the ferry to Corsica for a 3-week hiking trip. As I was tearing out the section on Corsica from the *huge* general Italy book and throwing the rest away, an Italian gentleman looked at me, horrified. "Americans, so wasteful!" Sigh...

  • mariend
    15 years ago

    Sometimes libraries will take the books, especially the travel ones. Also a VA hospital will accept donations, along with nursing homes. Might bring back memories.

  • talley_sue_nyc
    15 years ago

    A library won't take an OUT OF DATE travel book.

  • patser
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I've gone through them and have whittled down by 1/3 so far. I am going to keep a number of them, because even though admission hours and prices have changed, the basic places to visit with history and descriptions have pretty much stayed the same. I'll be doing the garage sale in May so will have another once over before then and they'll go into the "free" box. Our library didn't want them - due to the age. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and ideas.

  • gayle0000
    15 years ago

    I agree with what has been said. 1-3 years and they are out of date.

    I first pass them on to my daughter (young) because she really likes books and checks out the pictures & maps. After I notice she's done, the books go to the recycle bin.

    I'm of the opinion that if someone is looking to travel and wanting info, they will go buy a current book or go on the web. Outdated books are not what they're looking for.

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