Free pickup · Porch drop-off · Donations back to schools & churches
I'm a one-man used-book operation in the Portland metro. If you've got boxes of clean, family-friendly books taking up your garage, I'll come get them for free — or you can set them on my porch and be done with it.
Texts get the fastest answer — a photo of the boxes helps. Or write to papaduckhomeschool@gmail.com.
Four ways to hand off books
These are ordered by how little you have to do. Number one takes about nine seconds — and on numbers three and four, money comes back to you.
Anytime, day or night, no appointment. This is the easiest option for schools, churches, libraries and thrift stores clearing shelf space — drop the boxes and go. Text me first and I'll send you the address and a photo of which porch.
Anywhere in the Portland metro. Evenings and weekends are usually easiest. I load my own boxes, I don't need you to carry anything, and I don't charge for the trip. If it's more than about ten boxes, tell me ahead so I bring the bigger vehicle.
If you're a church, a school, a library or a registered nonprofit clearing shelves, I don't just take the books and leave. Tell me roughly what you've got, and I'll agree on a donation amount with you before I load a single box — so your group gets something for the fundraiser or the classroom fund instead of paying somebody to haul it off.
I donate backCall me on the last afternoon of the sale. I'll walk the shelves, make you one cash number for the whole remainder, and clear the room the same day so you're not hauling books to Goodwill on your own time.
I pay for theseBefore you box them up
Two minutes of sorting saves us both a trip. When in doubt, send me a photo and I'll tell you straight.
Where I pick up
Either side of the river, either side of the state line. If your town isn't listed but you're close, call anyway — for a big lot I'll stretch.
Or skip the phone call
Fill this out and I'll call or text you back, usually the same day. No obligation — if it turns out I can't use the books, I'll tell you honestly and point you somewhere that can.
Rather just talk? Call or text 503.939.7965.
For estate sale companies & liquidators
Books are the slowest thing in the house to sell and the heaviest thing to haul out. Call me before your final markdown and I'll quote the entire remaining book room as one number, pay on the spot, and load it out myself. I'm a repeat, no-drama buyer — I show up when I say I will, and I don't cherry-pick the good stuff and leave you the junk.
Call 503.939.7965Straight answers
No, and I won't pretend otherwise. Papa Duck Homeschool is a small family business — I clean up donated books and resell them to homeschool families and readers. I'm not a nonprofit, so there's no tax receipt coming from me. What a household donor gets is a free, easy way to keep good books out of a landfill.
It runs the other direction: I write the check to you. When the books come from a church, school, library or nonprofit, I hand your organization a cash donation for them. We settle on the amount up front, before anything gets loaded, so there are no surprises for whoever has to report it to your board.
Kids' books in good shape go to local homeschool families and little free libraries. The rest gets recycled properly. Nothing usable gets thrown out.
No. Loose on a shelf is fine — I bring my own boxes. All I ask is that you pull out anything moldy or soaked before I get there.
There's no such thing. A whole estate library, a classroom, a church basement — that's my favorite phone call of the week.
Yes, in two cases: estate sale remainders and large collections get cash on the spot, and churches, schools and nonprofits get a donation back to the organization. For a box or two of household books, I take it as a donation and haul it away free.
One call clears the garage
Papa Duck · Portland metro · Free pickup, seven days