Book hoarders can have a hard time getting rid of their collections when the time comes, which just proves the old saw that things are only worth what people are willing to pay for them.

Many people bring book collections to Zubal with hopes of making good money or at least knowing some other person will eventually buy it and love it.

Alas, sometimes neither happens. Libraries tend to accept small collections, but that’s mostly for “Friends of the Library” fund-raisers. It’s rare for them to incorporate those books into their circulating collection.

Zubal can’t afford to stock books that sell for less than $8. What happens to the rest? They’re recycled, though Zubal says the prospect sickens some book lovers.

“I have people say, ‘You throw away books? The Nazis burned books! This is a good book – there must be someone who would want this book.’ ”

Zubal responds, not unkindly, “Well that’s true, but FIND that person.”

I find it funny, and sad for me, that the guy profiled in the beginning of this piece is having trouble keeping 258 books. I think I had accumulated that many by the time I was 17 — rougly about the reading list of my humanities B.A.