I have a set of Encyclopaedia Britannica volumes from about 1943, plus the "Book of the Year" update volumes for many years. My parents bought them when my brother and I were toddlers, so there's a "family heirloom" element. On the other hand, they are heavy and bulky, and I need the space for other books. No other family members are interested, but I don't want to just toss them if there's another way find them a new home. Any suggestions will be welcome. (The illustrations for "Locomotives" are quite historic, and the entries for various nations would have been written when the outcome of World War II was still in doubt.)
Bob Davis
San Gabriel CA

It's with some regret that I inform you that old encyclopedias basically have three uses:

1) sentimental souvenirs;
2) props for vintage/historical settings, such as a house museum's library display;
3) BTU value in the fireplace.

There are just too many old encyclopedias out there and far too few practical uses for them. Even my mother's old compact Columbia Encyclopedias, useful for decades in solving the weekly NY Times crossword puzzle, are pretty much obsolete for even that use.

Yeah, I'm afraid so. eBay tells the tale.
http://completed.shop.ebay.com/items/Bo ... ec0Q2em283
(this is "completed listings", so you'll need to log in.)

You can't get more than $20 for a full set of Britannica unless you promise free shipping, in which case you can get around $100.

It's the equivalent of a stack of Model Railroader's...