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 Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:53 am
Many years ago, I was at the thrift shop with a classmate. We were shopping for materials for art projects. I picked up an infant's holiday dress, a dark green velveteen thing crawling with lace that looked uncomfortable and circa 1970s, and said, "I can use the velvet and lace from this in a collage!"
My friend, an older lady, was shocked, as if I had just suggested murdering a kitten to use its claws in jewelry. "Oh no," she said softly and sadly. "Let some little girl wear that." And she went on and on until I put it back. I don't think anyone was ever going to buy that ugly thing, let alone force a child to wear it, but I didn't want to depress my friend. She is a crafty person herself, which is why I find the incident so unbelievable. It was a used piece of clothing, not a brand-new bassinet set.
Now, I can see preventing someone from, say, repurposing an old Oz book. If you have an old edition of any Oz book, even the non-Baum ones, and want to line the birdcage with it or use it in papier-mache, I would protest "Stop! Noooo! You're killing it!" because the Oz books are enjoyable and valuable. Let a child enjoy it. I value good children's books, as I do not value used clothing.
Is value solely in the eye of the beholder? Should we be cognizant of the worth something might have to others before repurposing it?
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:08 pm
When I think of reusing things I see it as very personal. Some people have strong attachments to things I just think are silly. They probably feel the same way about me. I would think the point is to use what you have in the way you need it. What point is it to have a shirt you never wear just because someone else could? Would it be wrong to use it as rag or make it into a skirt or a part of another piece of clothing? They're all different ways to make use of it. They may not be the intended use but that's the point of re-using something. Value also has a lot to do with situation. If you're freezing to death why not burn that bundle of money that landed next to you when the plane crashed? If you're tired of a book, why not use it for your collage since that cover picture would be a great final touch? (I personally find that offensive - I don't like the idea of destroy a book for any reason (but do see some neat art-related re-uses) - but who cares if it's your book?)
That old lady seems silly to me. There is nothing wrong with someone else re-using something just because you feel someone else may be able to use it for its intended use. It's the owner of an object that gets to decide what way an object is best used.
[edit] Ah, that being said... there is always things of historical value. Things like paintings and stuff dug up during archeological digs. I still stand by it being the owner of an object that decides its use... but in cases such as those I would think it would be borderline criminal to destroy them in some manner without good cause (such as to save a life).
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 12:46 pm
1. only repurpuse books that are partially destroyed.
2. dont repurpuse things that may not have a item lifespan thatll live to do what you need done or wont last in preportion to the effort its worth
3. dont repurpuse toxic matierials XD
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:24 pm
i can really relate to that, older books just seem to have so much more value to them. I did stop someone from tearing a book up for art, it wasn't old, but it was great book on older movies. I don't normally stop people like that though, i find it rude. Clothes don't have much value normally and I highly doubt anyone will use the baby attire you mentioned. Realistically an item is only worth its use, if its not useful to you, it's valueless. I usually offer things to someone else if I think it's original use might be needed, but otherwise I repurpose nearly anything.
I do have a fondness towards very old items though.
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Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 2:29 pm
gaia_nitemareleft In a Houzz DIY Project Vintage Book Wallpaper, I found two comments that shed light on the issue of repurposing books:sarahinindiana I love this idea--I think it's a great use of books that have past their shelf life. I'm a librarian and love books, but they can in fact get worn out beyond repair and/or outdated. Your local library book sale would be a great source of inexpensive books for this project. We have a case in our lobby with free materials that no one purchased after a sale or two, so you might be able to get free books for this project and save your money for books for your shelves. I think making copies would be wasteful. Use books that are worn out instead. They are not so useful once a few pages are missing, for instance.
The second comment I think is relevant to the topic... is a bit harsher, but it does contain concrete information and evidence:Gypsies 0 To those who are concerned about this "heretical" use of old books. I work for a publisher and I volunteer in a used bookstore that sells books for charity. MANY of the donations we receive are unsellable due to condition or just being dated. Books as objects are no longer precious - there is a surfeit of them. In the US alone, almost 300,000 new titles or editions are published EVERY YEAR (multiply that by the print runs that these have and the number of individual books is astronomical). Most have a very short shelf life. As long as you're not ripping up a Gutenberg Bible or a Shakespeare First Folio, I think this is an excellent use for books that would otherwise be recycled or trashed. And that's just what I plan to do. And here's the stats on publication: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books_published_per_country_per_year
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