I accept A.B. Guthrie donations anywhere in the Albuquerque metro with free pickup — the whole collection: the Big Sky series (The Big Sky, The Way West, These Thousand Hills, Arfive, The Last Valley, Fair Land Fair Land), the memoir The Blue Hen's Chick, and the mysteries. You don't sort or price anything. Bring it all: I check every book by hand, and readable copies go back to readers.
Published June 2026 · By Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project
A.B. Guthrie Jr. wrote some of the most enduring fiction of the American West — The Big Sky and the Pulitzer-winning The Way West trace the frontier from the mountain-man era to the Oregon Trail (he also wrote the screenplay for Shane). His novels are staples on every Western shelf, and they turn up constantly in New Mexico cleanouts. When a Guthrie collection gets cleared, most people just want it to land somewhere that honors it. That's exactly what I'm for: I take the whole thing, free, and I check every book.
What I take: all of it
The Big Sky series
The Big Sky (1947), The Way West (1949), These Thousand Hills, Arfive, The Last Valley, and Fair Land, Fair Land — the whole six-novel sweep.
Memoir, mysteries & essays
The memoir The Blue Hen's Chick, the Chick Charleston mysteries (Wild Pitch, The Genuine Article), and the essays and poetry.
Any condition
The early Sloane firsts, book-club editions, the movie tie-ins, signed copies, worn paperbacks, and reading copies — bring whatever's on the shelf.
Why bring the whole shelf
Donating takes one call or text: no research, no pricing, no listings, no shipping. Free pickup in the Albuquerque metro, or the covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, any hour. I check every book by hand, readable copies go back to readers, and no readable book goes to the landfill. Here's where donated books go.
How free pickup works
Call or text 505-250-3804 (or schedule online), tell me roughly how much there is and where you are, and I add you to the next route through your area. I come to you and load it all. I cover Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, the East Mountains, and the surrounding metro, and I handle whole-house and estate cleanouts regularly.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I donate A.B. Guthrie books in Albuquerque?
Right here — free pickup anywhere in the metro for the whole collection: the Big Sky series, the memoir, the mysteries. Call or text 505-250-3804.
Can I drop A.B. Guthrie books off instead of waiting for a pickup?
Yes. The covered 24/7 drop box outside the gate at 5445 Edith Blvd NE takes them any hour, and someone is at the warehouse from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help unload a bigger load.
Book-club editions too?
Yes — book-club editions, paperbacks, movie tie-ins, reading copies. Just don't throw any of it out first.
Cite This Guide
Eldred, J. (June 2026). Donate A.B. Guthrie Books in Albuquerque — Free Pickup. New Mexico Literacy Project.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/donate-ab-guthrie-books-albuquerque
Licensed under CC BY 4.0.