Donate Larry McMurtry Books — Free Albuquerque Pickup

I accept Larry McMurtry donations anywhere in the Albuquerque metro with free pickup — the whole collection: the Lonesome Dove tetralogy, The Last Picture Show and the Thalia novels, Terms of Endearment, Buffalo Girls, the later novels, and the essays and bookselling memoirs. You don't sort or price anything. Bring it all, including the early hardcovers you might not recognize; his 1961 debut Horseman, Pass By and a true Lonesome Dove first (1985) are collectible, so I check everything and the rest funds New Mexico literacy.

Published June 2026 · By Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project

McMurtry was both a great novelist of the West and one of the most famous antiquarian booksellers in America — he ran the enormous Booked Up store in Archer City, Texas — so a McMurtry shelf carries a special charm: he, of all people, would want these books back in circulation rather than landfilled. When one gets cleared, most people just want it gone and don't want to throw out the valuable early one. That's exactly what I'm for: I take the whole thing, free, and I check every book.

What I take: all of it

You don't have to know what's valuable

Here's the reason to call rather than dump: McMurtry's early firsts are collectible. His 1961 debut Horseman, Pass By — written when he was just 25 — and a true first of the Pulitzer-winning Lonesome Dove (Simon & Schuster, 1985) in fine condition with the dust jacket are sought-after, and signed copies bring more. To most people these look like any old hardcover, and they get given away for a dollar. You don't have to learn the points — bring the whole shelf and I'll recognize the early firsts, protect them, and keep the reading copies in circulation, with any hidden value identified and put to work.

Why donate instead of selling it yourself

For a confirmed early first, selling on your own can pay. For the typical McMurtry shelf — paperbacks, tie-ins, a few hardcovers — identifying printings and listing each book is more work than they're individually worth, which is why so many shelves get dumped intact. Donating handles it in one call: no research, no pricing, no listings, no shipping, free pickup at your door, reading copies to new readers, and a genuine first recognized and supporting New Mexico literacy. Here's where donated books go.

How free pickup works

Call or text 702-496-4214 (or schedule online), tell me roughly how much there is and where you are, and we set a time. 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 Larry McMurtry books in Albuquerque?

Right here — free pickup anywhere in the metro for the whole collection: Lonesome Dove, the Thalia novels, the essays and memoirs. Call or text 702-496-4214.

Are old McMurtry books worth anything?

The early firsts (Horseman, Pass By 1961; Lonesome Dove 1985) are collectible, signed more. Most else is modest. They look ordinary — bring it all and let me check.

Paperbacks and tie-ins too?

Yes — worn paperbacks, film/miniseries tie-ins, book-club editions. Just don't throw any of it out first.