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: I check every book by hand, and readable copies go back to readers.
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. That's exactly what I'm for: I take the whole thing, free, and I check every book.
What I take: all of it
Lonesome Dove & the Westerns
The Lonesome Dove tetralogy (Lonesome Dove, Streets of Laredo, Dead Man's Walk, Comanche Moon), Buffalo Girls, Anything for Billy, Boone's Lick, and the other Westerns.
The Thalia novels & contemporary fiction
Horseman, Pass By (filmed as Hud), Leaving Cheyenne, The Last Picture Show and its sequels; Terms of Endearment and the Houston novels; Cadillac Jack, Some Can Whistle, and the rest.
Essays, memoir & nonfiction
In a Narrow Grave, Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen, the Books memoir, Sacagawea's Nickname, the Crazy Horse biography, and any collaborations with Diana Ossana. Any edition, any condition.
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 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 505-250-3804.
Can I drop Larry McMurtry 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.
Paperbacks and tie-ins too?
Yes — worn paperbacks, film/miniseries tie-ins, book-club editions. Just don't throw any of it out first.
Cite This Guide
Eldred, J. (June 2026). Donate Larry McMurtry Books in Albuquerque — Free Pickup. New Mexico Literacy Project.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/donate-larry-mcmurtry-books-albuquerque
Licensed under CC BY 4.0.