What to Do With Old Engineering & Science Textbooks

Don't throw away old engineering, physics, math, and science textbooks because they look outdated — many are genuinely collectible or valuable, and a first-edition Feynman Lectures on Physics in a recycling bin would be a small tragedy. You don't have to know which ones are treasures. Bring the whole shelf and I'll find the gems, keep the useful ones in circulation, and handle the rest. Free pickup anywhere in Albuquerque. Of all the "old textbook" categories, technical and scientific books are the ones most worth a second look before anything leaves the house.

Published June 2026 · By Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project · Free pickup: 702-496-4214

"Obsolete" does not mean worthless

There's a stubborn myth that any old textbook is junk because a newer edition exists. For ordinary survey textbooks that's often true — but for science, math, and engineering it is exactly the assumption that gets valuable books thrown in the trash. The laws of physics from 1965 are the laws of physics today. A great math text doesn't expire. A landmark engineering or computing book becomes a historical document, not garbage. The newer-edition logic that flattens the value of a freshman biology book does not apply the same way to a classic of science — and the people clearing a shelf almost never know the difference.

Which technical books are collectible or valuable

Landmark physics and math. Foundational texts by major figures — Feynman, and the classic graduate and reference texts that generations learned from — are timeless and sought after, especially in early editions. Math books in particular age extremely well.

Historically significant engineering, computing, and aerospace. Early computing and programming books, early electronics and radio manuals, aerospace and rocketry texts, and foundational engineering references can carry real value — sometimes as collector items, sometimes for their illustrations, sometimes because a specific older edition is the one practitioners still want. In a state with deep aerospace and national-lab history, technical books turn up here that matter (see the collecting guide to New Mexico rocketry and spaceflight).

First editions, signed copies, and fine condition. As with any field, a first printing, an author's signature, or exceptional condition lifts a technical book into collector territory.

The honest part: most everyday engineering editions aren't individually valuable, and engineering does go out of date faster than physics or math. But "most aren't" is not "none are," and the gems are real and easy to miss — which is precisely why the answer is never to toss them sight unseen.

Why this loss happens so often

Technical libraries get cleared in a hurry — a retiring engineer, a downsizing professor, an estate, a lab cleanout — and the people doing the clearing usually aren't physicists or collectors. The books are heavy, dense, and "old," so they go straight to the dumpster or the recycling bin. Thrift stores won't take them; libraries don't want old editions. So the exact books most likely to contain a treasure are the ones most likely to be thrown away by someone who'd never know. That's the gap I exist to close.

I accept every technical book

Physics, math, chemistry, engineering of every discipline, computing, electronics, aerospace, lab references — any edition, any condition — free pickup anywhere in the Albuquerque metro. I find and protect the collectible ones, route usable study copies to students, GED and adult-education programs, and aspiring engineers who can't afford new texts, and responsibly handle anything that's genuinely spent. You don't sort, you don't price, you don't risk dumping a Feynman by accident. Just bring the lot.

Frequently asked questions

Are old engineering and science textbooks worth anything?

Don't assume not. Landmark physics and math are timeless and collectible, and historically significant engineering/computing/aerospace texts can be valuable. You can't tell at a glance, so bring them all.

Is an old Feynman Lectures on Physics valuable?

A first-edition, first-printing set (1963–65) is genuinely collectible, and signed copies are scarce and valuable. Never let one hit the trash — set it aside or bring it to me.

Where can I donate old technical textbooks in Albuquerque?

I take them all — any edition, any condition, free pickup. You don't identify anything; I find the gems. Call or text 702-496-4214.