ZOE WALKER talks to an internet bookseller about the value of second-hand paperbacks.

WE ARE a nation of hoarders, and the average bookworm is one of the worst offenders.

But don't despair if your home is groaning under the weight of mountains of moth-eaten paperbacks you read then hoarded and forgot about. You could turn those you don't want to keep into ready cash by selling them on instead of letting them gather dust.

"Books take up a tremendous amount of space around the home, and most people never revisit a paperback they have already read," says Barry Crow, managing director and founder of internet second hand bookseller GreenMetropolis.com.

"We pay so much attention to recycling glass, plastic and newspapers that we do not realise there are millions of books lying around our homes."

Barry speaks as one who knows. He founded his company after down-sizing from a four-bedroom house to a one-bedroom flat, and as a result had to give away literally hundreds of books that he had accumulated over the years.

"I created the site to provide a forum for fellow book lovers to recycle their unwanted books and buy books for less than on any other Internet bookstore," says Barry.

No one is suggesting you should sell off that prized set of Dr Seuss books that gave you such joy as a child, or even your first, battered and much-loved copy of The Hobbit.

And, of course, if you have a first edition or a book signed by the author, it is worth hanging on to.

"Keep the book if it has sentimental value, or has been signed by the author," advises Barry. "Otherwise clutter-bust your home of unwanted books and enjoy the cash rewards of selling your books on line."

To buy or sell a book through GreenMetropolis.com you need to visit the site online and register by filling in your details. All books are graded according to their condition - excellent, good or acceptable. Regardless of their condition, all books cost £3.75 to buy, which includes postage and packing, and are sold for £3. A donation of 5p is made to the Woodlands Trust for every book sold.

When there is a buyer for your book, GreenMetropolis.com will notify you by email and ask you to post it to the address the buyer supplies within two or three days. The approximate cost of sending one paperback book is 66p, which you will need to pay yourself, but your GreenMetropolis account will be credited with £3 once the book has been sent and you can use the credit to buy other books or cash in at any time.

As books are not supplied direct by GreenMetropolis.com, the web-site basically acts as an agency for sales and relies on the reliability of its vendors to send their books to buyers as and when requested, Barry says. But all financial transactions are handled by GreenMetropolis.com, so if there is a problem with the order a Buyer's Promise pledges to either resolve the problem or re-credit your account in full.

If you don't fancy trusting to the internet to buy and sell your second hand books, there are plenty of alternatives.

You could always try a car boot sale: and there are a wealth of second-hand book dealers in York who will offer to buy your books directly from you. Most prefer to purchase "job lots" and if you box up your books they will often take them off your hands. It's a good idea to phone in advance to make sure the shop is prepared to accept books and ask how much they will pay. Most offer about 50p per book for good quality paperbacks, so don't expect to earn a fortune if you have only a few books to offload. But the totals could mount up.

Before boxing up your books for sale en masse, remember that books are hugely collectable and that sought-after, rare or unusual editions can change hands for vast sums of money. So if you don't want to end up selling a priceless first edition for the bargain basement price of £3.75, seek the advice of an expert.

Tony Fothergill, of Ken Spelman bookshop in Micklegate, York, where books change hands for anything from mere pence to tens of thousands of pounds, says if you really think you have something antiquarian or valuable on your hands it's best to consult a specialist.

"If anyone has doubts about a book's value then their first port of call should certainly be a recognised and trusted bookshop because they have the expertise necessary to value books. There's nothing wrong with consulting three or four to get a price and there are plenty of bookshops in York that have that expertise, so I would recommend that they go in to see them," says Tony.

Finally, if it's not a handful of cash you're after, and you'd prefer to donate a few of those unwanted books to good causes, there are plenty of charity shops around that will be only too glad to take them off your hands.

"Anything donated to our shops, when sold, generates valuable income for us to continue to provide services in the city," says Sally Hutchinson of Age Concern York, which has a shop in Walmgate. "We're always very grateful."

Updated: 09:47 Thursday, June 19, 2003