I've wanted to buy these since the late 90s when I used to enjoy thinking about algorithms in the abstract, but never bought them because at the start of my career I felt quite poor and it didn't seem like a good use of my money.
In 2015, I decided I was no longer poor and should buy the box-set as a treat. I set aside time to read a chapter in the first week after it arrived, but realised that it would take years to read and actually understand the material in that one book, let alone the other two. I decided I'd just dig in from time to time, but found that I never actually did, because in all honestly I'm less interested in abstract algorithms now, and prefer to spend free time doing other things in life that don't involve computers.
So, my copy is still essentially untouched after almost a decade.
Don't feel too bad -- I strongly believe that 99.99% of the copies of TAOCP are never read beyond the first chapter.
I'd love to own them and be the kind of person to read them, but I know I would also struggle to give them the proper attention (not with the hundred other books to read on my shelf).
Weirdly, probably not. I know if I sold it, then I'd suddenly get the urge to read it.
Also, it's really heavy (I'd say at least over 1kg), so by the time I sold it at less than the current price because it's no longer new (also mine is 1-4A, the current edition is 1-4B) and paid postage to package and ship it somewhere, it's probably not really worth the effort.
Older editions might actually fetch good prices. That's because newer editions aren't just new material plus minor edits and corrections. They also drop old material.
For example if you are interested in large integer arithmetic the 2nd edition of Volume 2 has some exercises that develop some methods that, if I recall correctly, I found more suited to my needs than the methods in the text when I was working on a large integer library.
The 3rd edition dropped those. I've long forgotten most of what I learned when working on my large integer library, but if I had to learn that subject again I'd probably actually start with the 2nd edition, and then check the 3rd edition to add to that.
You should imagine that you are forced to sell it every day. Eventually you'll either sell it (or donate it (your local library might appreciate it)) or start reading it.
OP imagines that there is a point in the future where they read the book without commiting to it. Selling/donating it would put an end to that possibility and force OP to imagine a future where they cannot read it, and hopefully helps them assessing one va the other, and prioritizing accordingly.
In 2015, I decided I was no longer poor and should buy the box-set as a treat. I set aside time to read a chapter in the first week after it arrived, but realised that it would take years to read and actually understand the material in that one book, let alone the other two. I decided I'd just dig in from time to time, but found that I never actually did, because in all honestly I'm less interested in abstract algorithms now, and prefer to spend free time doing other things in life that don't involve computers.
So, my copy is still essentially untouched after almost a decade.