Saturday, March 26, 2011

Book Sales - Yes or No?

Yesterday morning I woke up bright and early to head into the Big City. Okay, maybe it wasn't bright and early, but I did get up with a mission.

You see, the main library was hosting a Book Sale and it just so happened that I had books to return (like the recently reviewed The Heretic's Daughter). I love spending an afternoon at the library on ordinary days, so with a Book Sale in full swing, I knew I had to visit.

This was my first library Book Sale, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect... but I did leave a little bit disappointed. There just wasn't that many books for sale. Maybe I ended up getting to the location too late - the sale has been on for a few days but my own engagements have prevented me from attending.

However, I did leave with three books - one for $2 and two for 50 cents each (at that price, how can you not leave with something?!). They'll be featured and reviewed later this May.

So, why am I writing this?

I was wondering if you attend library book sales. What are your views on the sales - are they usually worthwhile for you to attend?

As a book addict, I have a feeling I'll visit the Summer Sale in July. You never know what you'll find!

20 comments:

  1. My library has a bookstore in it called "the friends store" and they are always selling books. So I don't think the library sales are that great. I know they are having one they are hyping up and I might go to that one.

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  2. I LOVE book sales! There is a huge Spring Book Sale coming up at our library and I have been counting down the days. MY favorite things about books sales are rediscovering old favorites just to have in your personal library and picking up something that you've always wanted to read but didn't want to pay full price for.

    I'm looking forward to the upcoming reviews of the books you bought!

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  3. We have a Friends Book Sale at my library every quarter of a year with an ongoing sale going on upstairs in the back. I do love book sales, though I've been out of town for all of our previous book sales. I'm looking forward to going to the one coming up. :) You're right, you never know what you'll find. It always depends on the donations of the community. But it's always a fun idea to go to a library's book sale because it does benefit the library.

    Can't wait til the sale next month!

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  4. I just recently went to a Public Library used books sale. They had a ton of books from classics to recent releases. I could have spent all night just looking at all of the titles. Maybe it was just the library you went to. I have been to several other sales at other libraries and have had the same experience as this last one. However, I will say that I am looking mostly for collectible type books so that could be why I enjoy it more. Love your blog!

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  5. My local library doesn't have book sales - they give books away. They have a huge pile of books on the floor for you to browse and take whatever you like. But usually these are old and/or obscure books that no one borrows, so they're not all that attractive. I've only ever found one book to take home with me. But I do look through the pile from time to time - you never know!

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  6. Thank you for following my blog! I love the look of yours, and I love how you write posts about food and music as well.
    I've never been to a library book sale but I have a friend who went once and got a complete collection of encyclopedias for like $10! Sure, nobody uses encyclopedias anymore, but still...$10 bucks!!!
    Personally, I have put an official stop to any form of book buying until I finish reading all the novels in my apartment that I have bought and not yet read. So, no book sales for me:(

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  7. The library here has a book sale three times a week and then two larger biannually sales. They sell most paperbacks for a quarter and then most hardback books for $0.75.

    I'm a big fan. I go in about once a week and see if I can find anything. I've gotten quite a few books from there over the years.

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  8. The couple of Library sales I've been to were actually overwhelming because there were so many books - a giant room with tables and tables filled with boxes and boxes. I ended up leaving with only a couple of books as well, but not because there wasn't a selection, just because I knew I would have been there forever if I really went through everything.

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  9. I love book sales. They feed my addiction much more cheaply than bookstores.

    When I was in college the town library down the street used to have a book sale a few times a year. Being as how this was an affluent town, the book selection was really very good. They had sections for fiction, non-fiction (separated by subject), and children's books. If you went at the right time you could do a bag of books for only a dollar. I think I came away from there with ten books one year.

    Even my small hometown library's sale is pretty decent though. I once nabbed a copy of Ian Fleming's Casino Royale there, which at the time was a hard book to get your hands on because online shopping hadn't really taken off yet and the book was only selectively in print.

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  10. I always try to get to my library book sales. They are usually worth it. But it mainly depends on what they have to pull off the shelves each year. Sometimes they only have a few boxes of fiction and sometimes (like last time I went) they had two whole rooms full. Not very consisent. But for me, it's totally worth it. We get such great deals. Paperbacks are 5 for a dollar or you can get a bag for $10 or a huge box for $12. They always have a ton of reference/non fiction books so even if I only get those it's totally worth it.

    The main library where it is usually held, is now under construction. This means that they didn't have it at all this year. So dissapointed :(

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  11. I've never been to a library book sale... I'll have to check and see if there's any coming up.

    I'll be sure to get there ASAP and not let those pesky 'morning people' get all the good books!

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  12. There is a constant sale at my library, too. I never went to a particular library sale though. But as the main library in my city is moving house sometime this year I bet there will be a good sale then.

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  13. I've never been to a library book sale but if I find one I'm there! I love love sales. I always find good books at sales.

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  14. Around the first week in December each year at the library downtown here in Miami, they host a huge sale and all paperbacks are a dollar while hardcovers are 2 dollars. I always walk away wih about fifty books. I love it :)

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  15. I am a little jealous that you made it to a Library Sale .Thanks for stopping by my blog and I am your newest follower

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  16. Our Library just had theirs this weekend too. Like a lot of things it's hit or miss. Last time (in the Fall) I didn't come away with much. This spring was awesome. Twenty books for $5.50. Seven of those were the little pocket-size editions that came out from the 1930s-1960s with four of those being first editions. I love those little pockte editions! If I'd been able to go a day earlier, I may have found even more....

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  17. I love book sales. My library has an ongoing one and accepts donations of them. It is good if you have some books you wouldn't mind giving up to make room for more...that you buy at the book sale. We also have a flea market that sells books but I like it less there because it is so crowded and tends to cost more. I have found some of my best finds and completed several collections of authors by these types of sales. At my work (at a college) we have bookshelves in every building with free books on them. Its called "Give a Book, Take a Book" but you don't HAVE to give to take. Its been a hit! I am in charge of the one in my building (speaking of, need to restock on Monday!).
    Anyway, I love your blog and plan on peeking here quite often. I am planning on being diverse on my blog as well with movie reviews and such. Nice meeting you!

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  18. Library book sales are great. I've been to a few, and the only reason I won't go again is because 1. I work in the library now, and some of the sales are on days I work (we have sales every second Saturday of the month, and I work on Saturdays, so can't go) and 2. They're too crowded for my taste. During our annual clearance sales, people go nuts. The line to get in is always huge, and there are so many people that you can browse, but it's not as leisurely as I'd like it to be. Still, the last time I went, I was able to fill up a paper grocery sack of as many books as I could, and only had to pay $3 for the whole bag. Admittedly, the selection for children's and YA isn't as good as the selection for adult fiction and non-fiction at our book sales, but I'm okay with that, since I read a wide variety of things. And either way, the money from the sales supports the libraries, which is hugely important, as it funds a lot of library programs and whatnot.

    As someone else mentioned, our Main Library has a Friends for the Library book store (the Friends are also the ones who put on the book sales). It's a lovely store, but I haven't been able to really browse it yet.

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  19. I love big book sales. I am so looking forward to the one at the community centre next weekend. It is a huge, city-wide sale. I need to get there early.

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  20. Wow, thank you for all of your responses! I loved reading through them... and now I'm pretty convinced to try the Sales again in July :)

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Almost as much as I love coffee.

All puns put aside, I really do adore the comments you ever-so-kindly post. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and leave a few words. I love hearing your view on the topic!

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