Similar sightings at the library book sale

[Gerrinson]

I had to go into work today to make up some time because I missed most of Tuesday due to my car's brake lines blowing in two places. While I was trying to stop.

The one benefit to going to work is the library just down the street was having a huge used book sale and I do so love discount books.

After I clocked out, I headed over to the book sale. I had to peruse all the tables as the library seems to be employing Gravekeeper's 867ers to sort the books. i.e. I assumed Sci-Fi/Fantasy (my main genre of choice) would be in the Fiction section. Instead, the Sci-Fi/Fantasy books were scattered throughout the Mystery, Occult, History, and Biography sections.

I also found several science textbooks in the Fiction section, oddly enough, right next to a box of religious books. Now I have no idea who to disbelieve!

There were signs posted at the ends of the tables listing the prices: $1.50 for hardcover books and $0.50 for paperbacks.

Sadly, I heard no less than FIVE different people bitching about the prices being 'too high' for used books. :WTF: do these people want, free books?

And, of course, when I went to check out the EW in front of me tried to haggle on the price. Thankfully, the librarian said the prices were as marked and that if the EW didn't want the books at those prices then she was free to buy books elsewhere. Good on you, Ms. Librarian!

I may or may not have filled up my backpack with used books.

[Nashida]

Slightly OT, but I adore these sorts of sales. I've managed to finish off my collection of Robin Cook novels that way. Actually, my campus does one every fall in one of the academic buildings, and I go every year to snap up teaching materials (and the occasional oddball book)

Seriously though....$1.50 for a hardcover is CHEAP, considering what they go for. I guess they were expecting free books...

[Jack7957]

My local library system will change pricing on the last couple days to "Fill a grocery bag for $2" or some price close to that. And by that point, while they will try to keep the "new" stock sorted, in reality, they just stick books wherever they have room.

[Gerrinson]

And by that point, while they will try to keep the "new" stock sorted, in reality, they just stick books wherever they have room.

Oh, yeah, I can understand at the end of the sale - especially when you have all the people who look and then change their mind and drop stuff wherever. But I was there less than 2 hours after the sale started. At that point, you'd think at least a little of the sorting would be intact.

[LionMan]

We have a nice one here once a year. I did actually look inside to see what books they have and there were lots of nice ones (I was working around the building hosting it and I had keys to the building). However, I don't bother going because there's too many people in the two days the sale is hosted and the first night all the book sellers show up and buy up everything decent. The people who run the sale don't particularly like the book sellers either though.

[seigus]

Went to a library's used book sale once where they were sold by the inch - the books were laid on the table in a stack, measured, and people charged accordingly.

[JoitheArtist]

From the time I was 6 until I was about 22, my dad was a librarian. We, his family, usually were the only volunteers who would help set up for the book sales.

We are a family of bibliophiles. Guess who got best pick of the books every year?

(on a side note, guess which books sold most every year? The Reader's Digest Condensed Books. People would buy them to put on their home bookshelves as decorations. And they wonder why I got out of there as fast as I could???)


(p.s. This cartoon TOTALLY describes my family and books: http://wondermark.com/442/ )

[Ironclad Alibi]

(on a side note, guess which books sold most every year? The Reader's Digest Condensed Books. People would buy them to put on their home bookshelves as decorations. And they wonder why I got out of there as fast as I could???)

Are you saying those Reader's Digest Condensed Books are for decoration and not for reading?!? I read them all the time when I was a kid. If only I had known, I could have read real books instead.

[JoitheArtist]

Are you saying those Reader's Digest Condensed Books are for decoration and not for reading?!? I read them all the time when I was a kid. If only I had known, I could have read real books instead.

In that town, they were decor only. Sigh.

I remember talking to a girl in the class ahead of me in high school. She was lamenting the fact that she had to write a story for class, and didn't have any ideas. I and a friend recommended that she flip through some books at her house for inspiration. She stared at us: "There aren't any books in my house."

Both her parents worked for the school system. She herself graduated salutatorian. And she was right, there WEREN'T any books in her house.

[ArcticChicken]

I may or may not have filled up my backpack with used books.

Only?

I have more than once wandered up to the library, noticed they were having a sale, then had to call home and beg for a ride because I'd bought more than I could carry.

[dalesys]

Only?

I have more than once wandered up to the library, noticed they were having a sale, then had to call home and beg for a ride because I'd bought more than I could carry.

Erm, could you also rent a U-Haul trailer on your way to get me?

[Mnemjian]

It amazes me that people will go to a new bookstore and drop $30 for a new, cheaply bound hardcover fiction book which has absolutely no resale value and then turn around and bitch about library book sale prices going up. Um, hey, maybe it's because the libraries aren't getting sh*t for funding and they have to charge *GASP* ten cents more per book than last year!

[JoitheArtist]

It amazes me that people will go to a new bookstore and drop $30 for a new, cheaply bound hardcover fiction book which has absolutely no resale value and then turn around and bitch about library book sale prices going up. Um, hey, maybe it's because the libraries aren't getting sh*t for funding and they have to charge *GASP* ten cents more per book than last year!

I looooooooove library booksales. When I lived with my grandmother, I spent most afternoons at her library, which has an ongoing booksale....

Fun collections of Bradbury stories: $0.25 each

SIGNED Bradbury book: $0.25

History book from 1800s: $10

1907 copy of Treasure Island in original soft leather binding: $4

1930-something soft leatherbound short stories by Dumas: $4


I could go on and on!

[KMMCurly]

Only?

I have more than once wandered up to the library, noticed they were having a sale, then had to call home and beg for a ride because I'd bought more than I could carry.

Done that before, complete with " You bought HOW many?!"

[Ellain]

Joi, stop! I'm drooling over here!

Also, I just inherited a collection of National Geographic in really good condition- probably about 40 years worth. I'm afraid to tackle adding those to my catalog. Maybe I should take a week off...