Sorry this is a week late, but I just had to post this. Last weekend there was a HUGE Book Sale in my local town hall - with the proceeds going to Rotary projects and local drought relief causes - and since I'd found some great books last year of course I was going to show up! With over 15,000 books to sift through I only had one book in mind that was a must - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. This book is one of the classics that I'd promised myself I should really read. I didn't get around to it last year, and so far this year I haven't managed to get a copy. That would all change at the book sale as there are always multiple copies everywhere... or so I thought.
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| Snuck a peak just before doors opened! |
Day 1
Got there early so I could find a good park, and then waited at the front doors with a few other die-hard bibliophiles. I learned my lesson last year in regards to carrying so many books in carry bags, so this year I made sure that I had a shopping cart that had wheels (one of those pull along jobs) and a bottle of water so I didn't have to leave if I got thirsty. At 9am the doors opened and we all flooded into the hall in an attempt to find the best books first ;-D
It took me 2 hours of walking around, and my feet were killing me by the end of it, but I did manage to fill up the trolley - as well as a tote bag - with books before heading off to a quiet alcove to sit and sort. In the end I put back about 14 books. I really didn't need a History of Dracula, did I? And actually managed to get out of there with some change in my purse. In all, I picked up 35 books (including a few for mum as I don't need 2 copies of LOTR) which I was so happy with as there was one lady who I had been talking too while waiting to go in, and when I last saw here 2 hours later, she'd only picked up about 8 or 9 titles!
So happy with what I found that I decided to go back the next day, Sunday, to see if I could locate a copy of the elusive Gone with the Wind. This book, which is usually everywhere, was not to be found! Can you believe it? I found multiple hardcover copies of Scarlet, and even a hardcover of Rhett, but no GwtW. Perhaps I'd have better luck in the morning after they've restocked the tables...
Day 2
After soaking my feet in a hot foot bath the night before, I was ready to once again tackle the book sale. However, unlike Saturday, when I went up to the town hall just before 9am I found it like a ghost town. There was one other girl waiting there before me, and four more people arriving just before the doors opened. For a moment I'd thought that perhaps the second day had been cancelled, but thankfully it wasn't and I got to browse through the tables with hardly any competition. More people trickled in as the morning went by, but by 10am I had spent the money I had allowed myself for the book sale weekend and it was time to call it a day.
But for all the great books I'd found - or seen other people get to first ;-D - there was still no sighting of that elusive classic, Gone with the Wind. This must be the first time I can remember where I have not seen a secondhand copy of it floating around a sale, but of course since I actually wanted a copy Murphy's Law wasn't going to let me have my way.
**sighs and shrugs**
Now I must remember to order copy online.
Results
So in the 3hrs or so that I combed the sale, I bought a total of 48 books and spent $54. I found 5 books for my mum, and discovered replacement copies for 5 books I currently own.
My poor feet had had it by the end of the second day, so after another hot foot bath I kept them elevated as much as possible. {PS, I hate having plantar facititis >:-| Inflamed tendon under your feet really hurt!}
Now I have so many more books in my TBR pile, but it was worth it. I had a fun weekend and got a lot of bang for my buck, so to speak ;-D. Can't wait until next years sale!
