Four thrift stores in two days

This week has been a mixed week.  Had a few health snafu's, and am still trying to come to terms with the closure of the only bookshop within 100kms!, but on the plus side, had amazing thrift shop finds this week.

It's been weeks since I last set foot in most of the thrift shops around town - we have 4 - and usually I come away with a few books, perhaps one that is currently on my Book Depository wishlist.  However this week I had amazing luck.  It all started with wanting a bedside table so I could once again see the time on my alarm clock...

I went into the first thrift shop, which is opposite a gym that pumps out the most annoying perky (and loud) music, but within 30 seconds I had my first book (Jason by LKH).  I knew that this was going to be a good day.  I browsed for as long as I could stand the music, but found two Agatha Christies for $1ea.  They are in an edition I like, and I don't have them yet.  Then I found a copy of The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham.  This has been on my wishlist for ages, but I could never find a cover that I liked.  However, this edition is so 80's and funky that I wasn't going to quibble over the $1 price tag.  Even though this was a great haul so far, I'm most excited about the poetry anthology that I picked up just before I headed for the cash register.

Can't pass a thrift shop without looking at books!

Yes, it's true.  I just can't seem to pass a thrift shop without going inside to check out what's on their shelves.  Take this morning for instance.  I went to the store to buy a few items.  So far, so good.  Then I drove around to my favourite fabric shop and did I go in?  No!  Instead I ducked into the thrift shop next door.  I'm sure I tell myself that I just want a quick look.  I won't buy anything.  But true to form I walk out of there with an armful of books.

However, to be fair this mornings effort yielded a good result.  Recently I've been trying to gather more classics {for those long cold winter nights} and have had Great Expectations on my wishlist for ages.  Two days ago I put The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time on my wishlist as well - and today I found both on the shelves!  Saved a lot of money, as well as contributing to the local charities.  I'd call that a win-win all round ;-D

Amongst this haul I also found a gem or two.  First was a little old book from 1963.  It's called Boys Are Very Funny People by Bill Adler.  There is nothing remarkable about the cover, but inside are some of the funniest remarks made by boys, such as...

Dear Folks,

They take good care of us at this camp.  Don't worry we are not going

on any more overnight hikes until they find Stanley.

Your son,

Jimmy

I've already finished this book and found it to be a very quick and amusing read.  Kids are naturally funny, and sometimes the truth comes out in such an amusing way ;-D

The final book I found before I made myself leave I only found because I saw the word 'dragon' on the spine.  It's a beautiful hardcover {only $1!} and is written by the same author of The Spiderwick Chronicles - note to self, read those! - and as soon as I saw the cover and the gorgeous artwork I knew that this book was coming home with me.  

So after that unexpected thrift shop haul I have officially banned myself from the thrift shops around town for at least a week, perhaps two.  I really don't need all these book.  I just can't help myself!

Do you have the same problem too?  Let me know if you do and we can commiserate together ;-D

Until next time,

 

Unexpected Book Haul

Just happened to drop in on a local secondhand/charity store in town only to find that they are having a 50% off sale - off everything!!  OMG! That's like waving a red flag to a bull and I was in there before I realised that I'd even parked the car ;-D

I found a few classics - including a copy of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier that I'd read in high school!  After watching WORDS OF A READER and her review on Rebecca {SEE REVIEW HERE} , I thought I'd give it another try.   The other classics I bought were James Joyce's Ulysses, a really interesting black and red cover of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and an old copy of Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.  Oh, and I actually found a hardcover of an little known Australian classic, The Nargun and the Stars by Patricia Wrightson.  I have vague recollections of this being made into a TV series in the early 80's on the ABC.  

There are a few copies of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books that I picked up.  I always like to get different covers for books I like, so I had to get these.  Mistral's Kiss is also a cover buy as I have the hardcover, and I couldn't believe that this paperback was so short!

Finally, there are Black Lynx, Red Riding Hood (movie tie-in), and a Marian Keyes book.  I've never read anything by Keyes, but this sounded interesting even if it is a big ass book ;-D

So I bought 14 books, and only paid $5!  Wow, that's actually more than 50% off! :-D  

Until next time,

 

Huge Book Sale Haul, or my quest to find Gone with the Wind

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.

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!

Until next time,