- Don't go first thing Saturday morning unless you want to stand in line, waiting your turn to get in...that's for the hardcore book people (buyers, etc.). My first year I made the mistake of going Saturday mid-morning and had to stand in line for an hour.
- If you do go earlier on Saturday, take a book and some coffee (so you have something to do while waiting in line to get in, and a drink to keep you warm!).
- They give you bags, but I'd bring my own--those books get heavy! They also have carts that you can borrow, but the place is so packed that pushing a cart through is not recommended.
- Bring some patience. Did I mention that there are a lot of people? And a lot of books? They do have the books organized by category, and some by author's last name, so that's helpful. I never went looking for anything specific, so the fun was more in the surprise of what I stumbled upon (a good condition copy of the complete Handel's Messiah, etc.).
- The funds raised from the booksale go to three non-profit human service agencies in the valley.
- Books are cheap on Saturday (I think I paid anywhere from $2-$5/book), but on Sunday almost everything is half-price!
- You can either pay for parking in the fairgrounds parking lot, OR, you can park in the neighborhood west of the fairgrounds for free (and just have to walk a bit further).
- Prepare yourself to enter a huge warehouse that smells like old books and lots of people...I'm just sayin'!
I'm not heading out this year for several reasons:
- I still have many books that I bought in 2009 and 2008 that I still haven't had a chance to read (so do I really need more that I don't have room for on my bookshelves?!).
- I've discovered another great source of cheap books: paperbackswap.com and have been using that for most of my book purchases of late.
- Family events and homework assignments due are bigger priorities for the weekend!
It's an experience to be sure--check it out if you have an hour or two this weekend!
2 comments:
Can you believe that I've lived in Phoenix all my life, and have been a hard-core bookworm from the minute I could read, and yet I've never ever been to this book sale? Yep, I've known about it, but have never gone. I never knew if it was worth the hassle or not. Thanks for your pro shopping tips. Maybe I'll check it out next time around... :)
@Davina--WHAT?!?! You've never gone? Not even on a Sunday when it's less busy and half-price day? You definitely need to try it, just seeing the building full of books and full of people is an inspiring experience. And if you go just to have fun and absorb the experience, that's even better--when it comes time for it next year, I'll check in with you and maybe we can head out together!
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