Bookworm News | Books for Less Warehouse Sale

1:00 AM


I love books so much that I make it a point to buy at least one book per payday. But since I am not yet a fast reader, I have many pending books that will last me for months. Still, this does not stop me from buying some every now and then. For me, it does not matter whether I buy new or secondhand books---as long as I always have something to read. And because I am expanding my reading knowledge, I am more excited to buy books now than before.

When my boyfriend told me that Books for Less will have a warehouse sale from August 1 to 31, I decided to go there last August 2, Sunday. This is actually my first time to go to a warehouse book sale, so I was really excited to see what kind of books I can find. :D


We were supposed to be there by morning. But I was very tired from gym workout and I love to sleep more than anything else, so I woke up late. We arrived around 4:00 in the afternoon---and THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE. I think we were already pretty late because the sale ends at 6:00 in the evening. I knew it will take long for me to find books, so I started searching the moment I went in.



Observations

As a newbie in book sales, I was surprised to find a big crowd and what the place looked like. While looking around, I saw why people were there. For instance, I saw some students looking for textbooks that they can use as resource materials for their classes. I also heard a couple discussing whether the books they have will sell or not. There are also those who bought books for the friends and relatives. Then there are parents who bought their kids for the children’s books (which, I think, is a bad idea. But more on that later).

While I am happy there are many people who appreciate books, it saddens me that most of those who were there did not even bother to take care of them. I saw so many books strewn on the floor and nobody bothered to pick them up. I did pick up some that I can handle, since I was holding a lot of books already.

Despite the surge of people, the heat, the dust, and the disarray of books, I was able to buy some that would last me for the next two months.


Buying Books

Unfortunately, coming in late means I did not find the books that I wanted. However, since I am expanding my reading knowledge, I looked out for books that I think would interest me.  We bought 10 books, seven are mine and three are for Marc. And indeed, they were 20 pesos each, so I got the 10 books for just 200 pesos. A great deal for someone like me who is opening up to reading more book genres. Here are some of the books we bought:












Reminders

Yes, getting great books at affordable prices was one of the great things in the sale. But since it was first time here, I was not prepared. I did not expect the crowd, the heat, and the dust. So for those who still plan to go to the sale, here are some few reminders:

1. Bring water. It was hot and humid, so not bringing a water was my mistake. It’s a good thing I was able to take it, but I drank lots of water afterwards.

2. Bring tissue or face towel. Due to the heat and dust, there is really a big chance that you will perspire and sneeze a lot.

3. Wear comfortable and breathable clothing and footwear. Your clothes will get dusty and your feet will be stepped on. Wear something that will help make your shopping tolerable and comfortable.

3. Be patient. One thing that I sort of lacked in the sale was patience. I never thought you really have to be patient in these sales just so you can find books that interest you. I was partly patient, so I saw some great books. But it was not enough as I saw others who got better books because they were really very patient in going through everything.

4. Come to the sale early. This was also my mistake. Obviously, most of the really great books are gone because those who went early already bought them. You will still get interesting ones. But if you went there early, you will get books that you really want.

5. Keep a cool attitude. Since the place is very crowded, expect to be shoulder-to-shoulder with various people. You will also be bumped and stepped on many times, so it is best to keep your head cool and just enjoy finding books.

6. Bring eco bags or boxes. For sure, you will be getting a lot of books, so bring an eco bag. Better yet, bring your own box (yes, I saw a lot of people putting books in their own boxes). We didn’t bring any of these, so by the time we were carrying around 6 books, our arms were tired already.

7. Do not bring your kids. As much as you want your children to be exposed to books, I don’t think this is the place for that. Because of the heat and the crowd, there is a big chance that your children will grow impatient. They also tend to just get anything from the book piles and throw it around once they are done. Even others say that it is not advisable to bring your kids.

8. Allot time in staying. Do not expect to get there, buy books, and leave immediately. You really need to spend a lot of time rummaging through book piles and straining your neck just to see what books are in the shelves. Take your time and you will get books that are really worth the 20 pesos you are paying.


Final Say

One of the reasons I attended this sale is to find books that will expand my reading knowledge. So while I was looking for the usual ones, I was still open to buying other interesting books. I did find good ones that I will read in the next months, and hopefully, help expand my reading knowledge.

The warehouse sale also surprised me because of the crowd. I know I should be used to crowded places, since I attend anime and cosplay conventions that are always jampacked. But I underestimated this sale because I thought there wouldn’t be a lot of people. After all, we are on a digital age where almost everyone reads e-books and uses the Internet to get information and research. But I guess there are still those who love the feeling of holding and reading an actual book---and I am happy there are a lot.


I know some of those who attended have different intentions as to why they are buying books. But no matter the intention and how crowded the place is, I am happy there are people who still love to buy and read books in this digital age.

After spending more than two hours rummaging through book piles and braving everything, I think my first time in the Books for Less Warehouse Sale was a good experience. I would love to do this again next year, but I’ll be more prepared so I can really get great finds. I was planning to go back again around end of August, but other plans came in and I’ll be blogging about that soon (hint: it’s another sale).


Directions

But for those who have not gone to the Books for Less Warehouse Sale, this weekend is your last chance as it will last until August 31, 2015. Everything is still 20 pesos. Just remember to keep in mind the reminders I mentioned above before going.

Also, here are the directions:
(https://www.facebook.com/bflbookstore/posts/10153104902735197)

For more details on the sale, visit the official Facebook page of Books for Less today.


~ Hainrihi

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