HAUL: 27 books for $2

This weekend, one of the branches of my local public library was having a big book sale. My husband and I went to the sale on Sunday, when it was only open from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., and books were being sold by the grocery bag. (On Saturday, the books were priced according to format: hardcover, paperback, etc.)

Here's how it works: As you enter the sale, you get a brown paper grocery bag. The books are all laid out on tables and shelves according to rough categories; you fill up your bag with whatever books you want as you go around the room. Then, when your bag is full, you pay just one dollar for the whole bag. Not one dollar per book, one dollar per bag of books.

In addition to books, they also had some board games, a few movies on VHS, several audiobooks, and some magazines.

My husband got overwhelmed by the crowd (people were waiting outside when we got there just before noon) and the chaos within a minute of entering, and left to read in the regular part of the library. I was in my element, though, and managed to cram a great selection into 2 bags. *

The Goods

27 books

All in all, that's an average of $0.07 per book.

Want to know all the nitty gritty on the prices and savings? Continue reading.

The Details

While the sale was a bit of a madhouse, there was an organization to it; the books were divided by topic and the tables were clearly labelled. I focused on the mystery, fantasy/sci-fi, household/gardening, and children's sections, and was quite successful in snagging a variety of good books. Some of the books are in such perfect condition that I'll be able to use them as gifts! My two brown bags contained:

• How To by Jennifer McKnight-Trontz
  MSRP: $6.98 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99% | Amazon.com
• The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
  MSRP: $13.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.5% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• Chocolate Astrology by Joy Nagy
  MSRP: $16.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.6% | Amazon.com
• Good Housekeeping Good Deals & Smart Steals by Susan Randol
  MSRP: $9.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.3% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• Politically Correct Holiday Stories by James Finn Garner
  MSRP: $9.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.3% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• The Abominable Snowman Doesn't Roast Marshmallows by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones
  MSRP: $3.99 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 98% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• The Floating Island by Elizabeth Haydon
  MSRP: $5.99 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• The New Tea Book by Sara Perry
  MSRP: $16.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.6% | Amazon.com
• The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith
  MSRP: $13.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.5% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• Spin a Wicked Web by Cricket McRae
  MSRP: $13.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.5% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• Wild Goose Chase by Terri Thayer
  MSRP: $13.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.5% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Burbery
  MSRP: $15.00 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.5% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• Instant Gratification by Lauren Chattman
  MSRP: $24.00 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.7% | Amazon.com
• Death is Semisweet by Lou Jane Temple
  MSRP: $23.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.7% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• A Puzzle in a Pear Tree by Parnell Hall
  MSRP: $23.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.7% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• As the World Churns by Tamar Myers
  MSRP: $21.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.7% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• Laced by Carol Higgins Clark
  MSRP: $24.00 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.7% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• The Fondue Cookbook by Gina Steer
  MSRP: $19.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.6% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• The Matrix and Philosophy by William Irwin
  MSRP: $17.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.6% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• Popular Mechanics Home Safety Handbook by Nancy J. Becker
  Used ~ $10 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.3% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• Style Rx by Bridgette Raes
  MSRP: $15.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.6% | Amazon.com
• Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty
  MSRP: $13.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.5% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• The Pirate King by R.A. Salvatore
  MSRP: $27.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.7% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits by Carol K. Mack and Dinah Mack
  MSRP ~ $20.00 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.6% | BN.com or Amazon.com
• How Things Work in Your Home by TimeLife Editors
  Used ~ $13.75 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.5% | Amazon.com
• Perennials by TimeLife Editors
  Used ~ $6.50 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 98% | Amazon.com
• Better Homes & Gardens Handyman's Book by Better Homes & Gardens Editors
  Collectible ~ $24.95 | PP: $0.07 | Savings: 99.7% | Amazon.com




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*If you're wondering about the whole "no shopping for a month" thing, this trip counts as a charitable donation—the proceeds, after all, go to the Friends of the Library, a nonprofit. Also, we wound up returning the TV that led to the "no shopping for a month" rule because it was too big (and defective) and bought a smaller one that really truly did fit easily into the car, so I figure that negates the whole arrangement anyway... at least in my head. But I'm still trying to shop less than usual this month.

Posted by andréa

Tagged as: $5 or Less, Books, Library, Secondhand / Used Leave a comment