This post is important because let’s face it – biblipohiles are gluttons. We can’t stop at the sight of a book; we have to reach out and feel it in our hands and eyes for ourselves. No amount of regaling by a friend would do. Unless we have held it in our senses and evaluated it first hand, we shall be restless, and sometimes, visibly fidgety.
So, for us, a book sale is a tavern where we go berserk. And this time, it is the Bookchor sale in India!
On in Chennai since 28th March 2019, it shall run till 31st March 2019. It is slated to be in Hyderabad from 5th to 7th April 2019.
I have visited the Chennai one now and that has triggered many a questions from my reader friends – questions about collection, price, crowd, accessibility and the likes have torpedoed me in the last 2 days. So, I have been scampering on my various apps and answering them. But to make things a tad easier, I thought I shall share my little tips here. Thank me later.
1. Go early. [Crowds start trickling in post 10am. So, if elbowing people unapologetically and petite fights over a Tolstoy or Smith book is not your thing, ditch that sleep for a day, or two.]
2. Buy books first. [Don’t buy the box first. Firstly, you shall have no idea of how many books you might end up picking. And secondly, holding the box immediately creates a huge hurdle for you to navigate your way across the shelves. Pick a cloth bag they provide to store while you select and once you have your books, pick a box accordingly.]
3. The box must close. [The Bookchor team shall seal your box before you exit. If the flaps don’t come together and the box remains partly open, it shall ask you to discard some of the books. So, check before you go to them for sealing.]
4. The numbers vary. [If you are picking average sized paperbacks with an occasional hardcover, the boxes shall accommodate like this- The Odysseus can hold 8-10 books, The Perseus can hold 16-18 and The Hercules can hold 22-25 books. If you pick up Coffeetable books, reduce the upper number by 2 to 3.]
5. Children’s Books rule. [If you have been meaning to introduce your little one to new books, you must visit this sale. Nuff said.]
6. English and American titles galore. [Well, that’s what most books belong to. That occasional Russian book lit my eyes but that’s for another day.]
7. Open the book. [There are books in languages other than English. So, before you pick that gorgeous edition of Thomas Mann, check if it is in German after all.]
8. Pick generously. [Pick what you like before you can think if it shall accommodate in the box you pick eventually. And be ready to discard some at the final point before getting the box sealed.]
Well, my little gyan ends here. Remember, the place is as much about your spotting skills as it is about your packing skills. Your weekend is so sorted! 😀
Happy Hoarding (and Reading)! Don’t deny it.
SEEMITA DAS 