Book Sale

Posted by jukkahoo

The big book sales begin tomorrow morning. Do they still open at 7AM? I remember (a while back in time) when we used to rush in among the very first ones in order to get all the good books before they were taken by some less deserving ones. Haven't done that in ages. The biggest reason being the sheer ripping-off of the so called "sale". Sale, my butt!

In the Olden Days, when everything was good and well, and Uncle-Leonid's eyebrows were still in charge of the rather large easternly neighbour of ours, the Book Sale was really an occasion. There were less books and you had to look harder for the ones that you wanted, but the price was right and there was a genuine sense of accomplishment after you had find some really obscure or sought-after edition. Nowadays there's plenty of copies of everything, but really no bargain nor finds. Occasional good buy - yes - but as a Must-be-there-when-the-doors-open-at-7 - no. Unfortunately.

I may well hop to see if there's anything decent around tea-time before heading towards St. Urho's to an evening of SF. See you there?

Comments

[Sini]

Well, the only time there is room to move is in the morning. Around tea-time there are so many people that you just can't go, you want to run and hide in a cave, somewhere where there are no people around you.

I used to work in a book store. I know. I don't miss these "sales" a bit. And with euro, you can't call the prices cheap any more.

I got in and out of the Tapiola Akateeminen and Suomalainen kirjakauppa in 20 minutes this morning at 8 am. Got what I wanted.

[Johan A]

Do they also print huge, cheap crappy editions of bestsellers just for the "sale," like they do here in your westerly neighbour?

[jukkahoo]

My understanding is that this is the case nowadays. Don't know about the "huge, cheap and crappy", but sale editions nevertheless.

My huge haul from the sale was two books: Michael Flynn's In the Country of the Blind (an AH-book I've wanted for some time already, so I was happy) and a Susanna Gregory's Matthew Bartholomew -medieval whodunnit. At this point the books are going at half-price, so an occasional good finds are to be made, but with all that crowd and heat it isn't really worth it. I may stumble in there once and a while, but am more looking towards the time the prices start to come down a bit more.