Why I like the Brunswick Library Sale...

So we went to the preview of the Brunswick Public Library this afternoon. It is, as I have mentioned before, one of my very favorites. This is largely because they host this very well run preview. You have to join the Friends of the Library ($10/person or there is a family membership) and you are limited to only 10 books per membership. This combination results in a much more pleasant experience for those of us who do not like throwing sheets over tables while shrieking "this table is all mine" (and then proceeding to go through said table and leaving half or so).

There were still a fair number of dealers, but only the well behaved one *laughing*. One actually told me that he was there *because* I had written about how nice it was...that'll teach me (if, of course, I was capable of learning simple lessons...). Interestingly, there was a small clot of young "dealers" (or scouts, or something) using identical cells with one of the bar code scanner tools. I watched them for a bit, as I was curious about the practice (and had already picked the 20 books Suz and I decided to take home with us). I don't know...especially at a preview like this, where you are not buying "volume"...if you can't *pick* the 10 books you are going to take home with you, you should probably find a new vocation.

One of them, in particular, was focused on trade paperbacks. She very diligently scanned book after book...picking up one here and there. More power to them. The cost/benefit of the process elludes me...but then I trust my head and my gut.

I've vetted the 20 we took home. Only one fell just below my cut-off for cataloguing ($25) but will make a nice gift *g*, four were gems, the rest solid. It was probably the second best trip to this sale we have had (the best included a lovely 1926 first of Winnie the Pooh). Interestingly, the scanner jocks would have ignored that little gem...no barcode, not interest. Very strange.