Booksale: A bookhound’s hunting ground for used books
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Featured books on glass display at Booksale
Where do all pre-loved books go? Many are handed down from generation to generation or donated to libraries and charities. The rest find their way to book resellers like Booksale, the ubiquitous second-hand bookstore chain in the Philippines.
From coffee table books to mass-market paperbacks, Booksale carries a reasonably varied selection of low-priced used and unused books that are replenished regularly. In addition to books, Booksale sells new and back-issues of popular and obscure magazines, puzzle books, school stationery, and educational posters and flash cards.
As a self-described treasure trove of book gems, Booksale does not disappoint. Over the years, I have come away with hard-to-find titles and vintage editions that sold for peanuts. The low prices encourage booklovers to discover new authors. Should you grab a copy of the book that everybody’s raving about, or would you dare shun the popular choice in favor of a more esoteric title ? For the price of one new book at a regular bookstore, you can have both if you happen to find them at Booksale.
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- Hardy Boys Mysteries 2-books-in_1
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- Hardy Boys Mysteries from Booksale
My son’s reading materials are a delightful mix of new books and secondhand finds sourced from regularly priced shelves, bargain bins, and book fairs. He started with Little Golden Books, Richard Scarry’s Biggest and Busiest series Dr. Seuss, and Berenstain Bears. Now that he has moved to chapter books, Booksale has been a boon to my budding bookworm–and to the family purse strings.
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- Captain Underpants, from Booksale
Just the past couple of months, I managed to score a 2-books-in-1 edition of the first two mysteries in the classic Hardy Boys series for P210. That is quite a steal when you consider that each hardbound Hardy Boys book regularly sells for P285 (last I checked, a single mystery costs P135 at Booksale). I’ve brought home five Captain Underpants titles at P75 each and four Goosebumps horror stories for P75 apiece. Some of the books look like they’ve hardly been opened, while others are well-worn. Understandably, books in mint condition will cost a bit more, but they are still generally cheaper than copies sold at regular bookstores.
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- R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps, from Booksale
As long as Booksale continues to make good on its tagline, “We make reading affordable,” it’s got a loyal customer in me.
