Books and Bucks
Today I spent a serendipitous afternoon at my favorite used bookstore. It was quiet there. I saved a bundle on schoolbooks for next year. We even got to have a yummy snack and visit some animals. I left feeling thankful and thrifty.
I was not planning to go to the used bookstore today. I had to return a nebulizer that we were renting for my daughter. We were being charged by the week, so I wanted that thing out of the house as soon as the doctor said, “Take a Zyrtec and call me in a week.”
Since gas is $3 million a gallon, I tried to think of anything else I needed to do in the same town. Hey! Our favorite used bookstore is in that town. Hey! Here is a bag of books that I want to get rid of. I see something coming together here. I also happen to have a list of the books we will need next year for school (a small but very helpful miracle).
The gentleman at the medical supply rental acted as if we wrecked his whole day by returning the nebulizer. He kept asking me questions, as if it were a very odd thing to return a rented item. I put the box on the counter and would not touch it again. He would not touch it either. Finally, he printed a receipt for me. Thank the Lord, the total was less than I expected. Maybe he was just preoccupied.
Now for the real fun! The book place that we go to is really a used book compound. The family that owns the store lives on the property. Besides their houses, there is the original barn filled to the hayloft with books. The barn wasn’t enough so they have added a collection of outbuildings. There are various and sundry sheds and lean-tos filled with every genre you can imagine. Here you have to be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. One of the sheds is labeled "The Haunted.” Guess what type of books are in there.
Our first stop is Ellis Island. That is really what it is called. It is where books immigrate into the used book compound. There are no agents at Ellis Island when we arrive, so we follow the directions on the sign and press the button on the intercom. A sticker on the button says, “Press and Speak.” So I say, “Hello!”
“Hello?” is the response, as if I just want to chat.
“I came to sell some books.”
“You know that we only give store credit, right?” I guess he did not want to put down his book.
“Yes. I want to add to the credit that I already have.” Then, so as not to sound presumptuous, I press the button again. “Hopefully!”
Next comes the inspection. Some of my books accepted, some are rejected. The criteria are mysterious, but I don’t care. I “earned” six more bucks in store credit. Considering that books sell here for $1 each, I can afford quite a few new-to-us books!
Next comes the complex process of shopping. First we have to say hello to the dogs. They are in the fenced yard today, so the children just climb on the rusted pot-bellied stove and stick their hands over the fence. Never mind that these dogs don’t know my kids from Adam. Then we greet the first of many cats. While they all love books, they do not all love children. So it is time for a snack.
It is very important to get a snack at the book compound. As soon as you walk in the barn, there is an old dresser outfitted with candy-store jars of cookies. I know today will be a perfect day when I spy the chocolate-covered Donettes under the glass dome. I pour myself a cup of coffee in a REAL mug. Oh, and according to a note on the coffee machine, “They don’t do decaf.” That makes my decision much easier!
Now that we are stuffing our faces with chocolate, we can’t very well paw over piles of books. We finish our snack outside and the youngest two get involved in a giant checker game set up on the patio table.
Finally I drag everyone up to the loft where the children’s books are. There is no science to shopping here. Either they have the book or they don’t. They have no way of telling you if they have a certain book in stock and
they cannot order it for you. With trepidation, I scan the “B” section for the author that I need. Lo and behold, the book is there. This same exhilarating miracle happened no less than nine times.
I got nine school books (mostly Newberry Award winners, mind you) for $.54. That’s 54 CENTS. Not 54 dollars. Cents. If I had paid full price for these nine books it would have cost $45.00 (that’s 45 dollars)! So, smart moms, find yourselves a good used bookstore! You may have to weed through some junk, but you can save yourself a lot of cash. And you may even get a free cup of coffee.
I was not planning to go to the used bookstore today. I had to return a nebulizer that we were renting for my daughter. We were being charged by the week, so I wanted that thing out of the house as soon as the doctor said, “Take a Zyrtec and call me in a week.”
Since gas is $3 million a gallon, I tried to think of anything else I needed to do in the same town. Hey! Our favorite used bookstore is in that town. Hey! Here is a bag of books that I want to get rid of. I see something coming together here. I also happen to have a list of the books we will need next year for school (a small but very helpful miracle).
The gentleman at the medical supply rental acted as if we wrecked his whole day by returning the nebulizer. He kept asking me questions, as if it were a very odd thing to return a rented item. I put the box on the counter and would not touch it again. He would not touch it either. Finally, he printed a receipt for me. Thank the Lord, the total was less than I expected. Maybe he was just preoccupied.
Now for the real fun! The book place that we go to is really a used book compound. The family that owns the store lives on the property. Besides their houses, there is the original barn filled to the hayloft with books. The barn wasn’t enough so they have added a collection of outbuildings. There are various and sundry sheds and lean-tos filled with every genre you can imagine. Here you have to be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. One of the sheds is labeled "The Haunted.” Guess what type of books are in there.
Our first stop is Ellis Island. That is really what it is called. It is where books immigrate into the used book compound. There are no agents at Ellis Island when we arrive, so we follow the directions on the sign and press the button on the intercom. A sticker on the button says, “Press and Speak.” So I say, “Hello!”
“Hello?” is the response, as if I just want to chat.
“I came to sell some books.”
“You know that we only give store credit, right?” I guess he did not want to put down his book.
“Yes. I want to add to the credit that I already have.” Then, so as not to sound presumptuous, I press the button again. “Hopefully!”
Next comes the inspection. Some of my books accepted, some are rejected. The criteria are mysterious, but I don’t care. I “earned” six more bucks in store credit. Considering that books sell here for $1 each, I can afford quite a few new-to-us books!
Next comes the complex process of shopping. First we have to say hello to the dogs. They are in the fenced yard today, so the children just climb on the rusted pot-bellied stove and stick their hands over the fence. Never mind that these dogs don’t know my kids from Adam. Then we greet the first of many cats. While they all love books, they do not all love children. So it is time for a snack.
It is very important to get a snack at the book compound. As soon as you walk in the barn, there is an old dresser outfitted with candy-store jars of cookies. I know today will be a perfect day when I spy the chocolate-covered Donettes under the glass dome. I pour myself a cup of coffee in a REAL mug. Oh, and according to a note on the coffee machine, “They don’t do decaf.” That makes my decision much easier!
Now that we are stuffing our faces with chocolate, we can’t very well paw over piles of books. We finish our snack outside and the youngest two get involved in a giant checker game set up on the patio table.
Finally I drag everyone up to the loft where the children’s books are. There is no science to shopping here. Either they have the book or they don’t. They have no way of telling you if they have a certain book in stock and
they cannot order it for you. With trepidation, I scan the “B” section for the author that I need. Lo and behold, the book is there. This same exhilarating miracle happened no less than nine times.
I got nine school books (mostly Newberry Award winners, mind you) for $.54. That’s 54 CENTS. Not 54 dollars. Cents. If I had paid full price for these nine books it would have cost $45.00 (that’s 45 dollars)! So, smart moms, find yourselves a good used bookstore! You may have to weed through some junk, but you can save yourself a lot of cash. And you may even get a free cup of coffee.
Comments
That is one of my favorite places!!! I love to take the girls or even sneak off by myself for a cup of coffee and a good read!! That was an extremely Smart afternoon!