Great news for book lovers: National Book Store’s Great Warehouse Sale is back.
Super went for a sneak peek so we can arm you with tips.
(READ: ‘Super Sneak Peek: Here’s what you can buy at National Book Store’s Great Warehouse Sale’)
BEFORE YOU GO
Did you go to the previous sale? Check out what you bought and what you already have on your shelves, just to make sure you don’t buy duplicates. (In the event that you do, books make great gifts anyway.)
Expect the unexpected. While the books are organized on shelves and tables, they are not arranged according to genre or author, so hunting down specific books might be tricky. It is best to go with an open mind and give yourself up to the thrill of the unexpected find. You may even find books that have been on your wish list for a fraction of the price, like how Pam finally found Augusten Burroughs’ “Sellevision” for just P100.
Prepare your Great Warehouse Sale survival kit. “Bring shopping bags, a face towel, fan and patience,” said JB Roperos, National Book Store’s PR and Social Media Officer. We have a few to add: bring wet wipes, water (book-hunting can make you thirsty) and hand sanitizer because your hands will be dusty after your search.
It is best to bring your own bags because they will wrap your purchases in brown paper bags and they won’t be easy to carry if you buy a lot of books. Plastic bags from National Book Store are also available at P2 each. Eco bags are available also.
If you have a shopping cart or trolley lying around at home, bring it too. National Book Store does provide carts, baskets and trolleys, but given the amount of people headed to the sale, there might not be enough for everyone.
Plan your outfit wisely. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Remember that some books are displayed under tables and some books are behind other books on shelves so you might need to crouch and kneel. It might not be a good idea to wear a short skirt.
Use the hashtag #NBSGreatWarehouseSale on Instagram and Twitter to see what other bookworms have found at the sale. If you want to see what else the sale has to offer, go to https://inq.ph/inquirersuper. We uploaded a lot of photos from our visit.
Take a deep breath and get ready to face the book-loving crowd.
WHEN YOU GO
Carpool if you can to avoid having to look for multiple parking slots.
Go early so you can grab a cart and have first dibs on good finds.
Bring a friend. They will make the experience more fun and help you spot interesting reads. If you know each other’s taste, you can split up and grab books for each other and sort later. Having a friend with you also means having someone to chat with while waiting in line.
Don’t think twice. “Once you see something you like, don’t think twice about getting it. Chances are, it won’t be there the next time you try to look for it; somebody else has most likely bought it,” said Chad Dee, Marketing Manager of National Book Store.
Some titles are available for different prices. We found three different versions of “Argo,” ranging from P30 to P150. Naturally, we grabbed the P30 copy.
Bring cash if you want to stick to a budget but National Book Store also accepts credit cards, debit cards and EPS.
Keep a cool head. Easier said than done, we know, especially after that girl who stepped on your toe got the last copy of that Chuck Palahniuk title to complete your collection. Remember what brought you there: your love for books.
If you get bored while waiting in line, you might want to start reading one of your finds.
AFTER YOU LEAVE
Share your finds on Instagram and use the hashtag #NBSGreatWarehouseSale.
Come back. “If you really love books, go back to the warehouse sale every day. New boxes are opened several times a day,” said Chad.
WHAT WE SPOTTED
Books are available for P30, P50, P75, P100, P150, P200, P300. Coffeetable books are available for under P1,000.
Graphic novels and comic books. There were shelves and shelves of graphic novels for P200 or less including Image Comics titles, Neil Gaiman, “Fantastic Four,” “Girls,” “Green Lantern,” “World of Warcraft,” Stephen King, “Halo,” “Shadow Hawk,” “Spiderman,” “Scott Pilgrim” and more. There were manga titles too like “The Wallflower,” “Negima!,” “Bloody Monday” and more. We found an X-Men graphic novel for P30.
Fiction feast. Titles by James Patterson, Stephen King, Jackie Collins, Tom Clancy, Sophie Kinsella, Stieg Larsson, Emily Giffin, Jonathan Franzen, Chuck Palahniuk, Kurt Vonnegut, Jodi Picoult, George R.R. Martin, Nora Roberts, Stuart Woods, Helen Fielding, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, David Baldacci, Mario Puzo, Charlaine Harris, Robert Ludlum, Anne Rice and more.
Classics. There are books by Dante, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, Dante Alighieri and more.
“Casual Vacancy.” A lot of “Casual Vacancy.”
Biographies and memoirs. There are books on Marilyn Monroe, Steve Jobs, Oprah, Donald Trump, Amy Winehouse, Kevin Smith, Simon Pegg, Barack Obama, Manny Pacquiao, William Shatner, Julia Child, Gwen Stefani, New Kids on the Block and even the Kardashians.
YA mania – R.L. Stine, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Hardy Boys,” “Nancy Drew,” Rachel Caine, L.J. Smith, Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia, Stephenie Meyer, Dyan Sheldon, Megan McCafferty, Lauren Conrad, Christopher Pike, Maggie Stiefvater, Sara Shepard and others.
Kid’s corner. “39 Clues,” “Dr. Seuss,” Enid Blyton, Beverly Cleary, “Frozen,” “Toy Story,” “Dora the Explorer” and “Where’s Waldo” books, “Big Nate,” coloring and activity books. There are gift sets too. There so many books and finds for kids that you might want to start buying Christmas gifts for your godkids.
Fashion books. “In Style,” Bobbi Brown, Elle books, books on makeup, fashion poses and photography.
There are dictionaries, cookbooks, travel books, business books, books on manners, writing and editing, Dummies books and textbooks.
Non-books. Christmas decor including Christmas trees, Christmas wrapper, gift bags and gift tags. There are office supplies (we saw someone hoarding cash boxes). There are gadgets like Belkin routers (now P2,200 from P7,490) and Bluetooth keyboard for IOS/Android (P1,000 from P4,890).
Ready, set, shop!
National Book Store’s Great Warehouse Sale will run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day until Aug. 18 at the fourth level of National Book Store Quezon Avenue corner Scout Borromeo and Panay Avenue.