Saturday’s Times Colonist Book Sale attracted its highest attendance ever, as literature lovers converged to comb the hundreds of thousands of quality books filling the Victoria Curling Club.
“We had over 4,000 [people] — the most I’ve ever had on one day,” said volunteer co-ordinator Bob Taylor, who has been with the event since it began in 1998.
The vibe was laidback, with a focus on selection and friendliness, not frantic rooting.
Waiting in line for “20 minutes in sunshine” to get in was just fine by Liz James, who planned to purchase “just whatever I see that I decide I have to have.” Ditto for first-responder Rob Bunney, who showed up at 2 a.m. Saturday.
That’s the way it works, said Times Colonist editor-in-chief Dave Obee.
“A lot of these books you’re not going to find at the library or a bookstore,” he said.
The place is jammed with books people “didn’t even know existed,” but find they can’t leave without once spotted.
The prices — $1, $2 or $3 a book — have not increased in two decades, but the calibre, condition and choice has never been higher, thanks to the generosity of Victoria-area donors.
“It’s incredible what there is in here — the range of books and the overall quality,” Obee said.
One woman showed him a treasured find: a book on crocheting published in France more than 100 years ago. Another man said he paid $3 for a translation of Shakespeare that cost $250 in France last month.
Anyone with an empty coffee table had their pick of huge and glossy tomes on art, history, culture and travel, with titles such as Fantastic Plastic, The Best of Robert Service, 100 Most Beautiful Cathedrals of the World and The Art of Faberge.
Shane White, 39, was on his first of three planned go-rounds Saturday, holding a stack of hockey and music books, among them Legendary Stanley Cup Stories and The Lonely End of the Rink.
He planned to take a breather before heading back later in the day — and again today.
A veteran of the event, he said his wife, Melanie, called the Saturday sale day her “favourite day of the year.”
Grace and Sims Koh of Saanich trundled to their van with a large black suitcase stuffed with 12 hardcovers and 23 softcovers, including U.S. History for Dummies and Pre-History of the Far Side by cartoonist Gary Larson — part of the groundswell of support that has helped raise $4.7 million for Island literacy causes since 1998.
Volunteer Donna Zwiers has “lost count” of how many sales she has helped to organize and combines community service with scooping up kids’ books at $1 apiece for her two young grandchildren.
“They’re gorgeous books — some of them have never even been cracked,” she said.
The sale continues Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
— With files from Jack Knox
The basics
The 20th annual Times Colonist Book Sale is this Saturday and Sunday at the Victoria Curling Club, 1952 Quadra St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
The books are cheap: hardcovers $3; softcovers $2; pocket books and children’s books $1. Payment is by cash, debit, Mastercard, Visa or American Express. No cheques.
Pay parking is available in the lot that serves the curling club and Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. There is also free parking along Quadra, but be aware that parking on some of the nearby side streets is for residents only.
The No. 6 bus goes along Quadra.
Once the sale is over, representatives of schools and non-profit groups may help themselves to the remaining books, for free, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Monday, May 8.
The money raised goes to literacy-related projects on Vancouver Island.
