Book Sale Tips for Artists
For a collage artist, summer is a magical season. There are yard sales every weekend and, for those who can’t be bothered to organize a sale, boxes of items left for the taking on the side of the road. My son is well-versed in identifying yard sale signs and always insists on getting out of the car with me when I pull over to have a dig through the free stuff in case there is something that he wants (there usually is). Even better than all of that are the public library book sales.
As a life-long ferocious reader, book sales have always been a treat. As a teenager, I’d volunteer at one so that I could be the first one to claim books as I worked to unpack the boxes. Now that I think about it, I should do that again. Going to a book sale as an artist requires a different approach than going as a reader, so here is my list of hints and tips to help you make the best of the sales:
Arrive at the sale at least fifteen minutes before they are scheduled to open. They might not let you in, but you’ll get a good parking spot and be first in line. You’ll be joined by the resellers with their phone scanners and a tendency to RUN to certain sections.
Bring at least two large, sturdy bags. I love L.L. Bean’s extra-large tote bag.
Have a decent amount of cash with you and bring your checkbook. Some sales price books individually, but most let you fill a bag and make a donation.
Once you are in, don’t spend too much time thinking; just grab and move on. You can always put things back later.
Start with the art books as it won’t take very long to check titles and the good ones go quickly.
Next up, are the bags and boxes that the volunteers haven’t bothered to unpack. These are stashed under tables and on the side. Some libraries are choosy about what types of donations they accept, but the best ones take everything. The volunteers will put the good stuff on the tables and leave the old, musty dusty books on the side.
What I look for:
Old hardcovers with fabric covers
Old paperbacks with interesting colors, wear marks, and typography
Anything with marbled endpapers
Vintage textbooks
The rare, exciting surprises
Depending on your preferred materials, you might also be looking for board books, children’s picture books, magazines, or encyclopedias. I don’t like glossy paper or imagery, so I tend to skip over those things.
Once I’ve dug through the bags, I’ll go to the tables. I pull back the paper covers on old-looking hardcover books and look for the fabric ones.
Once I think I’ve finished, I’ll do one final look just in case I missed anything.
If you aren’t the first one there, don’t worry. Most of what I like is probably still there at the end of the day, but I just am too excited to wait. Sometimes, the library will leave out the books no one bought with a sign urging you to take whatever you want, so there are benefits to waiting to the end. Plus, that way there’s less of a chance of getting run over by an over-enthusiastic book fan like myself.
Do share your book sale stories in the comments section and if you know another artist who might be interested in my book sale advice, send them this blog post.