Overheard a librarian say something that changed how I shop sales

I was at the county library sale last Saturday, digging through a box of old cookbooks, when I heard one librarian tell another that they always put the best stuff out on the last day of the sale because that's when serious collectors show up. She said they hold back the hidden gems until Sunday morning to make it more exciting for the regulars. That got me thinking about all the times I rushed in on day one and grabbed junk while the really good books were probably sitting in a back room. Now I always ask the staff when they restock or put out new batches, and I wait until the final day if I can. Last month I snagged a signed copy of a local history book for three dollars because I showed up late. Has anyone else noticed their library or thrift store holding back the best stuff for certain days?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.mary24d ago

Yeah, I always wait until the last day now, the regulars know where the good stuff is hiding.

noah_barnes24d ago

That's exactly what I've been wondering about though @taylor.mary - you say the regulars know where the good stuff is hiding, but how do you even become one of those regulars without already being in the loop? Like, do you just show up every single sale and hope you eventually get the nod from staff... or is there some secret handshake I'm missing? I've been burned before by grabbing stuff on day one only to see someone walk out with a box of pristine vintage magazines on Sunday for the same price I paid for stained paperbacks...