Eight letters in thick green boxes, any bibliophile knows what I'm talking about. BOOKSALE. I can easily spend a good hour there just browsing through book spines and dated magazine covers.
Unlike other bookstores, BOOKSALE has a free-for-all format. There's no color-coded card catalog, it's just piles and piles of books roughly organized by topic. The beauty of BOOKSALE is in the adventure of finding a book to take home with you.
Perfect for Book Newbies
A few months ago, I was scavenging through a pile of books and a child, age seven or eight, started to look for books of his own. His mom (to my surprise) told this child "Don't touch those, you don't need those." In case you're a parent, never limit your child from books.
BOOKSALE is the best place to start a love affair with books, whatever age you are. They have a wide range of genres at affordable rates, perfect if you're still unsure if you want to start your own collection.
BOOKSALE has a book for everyone! From nursery books to nursing books, they have it. Fictional bestsellers, cookbooks, and self-help books are all available at affordable rates. However, note that some are secondhand books that might have been used already. But some are surplus books (excess print), which means they're totally brand new!
Rabbit Hole
I frequent one whenever I can, assured that every trip won't be the same. My pet peeve is hearing a new customer ask for a specific book when we all know no one can possibly memorize what books they have on the shelf. It's what makes shopping there special, you never know what book you'll walk out with.
Each BOOKSALE gets a fresh delivery of books every week, as mentioned by the multiple cashiers I've asked. So be sure to drop by when you can because there's bound to be a new restock.
Booksale is basically ukay-ukay for books.
Added Benefit: Giving these used books a new life is also a huge help for the environment!
The allure of scouting the depths of a bookstore to get a book is fulfilling. Part of the charm of BOOKSALE is discovering a book you didn't think you'd need. Recently, I've purchased a book entitled "What Would the Buddha Recycle" for only Php75. In one of my trips to their Megamall Branch, I was lucky enough to get a copy of Howard Schultz' (the guy who fundamentally made Starbucks) book Onward for only P230. Totally brand new and unused, it on display as if it was waiting for me to take it home. Back in University, everyone was talking about this book but I never had extra money to buy it then. So, when I saw it in BOOKSALE, I took it home.
PRO-TIP: Old magazines run as cheap as Php5 to Php30, they store these at the bottom piles! Be sure to scavenger when you visit!
Community
There's also a strange sense of community in BOOKSALE. As a regular, I know the store watchers and some frequent customers, too. Most of us share pleasantries whenever we run into each other in the store. This quaint sense of community is comforting especially with the current state of things with you know what.
It's also comforting to know that wherever you go, Manila to Baguio, all BOOKSALE shops share the same familair design. White walls, gray shelves, and piles of books from the ground up.
Drop by a BOOKSALE near you. Check their Facebook for updates and their Shopee store for #AddtoCart