Eager to get first pick at the Alexandra Rotary book sale, some people were in line nearly an hour before the doors opened.
Armed with sturdy bags the enthusiasts swarmed in as soon as the doors slid open. Some left fairly quickly laden with book stacks, others spent much longer checking all the tables for potential treasure or that specific unicorn volume.
Rotary member Kevin MacKenzie said the initial surge through the doors was similar to previous years with book dealers at the head of the queue.
New books would be added to the tables each day as there was not enough room for them all at the start, he said.
CDs and DVDs were in the foyer with those holiday home stalwarts Reader’s Digest and Mills & Boon around the corner. The Memorial Hall was packed with trestle tables holding every kind of book from hunting and fishing to cooking to the latest novels.
Rotary members were on hand to sort book donations people brought with them to the sale and ensure a quick turnaround.
While he had never read one the romance novels were popular, with one customer making a beeline for them announcing she wanted 40, Mr MacKenzie said.
Mike Wilson and his daughter Sofia were delighted with their haul which included a drawing instruction book and the next Harry Potter for Sofia. The Auckland-based family were moving to Alexandra in time for Sofia to start the school year, Mr Wilson said.
The sale ends tomorrow.
