The club will shift the merchandise into the Alexandra Community Centre on Saturday for its 29th annual sale, which will run for five days starting Boxing Day. Sale convener Michael Rooney is pictured taking a magazine break during the shift yesterday.
Last year the club laid out 20,000 books, which can be measured as 89 crates or more than 40 tonnes. Mr Rooney said this year's haul was about the same.
''New Zealand books are very popular, also Mills and Boon. Anything for a bit of holiday reading.''
The main target was holiday-makers, but locals and some out-of-town book dealers also came along.
''On Boxing Day, which is by far the biggest day, we get a queue out the door before it opens.''
One specialty item this year was a full collection of New Zealand Geographic magazines, consisting of about 100 copies, on sale for $75.
Items are donated throughout the year, mostly by locals.
''We are always so grateful for the contributions. We recycle a lot of books. People will buy them for the summer and we'll see them come back.
Throughout the sale's history the club has raised $450,000 for local groups and causes.
