Can’t Miss Events: The Book Lovers’ Paradise – The Big Bad Wolf Philippines Book Sale

Last January, a good friend of mine and our disciple group leader Mico, messaged me about the upcoming sale of Big Bad Wolf Books. Upon checking their website, it was announced that they will be visiting from February 16 to 25, 2018 in the Philippines and the sale will be operating 24/7! I’ve been to few book sales in the past and this is the first time to encounter a big sale that’s running twenty-four hours store operations. On our recent trip to Taiwan, I’ve been to ES Lite bookstore in Taipei and was so amazed (and amused) that the bookstore is open 24 hours to cater to book worms and book lovers who wanted to buy, read and hang out after work or school. I must say that after learning about Big Bad Wolf Book Sale, I got intrigued and decided to go but little I knew there was a surprise and blessing waiting on my book sale hunt.

For starters Big Bad Wolf Book Sale originated in Malaysia in 2009. The book fair is frequently held in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. It was their first time to launch their book sale here in the Philippines. According to their Wikipedia page, their book sales were majorly taken from excess and/or remaindered stocks from BookXcess which deals with international distributors. Big Bad Wolf Book sale offers different kind of book genres such as fiction, non-fiction, novels, literatures, children’s literature, young adult books, arts, crafts and hobbies. Their first opening was May 2009 in Petaling Jaya Malaysia.

The official opening of Big Bad Wolf Sale was scheduled on February 16, 2018. Hubby knew how much I love going to book sales and book store even when we were starting to go out. He knows how my eyes light up when I went to book stores and bargain sales just to book hunt. During post Valentine’s Day, hubby surprised me with a preview pass ticket for the Preview Sale of Big Bad Wolf scheduled on February 15, 2018. Between roses and preview pass tickets, I would really love to spend my day surrounded with lots of discounted books, getting lost in different aisles and checking out new titles. So after our few errands, I dropped by at the opening of Big Bad Wolf Sale. Upon arriving, there are already lines of people waiting to get in. After a few minutes of falling in line and bag checks (I brought a luggage – as advised by hubby), I was already inside the biggest book sale! There are different aisles for different genre of books. Arts and crafts, architecture and design, business and economy, self help religion, general reference, history, fiction and non-fiction.

The lines during opening of Preview Sale

During the preview sale, there are lots of interesting titles and best sellers. I am glad to see young adults, students, families, professionals and senior citizens lining up and selecting books. It is a good indication that despite the widespread use of e-books and online prints, there are still lots of Filipinos who love reading and getting hard copy books in the event. The price range of different titles in the book sale ranges from 100 to 300 pesos for medium sized paper backs and you can also score hard bound books for almost a fraction of a price. So just take your time to browse and get all the books you want. And if you really want to hoard books, there are customer storage area and carts available for your hauls. I just wish that my budget for books is also unlimited so I can cart away more books. Since I promised hubby to stick to our book budget, I just selected the ones I like best and the ones I wanted for the longest time.

The book sale will run until February 25 and will operate for twenty four hours. It is a free admission so you can stay there as long as you want (you can even sleep there if you want… just kidding). After my book hoard during preview pass, I was able to go back during the weekends to check out other titles and I even bring my son to select books of his liking.

Romantic Novels for a fraction of a price

My favorite series – too bad I am almost complete with my collection

If you plan to head on the sale, I will share some few tips and experience during the event:

Follow Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Philippines in Facebook and their Website – They provide their tips and tricks on how to score great deals and what are the titles available during the sale.
Time your visit – despite the fact that the book sale runs twenty four hours a day, mornings and afternoons can be crowded. On our second visit at the book sale, there are lots of people in the novels and young adult literature area so it is best to time and strategize your visit.
Wear comfortable clothes and foot wear – though the area is air-conditioned, with large crowds and with the number of books you need to check it can be stuffy at times and, you need sturdy and comfortable footwear to help you in your book hoarding.
Bring a luggage or sturdy bag for your book hauls – though Big Bad Wolf book sale provides carts and baskets for your books during shopping and place your purchases in plastic bags, you might want to bring a luggage especially if you want to cart away lots of books. During the preview sale, I was able to talk to one of their personnel who welcomed us at the door and told me that bringing luggage is encouraged during the event. Bring luggage/s and/or sturdy bag for your hauls.
Be Patient – since people are flocking over to the book sale, don’t get easily irritated and don’t be rude to staff and fellow readers when book hunting. Prepare to get stepped on (at times) or get stuck in the middle of an aisle due to a best seller or most coveted books. Do not rant if your favorite title runs out; just hover around the area to check if there are more interesting titles around. Sometimes, patience is a virtue especially if you are waiting for a re-stock. Comparing my trips during preview sale and weekend sale, I noticed that lots of book titles have already run out (but there are times that staff are re-stocking) during the fourth day of sale but keep your eyes open to new re-stocked books and interesting titles.
Eat first before going to the venue – Though there are food kiosks available in the area, it is best to visit the venue with full tummy so that you will get to cover lots of aisles for your book hunting
Set a Budget – with so many titles and books around, check which ones are worth buying. If you are frequently visiting book stores and book sales, you may tend to compare prices, so be on the lookout on best deals and make sure to set a budget on it. You don’t want to encounter a broken heart while paying too many purchases or worst, putting back a lot of books down because you are way over budget. Plan your purchases.
Bring Friend or Many Friends (or your Family) – with so many aisles and books to cover, you may want to have few friends to bring with you. You may visit the book sale for your bonding and/or get friends to reserve books and look after your books. It is also a great bonding for family who loves books. During our second visit, I brought my son with us so he can pick the books he liked best. Not only I get to enjoy visiting and finding new books again, but also a great weekend bonding to our family. The more the merrier.
Be Nice (and wag Maarte) – take note that book sales are crowded just like any other sales in the metro. So for everyone’s benefit, be nice and don’t be squeamish. You went to a book sale, not a private event. If you don’t want crowds, I think book sales like these is not for you. But if you really want to come and get some best buys, you may want to check out other aisles. Who knows what titles or treasures can you find in the other aisles? Plus being nice and making friends among book lovers / shoppers also helps you find the books you wanted. If you are being nice and you ask where to find the books, they would gladly told you where they found the books.
Check out the Customer Sorting area – still looking for your best titles and deals? Try to scour the unwanted books in the customer sorting area. Some book hoarders will cart away lots of books then at the last minute will change their minds and drop some unwanted books. Who knows what you are going to find in piles of books? During the preview sale, some would find Harry Potter and the Cursed Child copy in the piles and other best seller books. So just hang out there for a while but make sure to guard your cart or basket to avoid being mistaken as dropped items.

There are lots of cashiers, so need to worry about the lines.

I hope this won’t be the last Big Bad Wolf Book Sale here in the Philippines (crossing my fingers that this will be the first and more to come!). Overall, there are sooo many books to choose from, they have nice and courteous staff, many available cashiers to process your purchases and big venue to get lost for a few hours. Not only you get best deals but also encourage people to read more and appreciate books.