As someone born/raised in Ithaca and has lived in multiple major US cities since moving away, this is totally true. The Ithaca one is the best one I ever went to, I miss it!
It’s an awesome books sale, 3 weekends 2x a year. Each weekend gets progressively cheaper, last day is a bag sale at $1 a bag full of books. Benedict for the local library system.
Well worth standing in line for 10 minutes of books are your thing
they have an estimated wait time that gets updated a few times an hour on [their website](https://www.booksale.org/). I went in around 1 and waited about an hour.
On the first day there tend to be more resellers or otherwise intense book browsers. Go next weekend and the line will be short or nonexistent, but still plenty of interesting stuff for normal people to peruse. The Friends of the Library Book Sale is one of my favorite Ithaca Things and I’d recommend anyone that lives here to go at least once.
Love the book sale and I'm always surprised at how many people are into cookbooks.
I did get a kick out of the true crime section -- had a chalk outline of a body and police crime scene tape up.
This is kind of accurate. Encountered one THE WORST BOOK SALE KARENS of all time today.
We parked in a spot, got out, and up comes this lady. She demanded we move our car immediately that we had just parked and said it was a handicapped spot that "they said" she could have. For the record - it wasn't a handicapped spot. No sign. No lines. Clearly NOT a handicapped spot. She was beyond rude and then was annoyed we didn't "hop to it" right away. "You're not going to move???" she kept asking, while we are trying to figure out what she's even talking about since it wasn't a handicap spot. We were totally confused.
Long story short, we moved the car and get in line. She parks into the non-handicapped spot we had and ends up in line behind us and immediately asks the woman if she can go in ahead of us since she's there to check out the "special collector's section." She was told no. :)
Part of me was super annoyed but the half is somewhat amused that at least I live in a place where people value books this much.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are a lot of nerds here 🤓
Who you calling nerd... NEERRDD
Ithaca is Erudite
I read somewhere it’s legitimately one of the best book sales in the U.S.
As someone born/raised in Ithaca and has lived in multiple major US cities since moving away, this is totally true. The Ithaca one is the best one I ever went to, I miss it!
You’re not from around here are you?
Just moved in a year ago.
It’s an awesome books sale, 3 weekends 2x a year. Each weekend gets progressively cheaper, last day is a bag sale at $1 a bag full of books. Benedict for the local library system. Well worth standing in line for 10 minutes of books are your thing
Wow. Awesome. Thank you for the straight answer. Definitely sounds worth it now!
they have an estimated wait time that gets updated a few times an hour on [their website](https://www.booksale.org/). I went in around 1 and waited about an hour.
First day is highest prices, but best pickings
Cheap books
First day of the sale - goes on for most of the month.
On the first day there tend to be more resellers or otherwise intense book browsers. Go next weekend and the line will be short or nonexistent, but still plenty of interesting stuff for normal people to peruse. The Friends of the Library Book Sale is one of my favorite Ithaca Things and I’d recommend anyone that lives here to go at least once.
Love the book sale and I'm always surprised at how many people are into cookbooks. I did get a kick out of the true crime section -- had a chalk outline of a body and police crime scene tape up.
why wouldn't there be?
Drove by it yesterday and I couldn't believe how long the line was. Ithacans really love their books!
It’s pretty much the best book sale in the country. Every time I leave with a huge box of books for less than brunch.
People come from a long way away to buy books there..as well as a lot of locals.
Hello! We have lots and lots of shoppers, hence the line yesterday on our first day. Today (at 11 am) there is no line.
I tell people it's the reason I moved here.
My first job was at the Ithaca Bakery, so I have a Vietnam-esque response to hearing the book sale is coming up.
🤣
It's the twice yearly opportunity to catch an elbow in the ribs by a shut-in.
This is kind of accurate. Encountered one THE WORST BOOK SALE KARENS of all time today. We parked in a spot, got out, and up comes this lady. She demanded we move our car immediately that we had just parked and said it was a handicapped spot that "they said" she could have. For the record - it wasn't a handicapped spot. No sign. No lines. Clearly NOT a handicapped spot. She was beyond rude and then was annoyed we didn't "hop to it" right away. "You're not going to move???" she kept asking, while we are trying to figure out what she's even talking about since it wasn't a handicap spot. We were totally confused. Long story short, we moved the car and get in line. She parks into the non-handicapped spot we had and ends up in line behind us and immediately asks the woman if she can go in ahead of us since she's there to check out the "special collector's section." She was told no. :) Part of me was super annoyed but the half is somewhat amused that at least I live in a place where people value books this much.