Fancy Book Thrifting a la Library

Our town library was setting up for a used book sale when I went by the other day. I was walking around the extra tables filled with books while Joseph jabbered away in his stroller when a particular box filled with colorful books caught my eye. There was a certain glint about the books.

I strolled (ha) over and realized that it was a set of leather bound, gold embossed classics in mint condition. Eeee! I covet pretty books.

Must. Snatch. Immediately.

I asked the librarian how they priced the used books and she told me, "Oh, we are just trying to get rid of them. Take what you want and donate however much you like to the library."

Seriously?!?! Music to my ears.

So I "donated" the Goodwill Outlet price of 50 cents per hardback to the library. I thought that was fair since I price everything according to Goodwill Outlet in my head. Which is all Mrs. 5C's fault ;).

I paid $9 total. Not too shabby for a set of 18 classic Franklin books that typically cost $50 to $80 individually and several hundreds of dollars as a set. I checked their website... A set of 50 classics is about $1000... $800 when they are running a sale.

I win.

Now they are gracing the top of my secretary desk under the book page wreath made from yet another classic. How appropriate. The set does such a great job of brightening up my living room corner. I really like that the books are all different colors, sizes, and patterns.

Now I'll just have to try reading a few of them. I think I want to start with Yeats and get a little Irish poetry under my belt. Of course, there is always "Gargantua & Pantagruel", the tale of two giants & their adventures. I think my next child wants to be named Pantagruel, don't you? 

In addition to the set of classics, I also brought home every single Dr. Seuss book I could find for Joseph, the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, and a new cookbook. What a successful day of unintentional thrifting. Yay, library!