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I have been following other readers' comments about their personal experiences at library book sales.
Not to make anyone envious, but I recently returned to a favourite library book sale, and even after a two-year absence, the lady in charge of romances recognised my face and led me straight to the Gothics.
Just to share. Perhaps if you made your interests known to the volunteers who work there, they might be able to do the same for you.
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The lady (volunteer? librarian) you describe is a treasure, in my opinion. What a thoughtful person!
I am envious, but that will inspire me to go out and look for library sales. I'll have to go a little farther afield than my own tiny local library, which seldom offers anything other than last year's bestsellers.
I have found it can also be helpful to make friends with any second-hand bookshops in one's neighborhood, so that they know they have a likely customer if they get ahold of any Gothics.
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Good for you Paigenumber, but a word of warning to all concerning book sales: You can't always believe what you read in the book sale advertisements. I even copied off the ad from the internet and showed it to the people in charge when they contradicted what I saw in the ad (i.e. in the ad they say their paperbacks are .50; in person they say they're .85). And don't be surprised if they don't honor what the ad says. I haven't seen them honor it yet.
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Last year when I was just driving along I stopped at a garage sale where a lady was selling boxes of old 60's Gothic Romance books for 25c each, which she had brought with her when she migrated to Australia from America. I bought a few with the small amount of money had in my purse. When I returned later in the morning she had left, the house was closed up and empty of furniture with the 'For Sale' sign gently swaying in the wind. I often think of the fantastic collection I might have had.
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You were just "driving along and stopped at a garage sale." I can't believe some people's luck!
I've been going to them all summer (some even out of town), spending the whole day driving around, and I've found only about thirty books total.
But I know it can happen; it's just a matter of being at the right place at the right time.
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I have also picked up quite a few 'Gothics' from general second hand shops over the years. There is a small church operated shop of this variety near where I live which is packed with all kinds of fantastic stuff. One time when I was buying some books with some particularity great covers (women running from castles) an elderly lady serving me said "you can buy these books new now you know". Luckily some people just don't get it.
