A Trip to Booksale: Finding Christian books at a Second Hand/Used Bookstore.

Want to do something that will flex you Christian life? Read a Christian book! But you dont have a budget to buy those books at National or PCBS. Go to Booksale! Booksale is a popular second hand or used bookstore in the Philippines from a company called Visual Mix Inc. Its a sort of ukay-ukay for books. They sell those books (from novels, childrens, coffee tables, comics etc.) in a very cheap price. It also carries new and back issues of magazines, local and international. You can find it at malls as stalls or a store branch. Sometimes it has Christian books that are classics and written by famous authors. For years now, Ive brought books at Booksale. Some had impact my life. You dont have to pay expensive Christian books just to fuel your Christian walk. You can find some treasures at Booksale. This article intends to give advice and tips on finding a Christian book if you ever be or planning to go to Booksale. For first timers: Prepare for a lot digging, flipping and bending for books at Booksale. But your effort will be paid off if you get hard to find or classic books in a very affordable price. It might surprise you that big stores sell that same book for a hefty price but find it at Booksale very cheap.

You might as well be informed that this is not a Christian bookstore. Booksales carries mens magazines and other stuff Christians should not set eyes upon. Another dont expect for the sales clerk to know or find a book for you. They are not like those from big bookstores. The budget: Booksale gives prices as low as P10. The price ranges to P10-75 and over 100 which are still cheap compare with popular bookstores. If youre going there, its safe to have P50-100. If youre lucky, with that amount you can buy 3-5 books. If the book is prolific in Booksale, you might as well wait for them to lower its price. Ive observed that if a book wouldnt sell, they will change the price. You might notice the multiple price stickers on the book. I brought books which are classic for as low as 10-25 pesos. They dont price it because of the authors, but to sell and dispose it. Some publishers you might look out while digging: This list will give some ease and save some time on what is a Christian book by looking at the publishers name. Some publishers are Whitaker, Tyndale, NavsPress, Revell, McMillan, Moody Press, Regal, Bethany House, Spire, New Leaf, CLC (Christian Literature Crusade), Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Inter Varsity Press. These are legitimate Christian publishing company, but that doesnt mean we should put off our discernment radar. Lets use our Christian discernment by comparing those books with our stand in doctrine, morality, biblical worldview etc. Also I would recommend old stuff (50s -70s) from them which, I think still have biblical integrity rather that the new one (driven to just make money).

It will also help if you find a book or author to check them in the internet before buying it. You can search info, reviews, criticism and recommendations for that book and the author. Ask someone like a pastor or a fellow Christian if he knows something about the book you like to get. Authors you shouldnt miss: Booksale sometimes has great books by these authors: Chuck Swindoll, Josh McDowell, E.M. Bounds, Andrew Murray, Corrie Ten Boom, Charles Spurgeon, and C.S. Lewis. Some of these authors are available in thin pocketsize books. I spot Left Behind series, In His Steps and Lee Strobels A Case For Easter more recently. The list I provide are some that are prolific in Booksale (which I have seen in BS over the years) but not necessary always available. Of course, there are Bibles in different versions and sizes you can find in Booksale. You can own the greatest book in the world for a very affordable price. Topics or Category you may find: Mostly Christian living, devotional and discipleship. Rarely are apologetics and theology. Great titles that influence me: Here are some books I brought that greatly helped me in my Christian walk that I got from Booksale (and I hope you can find it too.) 1. More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell 2. Spiritual Maturity by J. Oswald Sanders 3. In Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray

4. Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis 5. Of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis 6. Discipleship: Up Close and Personal by Chuck Swindoll 7. Ashamed of the Gospel by John MacArthur Jr. (hardbound) 8. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers 9. Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan 10. The Song by Calvin Miller Books You Should Avoid: Once in awhile I find some books that have spiritual stuff but dont uphold a biblical Christian stand. So please check carefully the book youre buying. Here are some of them: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. self help Hare Krishna/Divine Consciousness Robert Schuller New Age, Yoga and Shirley MacLane Dianetics by Ron Hubbard Book of Mormon, Great Controversy, Steps to Christ and other so called religious text from cults. 7. Horoscope and other fortune telling stuff.

Top Secret Tips: If you find something that you really like but forgot to bring cash or you budget it to something else and you dont want to come back to find its gone, dont worry. You can reserve the book for a few days with no additional fee till you can buy it. Just tell the sales clerk or cashier and they can keep it for you.

Booksale changes books every month. That means new (old) books with much lower prices are available. Sometime they do it every first day of the month. So before anyone get something, better know when they change products. Advantages: Here are some advantages in buying at Booksale: 1. The price is very low. As I have said, you can buy something for P10. 2. If your fortunate a Christian book can be in hardbound. 3. Popular, hard to find and out of print Christian books are available. 4. Books are printed in the US. Disadvantages: Although the prices are very low at Booksale (which is an advantage) there are some disadvantages. 1. Quality of the books-sometimes (but not always) some got ugly because of the price sticker, has missing or falling away pages, worn out, torn and crumpled cover. Flap jackets are missing. Markings like Used or Discarded. Lots of pencil or ballpen markings. 2. You wont get what you want-unlike PCBS or National bookstore you can go to a section for a specific book or topic youre looking for. Sometime you wont find any that fits your taste. 3. Sales clerk- aside for not having one attending, they dont know about the books and wont even recommend you one. 4. Not all malls have Booksale.

5. Some Christian books available at Booksale (or even at National or PCBS) can be read or in some cases downloaded in the internet for free. 6. Some are old editions and not updated. 7. Sometimes they dont have multiple copies of a title. Not all the time I buy at Booksale, I visit National or PCBS and purchase (if I have the budget) books that are new, fresh and relevant with the time or culture. Or simply research the internet for specific topics that are available in different digital format free. Interesting stuff: Over the years of buying, collecting and reading books, I find in Booksale I notice some stuff worth noting. Some of the books are discarded from libraries in the US because it still carries the index card or has the name of the library stamp on the first page. In some books I own, you know its a gift because of the handwritten dedication for someone. You can also know who previously owns it with the sticker of the owners name complete with address! Other times, someone might be studying the book that you can see pencil or ballpen lines and hand written comments on the spaces of each page.

I hope this article help you in finding a worthy read for your enjoyment and spiritual growth. If you have some question you can send an e-mail: allstarboyscout@yahoo.com or use it to add me up in FaceBook. Happy Christian book hunting at Booksale!