Don’t Panic! How to Survive Big Bad Wolf Book Sale 2019

The Big Bad Wolf arrives to huff and blow your funds away! Kidding aside, if you’ve ever fancied yourself a book lover, then you’ve likely heard of the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale. If you haven’t, this event serves as one of the biggest book sales in the country to date. Mark your calendars, as you have the opportunity to attend and purchase the greatest book finds this year until March 4, 2019.

Although, before you head to World Trade Center for the big event, you may want to prepare not just for better books and awesome finds. You may want to anticipate a more packed sale, filled with both newcomers and literary enthusiasts alike.

See all those Facebook posts whining about lines and crowds and lack of staff? Take a minute, we’ve got some tips to get the uninitiated and experienced started.

Big Bad Wolf Sale 2019: Don’t Panic!

1.       Hydrate! Bring a bottle of water or your choice of refreshment. The food court has drinks, but you’ll want to save up for books. The vending machine near Hall D is always out of stock. All that book hunting is going to leave you parched.

2.       Eat! Before you head out, have a filling meal. The food there is sorta pricey, and you’ll want that extra cash for the books. You have a budget? Extra money can certainly help when you’re a few pesos short. No time? Head to the food court. There’s tons more selections of food this year, all running 24 hours. There’s healthy eats too for the food conscious (GK Enchanted Farms)!

3.       Bring a bag! The cashiers will pack your books in plastic bags, but if you get a ton of reads you’ll want to bring an empty backpack or eco bags! Save the environment and it’ll help take the load off your arms when you carry them around. Trust me on this.

4.       Commute! Parking is going to take up your time, and there’s practically no space. I took the train and jeeps going and a Grab back (due to the weight of the books).

5.       Collect! Go through every single pile if you’re up for the effort. Get that book. Put it in your cart. There’s a storage area that will keep a minimum of 20 books for 24 hours. You get a stub with your name and a number. Keep it safe. They’ll text you if your time’s running out and they’ll re-sort your books back into the piles. This also gives you time to come back at later hours to pay for the books if you don’t want to line up for long.

More Tips For The Battle-Hardened

6.       Buddy Up! Bring a friend. Share a cart. Fellow writer Emile and I took turns looking and pointing out books we might’ve have missed. Have a look under the tables (no, seriously, LOOK). There’s boxes of hidden gems with more books that might be your fancy. (Our case: Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman, Archie Comics by Mark Waid, Wonder Woman by Jill Thompson to name a few.)

7.       Attend off hours! I went at 10:40AM today and gave myself time to go through the piles I wanted to. Check the payment lines once in a while. Sometimes just waiting out a line than lining up is more practical. Around 3:30PM I just headed straight to payment with no lines and no fuss.

8.       Have patience! Patience is a virtue, and it’s so tiring to hear but it pays off. The books are priced way below the local values, and you’re not likely to get as good a bargain. Read the book you picked up while in line. It helps.

9.       Be nice! It’s likely to get crowded. Excuse me, please, and thank you can go a long way. Be polite to the staff – they’re hungry, tired, and will likely be there for the entirety of the event. Don’t run over the small, screaming, lost child. Respect PWDs and Senior Citizens. Don’t fight with the guards. Don’t be that guy.

10.  Be careful. You’re not the only book hunter there. If a person comes up to you to buy off your books, say no. Keep your valuables close. If you brought a buddy, take turns keeping an eye on your carts and things. Some people might go through your stash. Safety first.

Personal Tips, For The Extra Touch

Bonus Tip: The unlikely books crop up in unlikely places. Some books are hard to categorize, so some end up in the strangest “genres”. If you really have the time to go through them, give it a shot.

Needs to be said: Go to the toilet before you go in. There’s tissue and the bathrooms are clean. However, if you go alone no one’s going to take care of your books. See: Tip #10.

Was I tired at the end of it all? A little bit, yeah. This low energy output Tomato got a bit of exercise going through the Graphic Novel tables twice (once by myself, once with Emile). Am I itchy from my dust allergies? You betcha. Did my wallet hurt? Definitely.

Was it worth it? Hell yes.

Big Bad Wolf Sale: Still Amazing The Second Time Around

The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Manila dropped in on us last year and was a great success for both the event and for the customers. There’s a rare warehouse sale here and there throughout the year by our local bookstores, yet the sheer scale of BBW is insane in its amount, manpower, and the hours they pull off.

This year they brought 2 million books to our shores. There’s no way anyone can walk out empty handed from that.

And for someone like me who enjoys the process of hunting through stacks and stacks of books and finding the ones I want, this place fast became my playground.

The sale started on February 22, 2019, and will be up and running round the clock until March 4, 2019. There’s plenty of time and plenty of books, so pick a day and pack light. You’re going to need all your strength to carry all those books home.