CHAD PARKHILL gets the skinny on the world’s largest second-hand book sale, the LIFELINE BOOKFEST.

Lifeline calls their bi-annual Bookfest ‘the greatest show on earth’, and, for lovers of literature, the claim could very well be true. For those who haven’t been before, the Lifeline Bookfest is the world’s largest second-hand book sale, taking place in the cavernous Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, with more than two million books on offer.

“I think the huge range, good quality and affordable prices of the books has helped the event grow to what it is today,” Nick Hart, Bookfest coordinator, says. “However, the main reason for the success is that all the funds raised from the event go directly to Lifeline to help fund the many support and counselling services that benefit the local Brisbane community.”

So it’s a win-win situation: buy excellent books at a very reasonable price, and help the community. But how much of a bargain do you get? According to Anna-Maria Masci, Lifeline’s fundraising officer, visiting the Bookfest can save hundreds of dollars: “On top of finding reading material for the next year at bargain prices, the Bookfest is also great for teachers and students to buy resources and textbooks. This year, there are thousands of textbooks for sale. It can save you hundreds of dollars, and when you’re a student, that’s a lot of money.”

This is not to say that everything at the Lifeline Bookfest is cheap: “In the past, Bookfest has come across a lot of gems. One of our most valuable finds was a rare atlas from the 18th century – it was worth $4000,” says Hart. Ouch. A bit cheaper was a first edition copy of Peter Carey’s first short story collection, The Fat Man In History, which came in at $800. Lifeline capitalises on these finds by selling them through eBay and AbeBooks.

But where do these books come from? All are, in fact, donations from the public. “25,000 books get sorted each week by Lifeline staff and volunteers,” Hart says. Many of these donations return through the Bookfest system, keeping books circulating inside the community and raising even more money for Lifeline’s services.

Of course, a charity relies on its volunteers, and Lifeline is no exception. The Bookfest still requires volunteers, and will be accepting new ones until Friday 11 January, the day before the Bookfest (and maybe beyond). “We are looking for a range of people to volunteer,” Anastasia Magriplis, Bookfest’s volunteers coordinator, says. “Our current volunteers have really diverse skills and experiences, they range from professionals to retired folks, university students and high school children as well as families.”

“The Lifeline Bookfest really brings out the best in Brisbanites,” Magriplis says. “It’s so great to see so many people who love books in the one place. It seems that the best of Brisbane comes through at the Bookfest. Strangers speak to each other and help each other find what they are looking for, kids are entertained and happy with the thousands of kids books on sale and even the most avid reader can get enough books to last the year (or six months) for $100.”

The Lifeline Bookfest takes place from Saturday 12 January through to Saturday 19 January at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more details, see www.lccq.org.au/bookfest/index.html

How to make the most of the Lifeline Bookfest

1. Go early, go often: The early bird gets the out-of-print philosophical treatise on worms that will fetch a fortune on eBay, so head to the Bookfest at your earliest convenience. Bear in mind that Lifeline puts new books out each day, so repeat visits are recommended.

2. Search broadly: The chances of you finding any specific title (except for maybe Harry Potter books or The Da Vinci Code) are very slim; instead, search for authors you know and love, or authors that are associated with them.

3. Gather, then sort: You have nothing to lose (except perhaps your dignity) by grabbing as many books as you can hold, then sorting them from must-have to least interesting. Start with the must-haves until you have reached your budget. Save a volunteer some time by returning your unwanted books to where you found them.

4. Search all areas and make comparisons: Lifeline’s pricing team are only human, and they sometimes make mistakes. You can often find two identical books with different prices, so take advantage of this. Similarly, you can find excellent items outside of the high-quality section – it just takes a keen eye and some patience.

5. Go late: Serious bargain hunters will want to attend in the last hours of the last day, as this is when Lifeline starts selling books in bulk, and the cashiers are open to bargaining. A wise shopper can walk out with a stack of books for very little money at this stage.

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