Ugh I'm so glad I heard about this. What a spectacular event! I love that the proceeds go to charities and support the community. AND it's fully volunteer-led. It's always held Valentine's weekend so I'll never forget when to anticipate it. I decided to come around 6ish AM, and the doors open at 8 AM on Sunday. If you decide to wait early before doors open, keep in mind they don't open their indoor restrooms to the public. I did need to use the restroom while I was in line and you only have access to port-a-potties that don't have sinks to wash your hands. It wasn't very sanitary and the smell inside was putrid. I'm hoping there's a way we can use the indoor bathrooms next time. Coming in to the event, you're given a map so you don't get lost, there's a host on the mic that walks you through the process, and there are volunteers everywhere who can help you find what you're looking for and get checked out! I was blown away by all the genres they were carrying. I thought for an event like this I'd have to come super early but even with the place packed it was still breathable. I was completely shocked that the price of all the books I got came to only $30. I believe Sundays, books are half-price when they're already cheap. If I were to go to a Barnes and Noble, I would've only been able to get about 2-3 books with that price. I believe I got at least 20 books. What an amazing way to support the community while getting books at the lowest you'll probably ever be able to snag them at. read more

VNSA Annual Book Sale - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The VNSA Used Book Sale is one of my favorite weekends of the year. Picture 500,000 items (books, DVDs, records, games, puzzles, maps, magazines and more) in two huge rooms, all at incredibly low prices. There is literally something for everyone, and for pennies on the dollar. If you're picky, get in line at 5 a.m. Saturday morning to get in as soon as possible when the doors open at 8. If you're not, go on Sunday when everything is half-price except for the stuff in the Rare & Unusual section. Best of all, the sale, which has been going on since 1957, benefits local charities. read more

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I actually just got back from this year's sale and I'm so disappointed. This used to be an amazing sale where you could find great books at excellent prices. Not only have the prices gone up, but the amount of resellers is insane and makes shopping hard. Every section now has people with their little scanner/phone setups with carts and boxes full of books. They stand in sections and just scan every book. Not only does it impede the flow of people, it makes looking for books impossible. I really think that they (VNSA) shouldn't allow resellers until a certain time of day or on a specific day. Not to mention it creates issues for those with sensory needs because you're packed in with carts and people everywhere. We waited in line this morning for 2 hours and it was such a waste of time and completely heartbreaking. read more

First time coming and such a great experience got about 20 books and spent only 15 bucks. They have such a collection so many things and definitely worth the 10 parking so much to find and see read more

Last weekend was my first time attending the VNSA Annual Book Sale and I already can't wait for next year! Read about the event on AZcentral.com and decided to check it out. The selection of books was massive, the prices were reasonable, and the volunteers were all friendly/helpful. I came away with ~20 books which will keep me busy for awhile. Definitely a win win for both the AZ community and the charitable organizations which this event supported. The one downside is that the venue charges you $10 to park. read more

Walk in and smell the dust of all the old books. What an awesome book sale. Back in 2018 my husband and I bought SO many used books. They have all ranges of books; textbooks, children's books, history, novelty, etc. Tip: get there early. SO many people wait in line before the doors open. read more

Fabulous. I just got back from the Annual VNSA Book Sale and managed to score $60 worth of books for only $6. The VNSA Book Sale only happens once a year in February and it's always the same weekend. It is free unless you come here in a car. Parking is $7. I rode my bike over here and brought my backpack. . The last day is the best because everything is marked down even lower. You'll find books reduced from $1.00 to .50 cents! Amazingly cheap! Everything is divided by categories and genres, fiction and non-fiction. Until you've come here and experienced it yourself, you have no idea. The volunteers are more than helpful and all the proceeds goes to charities. It's fantastic. I love it. read more

VNSA Annual Book Sale - Everything on the shelf was a $1.00 - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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WHOA. I have been to a lot of used book sales in my life (shout out to the Friends of the Ithaca Library!) and this was INSANE. Next year I will plan on going both days, you almost need that much time to sift through all the gems. I came out with some amazing Arizona books, a bird watchers guide, and some truly adorable vintage cookbooks. Honestly I was there for over an hour and didn't even get to the fiction! Can't wait til next year. If you are happy to wait til Sunday, everything is half off! read more

So I actually walked into this thing by accident. I came to the fairgrounds looking for the tattoo and beer fest and walked into here. Yeah, the first thing I was thinking was, wow, this is a really interesting crowd for a tattoo and beer fest. LOL! Well I came back because I do love reading. It's pretty cool and on Sunday books are half off! So we're talking $.75 a book. That's pretty dirt cheap. It's really too bad I've moved on to my Kindle but it's still cool to see how much people love to read. So k a funny story, I walked over to the Romance Suspense section. I've never heard of such a section was super curious. There were about 4-5 women there and I asked them all what Romance Suspense was. Yeah, none of them initially answered me. They all kinda looked down and tried to ignore me. You forget that some people who love to read are kind introverted and of course, in the Romance section! It was kinda funny. I'm a little too adventurous sometimes. read more

This is my dream come true. Rows and rows of $1-2 books - and not those crappy books that everyone already has which you usually find in low-quality used bookstores, but instead the books that you've been hoping to find cheap for a while. New books, classics, textbooks, cookbooks, you name it and they probably have it (although the exact location might be difficult to figure out). Even better, the VNSA Book Sale is for a good cause. My husband knows me well and brought me here for Valentines' Day, and this is my new favorite yearly event. read more

Went on Sunday with a friend and her daughter. Sunday's are half off days. While admittance to the sale is free there is an $8 charge for parking at the state fair grounds. We had to wait outside in line for 30 minutes before entering. We were originally told the wait time would be 45 minutes. It is a good idea to bring water, comfy shoes, and possibly a sun umbrella. The place was packed and shopping carts were limited so it might also be a good idea to bring something of your own to lug all your newly founds books in. My friend and I both found quite a few books and were impressed with the selection left over even for visiting on the last day of the sale. I would recommend this event to book lovers and plan to make it a yearly adventure. read more

Great event. I went last year and lots of books at good prices. If you want to be first in line though you have to camp out the night before now or you won't go in with the first group. Pretty crazy! Going this year. Also found out there is another book sale in Avondale on Friday night so will hit that first! https://www.facebook.com/pg/CastawayBooks/posts/?ref=page_internal read more

I attended this big book 'fair' for the 2nd time this year @ the Ariz State fairgrounds / inside the Exhibit building. It marked their 59th year so they must've been doing something right and useful. It's held every February during the 2nd weekend. Admission is free but there is a parking fee (which VNSA emphasize goes to the fair and not to them- you can always save by using public transit or bike or walk). I managed to score a few vintage books from my 2 visits with their Sunday 1/2 price special, which makes it even alot cheaper than if you're able to find any used @ Amazon. I managed to find old scrapbook-themed publication or very old cookbooks, which is what I usually search for and managed to purchase for even 50 cents each when some of them were valued for about $25+, and they were clean and in great condition. I'm not crazy about those orange pricing stickers they used but at least they do come off- just that if you purchased LOTS of books, then that's alot of stickers to remove. I brought my trusty fashionable totebag, but some attendees (serious collectors? hoarders? resellers?) brought suitcases, huge crates, even using their baby strollers (ugh- mothers, please respectfully leave your cranky babies/kids & rude strollers at home!), and VNSA provided grocery-store shopping carts. Saturday mornings have a LONG line with some even spending the night like Black Friday (hoarders? curiosity over rare/unusual books?), so go during late morning or any time the rest of the day. I attended Sunday late morning and there was no line, less crowded, and the checkout moved quicker. They take cash, in-state checks, and debit/credit cards. In concluding, it looks like people (like me) still (heart) books... VNSA (who are voluntteers) get the (unwanted) books from various official drop boxes all over Phoenix and sort and categoriize (music, fiction, cookbook, vintage cookbook, biography, so forth) all year until the big weekend. After the sale, they donate the proceeds to their chosen organizations. They did a good job keeping the premises continually clean and organized- and even have security, just in case and of course, while I was there, 'everyone' got along (wink). AZ State fairgrounds staff has been very good at holding educational / fun events for decades in such a rugged environment which helps keep the costs down, and even while the neighborhood has seen a steady urban decline- but, not to the point where I'd feel uncomfortable. I support lots of activities in / near downtown Phoenix- that's what keeps this city going. read more

VNSA Annual Book Sale - VNSA made this photo frame for us (made out of cardboard). I am holding it up. Reminds me of Polaroid. Yes, I (heart) books ;) - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I'm a sports and hiking guy and my mom's into primitive cultures and shopping. Sometimes it's hard finding activities to share, but we both have a hoot here. It's set up the same each February, in an enormous pavillion, but is well organized and staffed. We usually go on half price Sunday, after crowds thin a bit. There's still hordes of people and hundreds of thousands of books. You cant possibly sift through it all. We both find bargains right up our alley and the books are so cheap you can pull the trigger on intriguing titles you might not purchase at a book store. Even with the parking fee, it's an unparalleled value, for a good cause and brings people together. Every year when I walk out of this place, with a bagful of books in one arm and my elderly mom on the other, it feels like a morning well spent. read more

If you love books and you don't want to drop a lot of cash, you've got to make it to this sale! Basically it's a warehouse with scores of tables overflowing with used books (in great condition) priced from $1 - $5 each (most are $1 or $2) They have every type of book you could possibly want divided into sections: fiction & nonfiction in every genre you can think of. This is a huge event that only happens once a year, so the lines are crazy, but it's totally worth it! This was my fourth year, so here are a few tips: Get there super early (we usually get there around 6 am; doors open at 8). It's better to get there early than have to wait in line because they only let so many people in at a time - you don't want to have to bake in the sun and miss out on the best titles. Bring a camping chair and some coffee for the wait. Around 7:30, just send someone back to the car to put your chairs and snacks away. Parking is $8, so you should carpool to save a few bucks. That makes waiting in line much more fun anyway. Bring a backpack or cloth bags to tote your books around in. Also, bring cash! They do accept credit cards and AZ checks, but there is almost never a line at the cash only checkouts. If you're looking for even better deals, go on Sunday - everything is half off! See you there next year! read more

Had a great treasure hunt at this event. Book prices and quantities are amazing. This event is well organized with a lot of helpful staff standing by. I pulled a few event volunteers for help and all went well out of there way to help me find what I was looking for. Came out with two giant bags of hard to find books for $80 bucks.. I bet I would have paid excess of $800 bucks for the ones I picked out. People from all over the country come to this so watch out, you will find a line of people. I was told people lined up as early as a day before the event to get their place in line. Also bring a box, rolling cart or your own huge bag to stuff your books in, shopping carts inside the event went fast. Wonderful charity and I look forward to attending next years event. read more

Our first time, this past weekend (Sat., 2/16/13). Yes, a veeerrryyy long line. We got there at 7:45, and got in with the third group, at about 9:00. Yes, lots of books. And some good books. My pet peeve, though? The price stickers they use. Ouch!! Try getting them off the book without peeling some or all of the underneath dust jacket, cover, gilt, whatever right off with it!! It is really painful watching the value of your book go down moment by moment as you peel off the nice bright orange price sticker. And not content with just one of these non-user-friendly atrocities -- there's one inside, too!! We did find some books worth buying, but for collectors -- either there wasn't much in our areas of interest, or the hardcore over-nighters got to them first!! Great for just general-interest purchases, though, and a fun experience. Definitely bring something to carry your books in; it gets very crowded, and your purchases may accumulate quickly!!! read more

If u are a book loved this just go on your bucket list. Many books are new. Sunday is not to be believed because everything is half off. It is very well set up and the staff could not be more helpful. read more

Second year I've come here from CA. What an amazing book fair. So many books to choose from, very friendly volunteers. Great deals especially 1/2 off Sunday. I wish it was 3 days instead of just two. Only downside is they put too many price stickers on each book which is hard to get off. I will be back in 2017. Awesome place for a book dealer & collector. read more

This event is AWESOME! I bought 20 books for about $25 and most were popular like Gone Girl and The Help (although there's every genre of book you could possibly want). If you enjoy reading, this is totally worth it! read more