The Big Bad Wolf Sale is here! harap2 sempat lah nak singgah ;p

The Big Bad Wolf Sale is here!

By ROUWEN LIN
star2@thestar.com.my

Whole lotta books: This is what three million books looks like! Workers were still scurrying around yesterday to get everything ready for today’s 6.30am start of the Big Bad Wolf Sale at The Mines in Sri Kembangan, Selangor. The sale continues until Dec 23.

The Big Bad Wolf Sale is back with a record three million titles up for grabs.

THE Mines Convention Centre in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, is all set to be a book haven for book lovers from today until Dec 23.

The doors to the highly anticipated Big Bad Wolf Sale opened today at 6.30am, and with a 12,500sqm fully air-conditioned hall packed with books priced at 75% to 95% lower than their retail prices, visitors are spoiled for choice.

“Amazingly, the world’s biggest English book sale is held not in Britain, Japan, Singapore or the United States. Instead, you find it in Malaysia, a small country with a population of 28 million and an average annual readership of fewer than two books per person,” says Jacqueline Ng, co-founder and executive director of BookXcess, organiser of the Big Bad Wolf Sale.

The sale has grown in leaps and bounds, from 120,000 books in its first year (2009) to three million this year.

“This shows that Malaysians are hungry for books and will certainly read more than the two books per year when the book prices allow for it,” she points out.

In an earlier interview, Ng shares that when they were sourcing for books abroad, their US supplier actually asked what they planned to do with so many books!

In its fifth instalment (there were two sales in 2009), the sale will have, for the first time in its history – and probably in the world! – a 63-hour nonstop shopping period starting today at 6.30am and continuing non-stop through the weekend. All other Fridays and Saturdays during the sale period will see the doors kept open at least until midnight.

The organisers are expecting 650,000 visitors this year, and in response to last year’s demand, they have brought in more non-fiction titles, particularly business and self-help books. There is also a Children’s Playland for the kids and exclusive merchandise for purchase.

Visitors can grab a bite to eat at the F&B outlets at the foodcourt when they are done with their browsing and buying.

With this year’s theme being “Superhero”, there will be almost 30 superheroes in full costume – think Batman, Robin, Spiderman, Superman and Wolverine – wandering the book aisles. Don’t forget your cameras!

The folks at BookXcess suggest the following tips for those going to the Big Bad Wolf Sale:

Bring:

> Luggage bag – it’s the rainy season and it is no easy feat carrying stacks of books around!

> Wear comfortable clothes, especially shoes. You are likely to spend over three hours browsing the three million books at the sale.

> Enough cash or have a credit card on standby.

> Camera (there will be photo opportunities with superhero characters, witty notices and even a Lamborghini Batmobile!)

Do:

> Car pool.

> Clear the car boot so you can fill it up with lots of books.

> Prepare a book list to avoid buying titles you already have at home. (Remember that purchases at the sale are not refundable nor exchangeable.)

Avoid:

> Bringing babies (despite the organiser’s best efforts, it is difficult to make the environment baby-friendly).

> Bringing food and drinks into the hall.

The Big Bad Wolf Sale at the Malaysia International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Mines Resort City, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, will run until Dec 23. Admission is free. It is open daily from 9am to 9pm, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, with the exception of this weekend when doors will remain open for 63 hours at a stretch, starting today at 6.30am and ending at 9.30pm on Sunday.

Visit bigbadwolfbooks.com or facebook.com/bbwbooks for more information.