If you are a bookworm, you have probably heard that Big Bad Wolf Books is back in Manila for a second time and it is bigger and better! Admission is FREE so anyone, any age can go. Discounts are even deeper now, from 50% to 90% across different genres.
Here are some new things in this year’s Manila Big Bad Wolf Book sale:
- Big Bad Wolf Books brought in a selection of books for the Philippine sale based on a curation of what local customers are looking for. Book shoppers will find the books of authors such as JK Rowling, Paulo Coelho, Rick Riordan among the many others available.
- For those bringing kids, the Little Hippo Augmented Reality (AR) books for children is something new. You download the Little Hippo app. Just point it at the words in the book and their favorite characters literally jump out of the pages. The Little Hippo AR books can only be found at Big Bad Wolf Book sales. These AR books feature a variety of children’s stories such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, and many more. Its interactive learning feature makes learning fun and entertaining by using cutting-edge technology to revolutionize reading for young ones.
- There are on-ground contests where 20 lucky winners will be selected daily. There is also one exclusive grand prize to be won — a bookshelf worth of books. The winner for the grand prize will be announced on March 3, 2019.
I had gone last year to their first book sale, also at the World Trade Center (WTC). However, I was not that prepared. I had bought several titles, including two heavy books for my son, and my arms ached carrying plastic bags filled with my haul. This time, I knew better.
Here are the top 10 things that all bookworms heading for the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale should keep in mind.
#1: Time your going so there are the least number of people
The Big Bad Wolf Books sale is going to be open 24 hours from February 22 to March 4. It is sure to be packed during the daytime and weekends so if you want to shop leisurely in a less crowded place, go at unholy hours like 2AM. Parking will be easier too.
#2: Wear loose clothes, preferably pants or shorts for the ladies, and comfortable footwear.
It may seem obvious but seriously, dress for long hours of walking and standing. We were there from 11:30 AM to 7 PM and I am thankful I was in flats and comfortable clothes. There are no seats inside the book area. I saw many shoppers sitting on the floor around the sides of the area sorting through their finds.
#3: Bring a piece of luggage or shopping cart
There are shopping carts and wheeled carts with handles at WTC. After paying at the cashier, there are also guys with wheeled carts who help you bring your bags to the driveway of WTC or the parking lot. But with the expected packed crowd, these may run out easily. Bring your own small luggage or shopping cart. I brought my own and am so glad I did.
#4: Bring a credit or debit card aside from any cash you have.
You may have a budget and plan to pay for your purchases with cash but once you see the selections at Big Bad Wolf Books, you may just change your mind. Bring a credit or debit card. They accept Visa and MasterCard. There is also an option to pay using your PayMaya load (I’ve got the details down below.)
#5: Have an initial list of titles with you. Organize your list by category.
Several family members who could not come with me sent me titles of books they wanted. The night before going to the sale, I took screenshots from Amazon of the book covers and put the photos on Google Docs. You cannot imagine how much easier it is to search for books visually than by reading the titles of each book on display.
The books are sectioned by category so organize your titles by category too for a more systematic search. So far, here is a list of categories I’ve compiled from the book sale (may not be complete)
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
- Bestsellers
- Architecture and design
- Graphic design
- Arts & photography
- Sports
- Music & movie
- Travel
- Puzzles & games
- Pets & nature
- Children
- Readers
- Young Adult
- Science & technogy
- Transportation
- Home & garden
- Cookery
- Self help
- Business & economics
- Language
- Biographies & memoirs
- Religion
- History
- Humor
- Family & relationship
- Literature
- Graphic novel
- Crime thriller
- Science & fiction
#6: Avoid bringing babies and toddlers. If you have small children with you, always keep them in your sight or bring a companion to watch them.
It cannot be avoided in a large place. Small children can get lost. Yesterday, as I was browsing, a call came over the PA system calling for the companion of a lost child. It is okay to bring children. There is a large area devoted to children’s books alone. Your children would love it there. Just make sure their safety is paramount.
#7: Always be aware of your handbags and valuables. A backpack keeps your stuff safe and your hands free.
I do not always use a backpack but it served me well at the Big Bad Wolf Books sale. I saw women putting their handbags in front of them on the shopping cart. But one can easily get distracted by the books. A backpack is the best! You have your valuables on your back all the time. Plus, both hands are free to handle the books.
#8: Arrive full.
Food and drinks are NOT allowed inside the book area but there are stalls outside that serve siomai, lechon, takoyaki, pasta, lemon juice, chips, burgers, hotdogs, meals with rice. But if you want to get down immediately on your book search, eat before coming over.
#9: Consider supporting Big Bad Wolf Books’ Red Readerhood Programme for Gawad Kalinga.
I was not paying much attention to signs or announcements so I missed this. Red Readerhood is Big Bad Wolf Books’ way of giving back. They work with local communities to give books to those who need them. This time, they have partnered with Gawad Kalinga (GK). Donated books will go to underprivileged community libraries and schools nationwide.
All you need to do is buy children’s books for donation, pay for them at the cashier, and leave them at the Red Readerhood area. I think it’s a great idea. Do consider this while doing your own shopping. The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale has already donated 1,000 books to Gawad Kalinga. Your donation will be added to theirs.
#10: Sign up to be a Wolfie!
Sign up to be a member of Big Bad Wolf Books. This is FREE. Once a member, you get an additional 5% off on books with yellow tags. You will also receive email updates on Big Bad Wolf Books.
Yes, I said 10 tips but there is one more you cannot miss so I am adding an eleventh one.
#11: Pay using the Scan QR feature of PayMaya and save even more!
If you are a PayMaya user, YOU MUST NOT MISS THIS. PayMaya is giving a 1%, 10% and 100% cashback (up to PhP 1,000 max) on your book purchases at the Big Bad Wolf Books sale till March 4 (last day of the sale). Which percentage you get is determined randomly.
Just go to the cashier area designated specifically for PayMaya. Use the Scan QR feature to pay. And in a few minutes, you get a text letting you know what percentage of cashback you got. In my case, I got a 10% cashback which reflected immediately on my PayMaya account. It was equivalent to one free book!!! YAY!
There is a PayMaya booth at the lobby of WTC. You can either top up or load up your PayMaya account there. Just look for PayMaya kiosks near their booth at the lobby or near the cashier area.
That’s it, pancit! Good luck with your book searches. Just enjoy your time at Big Bad Wolf Books sale and be among the hundreds of thousands of bookworms.