The annual Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale is one of the largest book sales in Florida. This year, the sale will take place from Saturday, Oct. 21 through Wednesday, Oct. 25 at the FOL Bookhouse located at 430 N. Main St. in Gainesville.
Patrons can browse through Non-Fiction books, vinyl records, poster art, children's books, games, puzzles, the Florida collection and more. There will be more than 500,000 that will be for sale. The items will range in price from $0.25 to $5. The Collectors Corner, which includes first-edition books, signed works, and a large selection of Florida-related materials, will have some items priced well over $100. The Collectors Corner is only open for the first four days of the sale.
On the final day of the sale, Wednesday, Oct. 25, all items will be $0.10. As is tradition, a bagpiper will play traditional Scottish tunes on Saturday morning to open the sale. Profits from the sale support the Alachua County Library District and community literacy projects throughout the county.
Don’t forget to bring bags or boxes to carry home purchased material, the FOL does provide some boxes, but supplies run out quickly. The FOL asks that patrons do not bring shopping carts on the first day of the sale, because space is very limited. Special exceptions for Individuals with wheelchairs will be made by FOL volunteers.
Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted for payment.
2023 Fall Book Sale hours:
- Saturday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 22, noon - 6 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 23, noon - 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 24, noon - 6 p.m. 1/2 price day
- Wednesday, Oct. 25, noon - 6 p.m. $0.10 day
The Collector's Corner features rare and unusual items from many genres. Books may be leather-bound, signed, first editions, out of print, or published by small presses. Larger sections include Art, Military History, Literature, Non-Fiction, Florida, Genealogy, Regional, Early Cookbooks, Natural History, Vintage Children’s Books, Pop-ups, and “Grandma’s Bookshelf." The Collector's Corner is open from Saturday, Oct. 21 to Tuesday, Oct. 24.
See a Photo Gallery of select books from the Collectors Corner of the FOL Fall Book Sale.
Featured items in the 2023 Fall Collector's Corner include the following:
Art, Architecture, and Photography:
The Osaka Woodcuts, text by Lubor Hajek, circa 1950
Sketches in Egypt and Nubia: With Historical Descriptions, by William Brocketon, illustrated by David Roberts, 1990
English Embroidery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1580-1700: 'Twixt Art and Nature', edited by Andrew Morrall and Melinda Watt, 2008
Aaron Siskind Photographs, text by Harold Rosenburg, illustrated by Aaron Siskind, inscribed to Jerry Uelsmann by Aaron Siskind, 1959
Harlem 1900-1929, Spiritual Home of Black America, by Jim Haskins and Louise Broecker, 50 plates, 1st edition, 2 copies, 1974
Sagittas, by Jose Royo, signed, 1st edition, 1998
Italian Villas and Their Gardens, by Edith Wharton, illustrated by Maxfield Parrish & Photographs, 1st edition, 1904
Harlem Book of the Dead, by James Van Der Zee, Owen Dodson, and Camille Billops, signed by Camille Billops, 1978
Biography:
John Glenn: A Memoir, by John Glenn with Nick Taylor, 1st edition, signed, 1999
A Writer's Tale, by Richard Laymon, signed, limited edition, #133 of 500 copies, 1998
Langston Hughes: An Illustrated Edition, by Milton Meltzer and Stephen Alcorn, 1st edition, 1997
Children and Young Adult:
Potterverse: A wide variety of collectible Harry Potter hardbacks and paperbacks, magazines & ephemera
The Little Prince, by Antoine De Saint-Exupere, translated by Katherine Woods, c. 1943, published 1960
DVDs:
Unusual box sets and collections of movies, TV, documentaries, and musical performances.
Essays:
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, by David Foster Wallace, First Back Bay (paperback) edition, signed, 1998
When Women Were Birds, by Terry Tempest Williams, signed, 1st edition, 2012
Fiction, including Science Fiction and Mystery:
The Red Pony, Illustrated Edition, by John Steinbeck, 1st illustrated edition, 1945
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien, 3rd edition, 16th impression, 1966
Martin Eden, by Jack London, 1st edition, 1909
Gay Male Fiction — A large collection of vintage gay men's fiction including paperbacks, hardbacks, mysteries, literary fiction, erotica, and more.
SciFi/Fantasy/Horror — Modern firsts, signed editions, movie tie-ins, Marvel, Tolkien, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, Gaming, and more.
Florida:
Aquiferious, by Margaret Tolbert, 1st edition, 2 copies, 2010
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Maggie Taylor, 1st edition, 2008
The Beast in Florida, by Marvin Dunn, signed 1st edition, 2013
Geologic History of Florida, by Albert C. Hine, 1st edition, 2013
Fifty Years of Pleasure, by Pat Watters, signed by George Jenkins — the founder of Publix, 1980
Foreign Language:
Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages, edited by Roger Woodard, 2005
History:
Tenting on the Plains or General Custer in Kansas and Texas, by Elizabeth B. Custer, 1887
Life and Adventure of Buffalo Bill, by William F. Cody, 1917
Froissarts Chronicles of England, France, Spain & Adjoining Countries, by Sir John Froissart, 2 volume set, limited edition, #56 of 500 copies, Easton Press, 2015
The Black Civil War Soldier, by Deborah Willis, signed, 2021
My Confession, by Samuel E. Chamberlain, 1956
Part & Apart, by Carol Kammen, signed, 2009
Through Some Eventful Years, by Susan Bradford Eppes, 1926
Souvenir Book of Berchtesgaden Photographs WW2
White Feather, by Carlos Hathcock, 1997
Japanese Central Red Cross Photo Album, c. 1934
Warriors of the Wiregrass, by John A. Griffin, 2000
Maximes, Conseils et Instructions Sur L'Art De La Guerre, published by Leneveu, 1857
Stride Toward Freedom, by Martin Luther King, Jr., 1958
Day by Day with the Utah Pioneers, 1847, A revision of the account published in 1897 in the Salt Lake Tribune, by Andrew Jenson, LDS Assistant Historian, 1934
Literature and Classics:
The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, signed, 1st edition, 1990
Emma, by Jane Austen, signed by Kredel the illustrator, limited edition, 1964
The Lost Get-Back Boogie, by James Lee Burke, 1st edition, 1986
Trilby, (bound first printings of serialized Trilby from Harper's Magazine), by George Du Maurier, 1st edition, 1894
The Norton Facsimile: The First Folio of Shakespeare, edited by Charlton Hinman, 1st edition, 1968
Standard Library, 1883-84, 12 issues including #108 Memories and Rimes
Magazines and Newspapers:
American Horseman/Western Horseman, 3 bound volumes 1897-1899
Antique Automobile. Summer 1957-March/April, 2004, Nov/Dec 2006-Nov/Dec 2019 Biblio, various issues 1996-1998
Chemical Heritage, various issues, 2010-2014, published by the Chemical Heritage Foundation, History of chemical and molecular research.
Distillations, 2015-2016, History and culture of material sciences, 5 issues including premiere issue.
Gregg Writer: Magazine for Secretaries, Stenographers and Typists, Nov. 1927.
Horseless Carrieage Gazette. Sept/Oct 1965 - Jul/Aug 1998, Jan/Feb 2000 - Sept/Oct 2019.
John F. Kennedy - Scrapbook of news articles.
Life Magazine, President John F. Kennedy 1917-1963. November 29, 1963.
Search Magazine-Occult, metaphysical topics, 1961-1968, 25 issues.
Orange Peel Magazine, UF alternative news, several issues, 1961-1964.
Everyman, March 1913 - February 1914, a political periodical edited by Luke North, 1918.
Maps — Atlas:
1836 Pocket Map, Samuel Augustus Mitchell. Map of the states of Louisana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Includes stagecoach stops, steamboat lines and Indian encampments.
California Earthquake of April 18, 1906 — Atlas, 1970
Music:
My Spirituals, by Eva Jessye, 1927
National Topical Song Magazine: Broadside, 1964-65, 4 issues, #48, 55, 57, 58. Features Phil Ochs, Civil Rights and Political Protest song lyrics.
Nature:
Botswana: A Brush with the Wind, by Paul Augustinus, signed, limited edition, #51 of 150 copies, 1987.
Ball Pythons: The History, Care, and Breeding, by David G. Barker and Tracy M. Barker, signed, 1st edition, 2006.
Non-Fiction:
The World of Fanzines: A Special Form of Communication, by Fredric Wertham, M.D., 1st edition, 1973.
Golf Doctor, by Olin Dutra. Foreword by Grantland Rice. The Camday Corporation, 1948. Flip motion book.
Philosophy:
The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, by Alan Watts, 1st edition, 1966.
Politics:
Without Precedent, edited by Kean and Hamilton, signed, 2015.
Posters, Brochures, Ephemera/Miscellaneous:
Angelica Cooks Linen Cutlery and Recipe Books, Catalog 914. 1934. Size: 3" by 6"
Antique Store Ledger, 1902. Location possibly Amity Township, Pa. Size: 6" by 12"
Book of Photographs from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, 1895. The Government Collection of the World's Columbia Exposition Limited edition, #199. Size: 11" by 14"
Buick Smart Buy for 1951. Promotional brochure.
John Hancock, Co. Publications, 1920-1949, 30 booklets. Various topics - American history and biography. Size: 4" by 6"
Mexican Stock Certification - Chemical, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 1895. Size: 18" by 24"
Miami Club Poster - 1968 - Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. Size: 9" by 17"
NTA Proudly Presents the Rocket "86"; Feature Films for Television, 1957. Program Promotion Notebook. Features photos, summaries and promotional info for 68 movies to promote broadcast on television. Includes "Jane Eyre" with Orson Welles, "Laura" with Gene Tierney, "Love is News" with Loretta Young, "Magnificent Dope" with Henry Fonda, "Mysterious Mr. Moto" with Peter Lorre, "Pin Up Girl" with Betty Grable, "Royal Scandal" with Tallulah Bankhead, "The Snake Pit" with Olivia de Havilland, "Stanley and Livingstone" with Spencer Tracy, "Tampico" with Edward G. Robinson, "That Night in Rio" with Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda. Individual press books, news releases, review, photos, radio promo scripts, slides from each film. Size: 9" by 11"
Olympic 2002 Torch Relay Map - Salt Lake City - with 14 pins. Size: 8" by 12"
Price List of Parts Ford Model T 1915-vintage car box. Size: 4" by 6"
Saul Steinberg Decade Cartoons from Vogue, January, 1950 issue. 5 Cartoons 1900s-1940s. Size: 9 1/2" by 13"
Toni Morrison Poster - Reading/Lecture, March 30, 1980s, University of Illinois. Size: 18" by 24"
Psychology:
The Red Book, by Carl Jung, an illustrated facsimile, 1st edition, 2009.
Religion:
Biblia Latina Mainz, Gutenberg Bible, Disc 1 & Disc 2, by Library of Congress, circa 1455, 2 CDs.
Science:
Sea Change, by Sylvia A. Earle, signed, 1st edition, 1995.