The Big Bad Wolf book sale has been going all over Metro Manila. From Quezon City in the north, the book sale has finally reached the south. The event was held in the Filinvest Tent in Muntinlupa City from August 23 to September 1. Despite the rainy weather and almost daily thunderstorms, I still found a way to spend an afternoon perusing books to add to my collection.
I went on a weekday so it was relatively quiet. The Filinvest Tent is a great location since it’s in the heart of Alabang. If the weather was nicer, the tent would be walkable from many different points. Whether you are in one of the close by office buildings, at some of the nearby malls, or at some restaurant in Westgate, you could walk to the tent. However, the weather was not as kind on some days so a car was necessary. What’s nice about the tent is that there’s ample parking space around the back so you don’t have to worry about where to leave your car. Another thing to note is that the event closes at midnight. There’s no need to fret if you leave the office later than usual or cannot visit it during the day. No need to rush especially if you are more of a night owl.
At the entrance, you’ll notice that there are some food concessionaires where you can get a quick bite either before going in or when you come out after buying books. I thought that was all the food and drinks available but to my surprise, there was a section inside the tent that had a few more food and beverage options. The area also had some tables and chairs and you didn’t need to pay for your books before taking a break there. You could in fact take your cart full of books to the seating area if you aren’t done shopping yet. The books were all covered in plastic so they would be well protected in case of any incidents involving beverages.
The great thing about this book sale is that it’s free to enter. You don’t need to register or scan any codes or fill up any forms. You simply show up and start looking. I really appreciate that since sometimes it can be a hassle to fill up and make sure you’ve registered days before the event and such. As someone who attends a lot of events and expos, this experience was such a breeze and truly enjoyable. Some representatives from IKEA were giving out reusable bags if you were a member. Most people are by now, and if you know you’ll be buying a lot of books it can get heavy. I like that they thought ahead and had a solution for that.
Once inside, all you’ll see are of course books. Tables and tables filled with stacks of books. They had very clear headings for each table so you could see exactly what genre was on that specific table. You could make a beeline for your favorite genre since the signs were big and could be read from afar.
As I passed by the children’s section to try and get to the general literature section, there were a couple of bounce houses put up towards the corner of the area. I thought this was a great idea since of course there will be parents who are buying books for their children. As we know, children’s attention spans can vary, and having a play section wherein you could probably leave them for a few minutes is a good solution. If the kids are happy, then the parents are happy, and the longer they stay to buy more books hopefully.
It didn’t take very long until I had an arm full of books I wanted to take home. The prices were pretty decent compared to the usual bookstores found at the mall. There were thick paperbacks for Php300 and wonderful coffee table books that were for less than Php1,000 which is hard to find these days. Your usual book budget would get you far in this kind of sale. One thing I will point out is that I like how they put up the prices for you to see straight away. You never have to wonder how much something is because every table has a list of prices for everyone to see. Their system went like this. Every book has a tag with a letter on it. All you have to do is find the letter on the published list of prices at the table you picked it up from and find the corresponding price. There were no confusions when it came to pricing and every single book had a tag. There’s nothing worse than when you’re shopping and have to keep finding an attendant to help you with prices because things aren’t tagged properly or because the pricing can’t be found on the item. The way they organized it just makes it a smoother shopping experience.
They did have one table in particular which was priced differently. The books were tagged with actual price tags and not just letters. This section was for Big Bad Wolf members only. Some of the books were quite special and were very affordable. I didn’t intend on being a member but when someone approached me and showed me how to become one, it was very simple. A quick scan of a QR code and just an email address and you’d get access to the special table with the different pricetags. It was a good thing that I signed up for the membership since I did end up buying some of those special access books.
I would highly recommend attending the next Big Bad Wolf book sale since there are just so many books to see and buy. I’d especially recommend it to students or professionals who want specialized books. They have an array of sections to choose from. They had sections for baking, cooking, photography, travel, beauty, wellness, music, and many more. Whatever you may be studying, or whatever your interests are, there was a section for it. From great big books to small almost pocket-sized ones. There’s something for everyone and every niche interest. And for the price, they are definitely good value for money.
When it came to paying, the cashier section moved quickly. All the event attendants were nice and accommodating. By the cashier section, there were a few tables that had some stickers, posters, and pins that you could buy if you wanted a souvenir or something to take home with you aside from just books. Overall, it was a well-organized event, and I can’t wait to visit them at the next location they move to. If you are interested, make sure to check their social media pages to stay updated on where and when the next book sale will be.
