Success! Wrap-up of the 2026 Used Book Sale

Another successful Used Book Sale is in the books! We often say we are a "well-oiled machine," and that was certainly true this year. Our Captains and crew maintained that momentum with several smart additions to our procedures.

We owe a massive thank you to our volunteers and team leads. We especially want to recognize the incredible students who handled the heavy lifting and cleanup, and the "voluntary" spouses who stepped up to fill the early morning shifts. Your dedication ensured everything ran smoothly and without a hint of drama.

This year, we were able to provide a better browsing experience for the customers. By moving the cookbooks to the main room, we gave the children’s section more space and eliminated the need to store books in boxes under the tables. Customers truly appreciated the extra room to breathe and shop. We also saw a spike in puzzle interest, selling out early in the sale.

This year, we added a dedicated line for donations on our tally sheets. This proved to be a simple and effective way for customers to support us further, with many choosing to round up their totals. We are processing the hundreds of chits to determine the final total, but the preliminary volume of donations looks very promising.

While the rain on donation days meant we had a slightly smaller volume of books, the quality was exceptional. This meant fewer items ended up in the dumpster and more ended up in the hands of happy readers. Plus, our partnership with FUNDrive ensured that every unsold book went toward a good cause while earning us a bit of extra revenue.

We are always striving to make this sale easier to run. If you have feedback or ideas for next year, please send us an email.

Mark your calendars: We’ll be back at First United Church from April 14–17, 2027!