Old Technology As Good As New At Book Sale

By Nancy K. Crevier

To many people, playing a video is akin to using a dial telephone. But Eleanor Zolov has been chairing the audio visual collection department for the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Annual Book Sale for ten years, and she knows that plenty of people still watch movies on VHS. “We get a lot of ‘teaching’ videos donated for the sale,” said Ms Zolov, “and parents are so grateful to get videos, even today, at a good price. They tell me that videos are actually easier for small children to handle and the kids can put a video in by themselves.” Last year, the Friends sold more than 3,000 VHS titles, both children’s and adult’s, priced between 50 cents and $2 each. This year looks to be equally as bountiful, said Ms Zolov.

Categories for VHS include sports, travel, exercise, history, and music, as well as many children’s videos. Like the thousands of books at the sale, the audio visual collections are alphabetized and categorized for ease of shopping. Ms Zolov and other knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand during sale hours to direct buyers and answer questions.

“We get a lot of the Disney and Pixar videos, as well as TV personalities from Barney to The Wiggles,” Ms Zolov said. This year, a collection from the In The Wild PBS series will be offered for sale. “These are narrated by famous actors like Anthony Hopkins, Goldie Hawn, John Cleese, and others, traveling to all parts of the world, and are just $2 each. This is a great nature series for families to watch together,” she said.

But it is not just children and families seeking out the older technology, said Ms Zolov. “We have quite a good group of senior citizens who seem to zero in on the VHS department,” she said, guessing that perhaps that age group is not necessarily going to replace older technology with the newer DVD or Blue Ray, as long as the VHS equipment works and they can obtain titles.

“The book sale is a great deal for selection and prices on VHS. And it is getting harder to buy them anywhere, anymore,” Ms Zolov said.

Along with popular movie titles, history, and nature series, the VHS collection this year will feature the Sopranos series, Sex and the City, James Bond, and Roots, to name just a few. An entire series could be purchased for just $15 or less, she said, a far cry from what they are sold for on the used market.

The audio visual collections consists not only of VHS editions. DVDs, CDs, books on tape, and cassette tapes make up the rest of the collection that “flies out the door” every year at the sale, said Ms Zolov. People with older model cars still look for music on cassette tapes or books recorded on cassette tapes, she said. “Cassettes are no longer sold anywhere in the greater Newtown area, and we have them for just 50 cents each.”

 “We have a wonderful CD music collection this year, as well, and people are so appreciative. Last year we had almost 1,000 titles and at $2 apiece, they did not last long. For a few dollars, you can build a nice collection or add to your music collection,” she pointed out.

This year is the first time that the book sale will feature more than 200 DVD movies. “We have received a lot of up-to-date movies. We are doing some testing of the movies we have had donated, and those that are tested will have a label put on them. There are just too many for us to test all of them, though,” she said. The DVDs will sell for under $5, the least she has ever seen a used DVD sell for in a store.

Movie and music buffs will not want to wait until half price day of the sale, Monday, to make selections, though. Ms Zolov warned that there is little left in the audio visual collection by the time that day rolls around, and by closing, there is nothing left. “I have never had anything left to box up and wonder what to do with at the end of the sale,” she laughed.

“I love doing this,” said Ms Zolov. “When I started, no one wanted to take on the audio visual collection, so I said I would do it, and I have found it to be a lot of fun. The most satisfying part is seeing how grateful the parents and children are to find such a good selection, especially in the videos. This is just one of the many little niches the book sale offers, and it’s a nice alternative for kids and parents to pick out entertainment together, and not spend a lot.”

The 33rd Annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale takes place this year Saturday, July 12, to Wednesday, July 16, at Reed Intermediate School on Trades Lane. There is a charge of $10 on Saturday only, from 9 am to noon, and $5 from noon to 5 pm. Numbered admission tickets go on sale July 12 at 7 am. The sale runs 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday; 9 am to 7 pm, Monday and Tuesday; and from 9 am to 1 pm, Wednesday. Monday is half-price day. Tuesday is $5 a bag day, and Wednesday is free day. The Friends will continue to take donations for the book sale through July 12. Drop off donations at the C.H. Booth Library, or call 426-4533 and leave a message for the Friends for pick up of donations.