Old in the New

Going to the CBD sale?

Tomorrow is the big CBD sale in Peabody, Massachusetts. At this sale, you can get some of the best prices possible on Christian books. I've found expensive books for pennies on the dollar. For all the new seminarians in the area that may be going tomorrow, here are a few hints.

1. Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll do a lot of walking.
2. Wear layers.
3. Bring a suitcase with rollers or a small luggage dolly that you can use to cart books around.
4. Bring water. You’ll get very thirsty.
5. Some folks like to get up at 3:00 in the morning and get in line for the warehouse opening at 7:00 am! You don’t have to do it, but some folks do. If you’ve got a good eye, you’ll be able to find good books at good prices any time of the day.
6. Adhere to a budget. You don’t want to have to tell your spouse, parents or supporters that you spent all their money on commentaries!
7. Don’t just look at the “academic” tables. A lot of times really good books will be mixed with homeschooling or general Christian books and Bibles.
8. Be careful. Just because it’s on sale, does not mean you’re getting a good deal. A $50 book could be marked off at a sale price of $35, but available at Amazon for $30 with free shipping.
9. Steer away from buying commentary sets – for the most part. Many commentary sets are inconsistent in quality. Choose the best couple of commentaries for each book of the Bible. For recommendations see:
   
1. The book lists at the Denver Journal are extremely helpful, and usually very up to date.
   
2. Master’s Seminary “850 books” is out of date (it lists the NA26 as the best Greek New Testament!). Still, it lists a lot of good solid resources for a pastor.
10. Look up the shelf numbers of items that you know you want to buy before going to the sale. See the CBD web site for more info.
    
11. Treat each other with courtesy. I’ve seen cute Christian grandmothers go head to head over a study Bible. Resist the impulse to be selfish, mean or rude.

posted by jdarlack @ 7.9.07