Do I have to buy a wristband for my child on Friday?
Children up to 16 get a free wristband on Friday. We do not have enough carts for children to use their own carts, sorry.
Is there free parking?
Yes, there is free parking and it is both paved and level.
What if I get there really early on Friday morning? Will I be in front of the wristband people?
No, don’t be silly. We go through the trouble of offering wristbands so that people are not standing outside all night. If you want to get in early, contact us for a wristband the second Tuesday in October. You can do so through this site (and pay with PayPal). If you yell at us because you stood in line all night, don’t expect us to let you in. Seriously.
Do you have boxes for me to use?
We have a limited number of boxes to share. We buy boxes for use in sorting, storing and transporting books– but we do have a few to share and for bulk buyers on Friday and somewhat through the weekend. You should plan to bring your own boxes on Monday.
Do you have children’s books?
Yes, literally tons of them ranging from board books to chapter books, and including picture books, beginning readers, elementary non-fiction and novels. We also have books for teens in a separate section near pop culture and graphic novels.
Do you have Manga? Do you have Graphic Novels?
Yes and yes. We have as much as is donated to us– generally at least a table’s worth.
Do you pre-scan books?
Of course. We give away the proceeds from the sale to other local non-profits and we work all year to sort donated books into 80 different categories including silent auction and collectible books. Something has to pay the rent and keep the lights on. We are booksellers, not people running a bake sale. You can find our books online on eBay under “daytonbookfair” and “bookfairexpress”. However we have a high “floor” for online sales and each year we sell tons of books to people with scanners. How can this be? Well, the online market is very fluid– so books that were packed a year ago they may want now– or the floor of the individual scanning is lower than ours (which is frequently the case.)
Do you allow scanners?
Sure, we’re happy if you bring your scanner and we’ll even give you a place to charge it if you need to. However, just like all other shoppers we expect you to treat our inventory with care and respect. If you go through the tables pitching things hither and yon while scanning, you will be made to leave the sale. It’s just the golden rule.
Is there food available?
Generally, yes. In 2019 there was a miscommunication with the Food Concessionaire and they didn’t turn up on Friday. (Yes, we were hungry too.) We plan in the future to have the regular concessionaire in the building and a selection of food trucks outside. Check our Facebook page for updates on that.
Are there shopping carts?
We have approximately 90 shopping carts, all hand me downs and some in pretty rough shape. You are welcome to bring your own cart too.
Are your prices negotiable?
No. And if you find two copies of the same book with different prices, please do not bring it to our attention unless you want us to make both books the higher price.
Can we bring donations to the sale?
We much appreciate that you’d like to donate books to us, but we simply don’t have the means to accept them at the sale. You can donate them during the rest of the year at our office at 2181 Embury Park Rd, Dayton; during the Autumn Round Ups at all area Grismer Tires or if you need help, call us for a pick up (937) 999-4491 or email us at daytonbookfair@gmail.com.
What Happens to the books at the end of the sale?
On Monday morning we open the sale one last time for book lovers to take as many books as they want for $1 admission price. At 11:30 that ends . This is the last year for this special part of the sale. After the Blue Moon sale in February 2022, we sent 10 tons of books to be recycled. We’re not comfortable doing that anymore, and we’ve found it difficult to find a paper company to reliably partner with. Books that remain unsold at the end of the sale will be packed and stored for other markets. They will not return in for the 2023 sale.
What happens to collectible books at the end of the sale?
Collectible books are re-packed during Monday morning and will return to the regular floor of the sale the following year. Check vintage books for these titles. Auction books are listed online for sale or may return the following year as a collectible book.
Dayton Book Fair 