Avalon

This word has a whole new meaning for me. Until recently, all it meant to me was Roxy Music's sultry song and Bryan Ferry's sexy voice.

However, just recently I discovered Avalon, thanks to Katrina's comment and Wysgal's post on Rants & Raves (Thank you, girls!) . It's an online book sale/auction for books, most of which are second-hand. And the best part about it is it's local, which means no costly shipping and handling charges.

I love books but I especially love second-hand books. Not just because they're cheaper. I like the smell of old books, I like knowing that the book already comes with a history , with the possibility that it was enjoyed by someone previously. I like the dog-eared pages which probably mark pages of importance to someone, or just simply tells me it was well-read.

While living in London, I used to get such a thrill out of going into the thrift shop next door to my office not knowing what to expect and finding treasures on the shelves for 50 pence a piece. Sure, I still went into the occasional Waterstones to buy a new book every once in a while. In fact, I still visit Power Books or Fully Booked when I can't wait to get my hands on certain titles. But I frequent Books for Less and Book Sale more often.

So you can imagine my excitement when I logged onto Avalon. I bought 7 books straight away! All for less than Php 1, 800. Not bad! And the sellers (all 3 of them) were super friendly and super easy to coordinate with. They made the experience even more pleasant.

Now there is one drawback though: the limited selection. I don't think many know about it. There has to be more people out there who are interested in trading books? If you're reading this, please check out the site and if you like it, please spread the word.