Generous haul of items for Regent Theatre collectors
HORDES of people, seemingly appearing from nowhere, shuffling like zombies, carrying boxes of books and other stuff — it was an odd sight, but appropriate for Halloween weekend.
It was an observation made by Regent Theatre 24hour Book Sale volunteers yesterday, at several collection points around Dunedin.
Sale coordinator Alison Cunningham said they visited Andersons Bay Rd, Richardson St in St Clair, Main Rd in Green Island, Countdown Mornington, Taieri Rd near Wakari Hospital, Fresh Choice Roslyn and Gardens New World, collecting ‘‘anything that anyone wants to give us — but not livestock’’.
How many books or items they collected yesterday would not be known until they had taken stock of their haul at a Dunedin warehouse this week.
‘‘We’ve collected thousands of books and we won’t really know what other items we have collected until we unpack all the boxes and see what treasures we’ve got.’’
Mrs Cunningham said the turnout of people wanting to donate had been excellent this year.
‘‘Compared to previous years, we’ve certainly been busier each stop that we’ve made. So that’s good.
‘‘At our first top in Andersons Bay Rd, I got there at 8.30am and there were already people there waiting.’’
She said many of the nearnew books, children’s toys and games, and other items suitable as Christmas gifts, would be sold at the Regent Theatre’s Christmas Gift Sale on December 45.
‘‘We’re going to have a wrapping station and we’re going to have handmade Christmas stockings that people can buy.
‘‘So you can basically bring a little bit of money along and you’ll be able to get your Christmas presents sorted.’’
She said the remainder of the books and items would be sold in next year’s Anything But Books and 24hour Book sales.
She hinted there may be changes to the formats of the sales, but remained tightlipped about what that meant.
‘‘We’re having a good look at what we’re going to do next year because we’ve got a lot of extra stock, having not had a sale this year.
‘‘We may be looking at doing something different and exciting next year, but I can’t tell you what it is yet.’’