Volunteer veteran returning for more
THE 38th Regent Theatre 24hour Book Sale starts this Friday, but for one seasoned volunteer it will be just another day at the office.
Andy Henderson has been volunteering for the annual event for almost 25 years and has watched it grow from humble origins into a classic Dunedin event.
Mr Henderson began volunteering in the mid1990s after bumping into a work colleague who was volunteering.
From there he started sorting and pricing books.
He now sits on the board of the theatre.
‘‘I just came in to buy some books one day and one thing led to another.
‘‘The following year I was in helping with the book sale and then got into the book sorting; and now I find myself pricing all the New Zealand history books because I collect them anyway.’’
This year there would be more than 2500 boxes of books up for sale, with prices ranging from $1 for common books all the way up to thousands of dollars for rarer items.
Some of Mr Henderson’s favourite items on show were a collection of early rugby almanacs from the 1960s, as well as a new section of Maori items which will be on sale for the first time this year.
Mr Henderson said the event regularly raised more than $70,000, but the biggest haul he had ever seen in one year was $112,000.
‘‘It was a bit more of a jumble sale back in those days.
‘‘Back then we would sell encyclopedias for a good price, but nowadays because of the internet you can’t give them away.’’
Funds raised from the book sale were reinvested in the Regent Theatre each year.
This year’s profits will be used to fund a 40 to 50person ‘‘blackbox’’ performance space, a small flexible theatre.
Event organiser Alison Cunningham said the theatre had a responsibility to provide a small performance space in Dunedin, especially following the recent closure of the Fortune Theatre.
‘‘The number of smallspace theatres in the city centre has decreased recently, so it’s really important that we fill that gap so we can cater for events like the fringe and arts festivals that bring in those niche audiences.’’
The book sale starts at noon on Friday.