Thousands of gently used books will await visitors to the annual book sale. File photo.

Princeton area bibliophiles, mark your calendars. The Bryn-Mawr Wellesley Book Sale, the largest used book sale in the region, will take place from March 22-26 at Stuart Country Day School.

Two large gymnasiums will be packed with books for the annual sale. Special collections for the 2023 sale include books from the private collections of historian James McPherson and best-selling author Richard Preston, many autographed or with personal bookplates. The sale will also feature a large number of history books from Princeton University and elsewhere.

The sale offers 65 categories of books in excellent condition, including non-fiction, fiction, trade, hardback, softback, art, rare and collectible books, coffee table and photography books, children’s, audiobooks, DVDs and CDs, and ephemera, including vintage postcards and more.
The sale specializes in top-quality hardback and paperback fiction, non-fiction, academic, university press, and rare books, all sold at bargain prices. Most hardbacks are $3. Books are donated to us by universities, scholars, local celebrities, and book lovers.

Shoppers must buy a $30 ticket to attend the first day of the sale on March 22. Entry is free for the other four days. Tickets can be purchased online until 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 19. You can also purchase a ticket at the door starting at 9 a.m. on March 22.

The Bryn-Mawr Wellesley Book Sale started in 1931 when Bryn-Mawr graduates decided to sell books to help young women attend their alma mater. Wellesley College alumnae later joined the nonprofit organization. The goals of the sale are to make quality non-fiction and fiction books available at low prices, recycle books and keep them out of landfills, provide a fun and vital volunteer opportunity for high school students, college alumnae, and Princeton area residents, and raise college funds for talented young women.

Book sale schedule

Weds, March 22 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 all day. Check-in and same-day ticket sales begin at 9 a.m. To check in and get in line for the opening at 10 a.m., arrive at least 30 minutes early.
Free Days:
Thurs, March 23 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fri, March 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sat, March 25 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Collector’s Corner closes
Sun, March 26 – $10 per Box Day 10 a.m. until noon, standard “wine box” size only.

For more information, to buy a ticket, or volunteer to help set up for the sale, visit bmandwbooks.com. Donations are no longer being accepted for the 2023 sale. Book donations will be accepted again beginning on Wednesday, April 19 at a new Princeton location to be announced. The book sale’s drop-off and sorting space is no longer located at 281 Witherspoon Street.

Stuart Country Day School is located at 1200 Stuart Road in Princeton.