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I visited the internet’s worst-kept bargain book secret – did it live up to the hype?
By Megan Harwood-Baynes, cost of living specialist
If you are a bookworm or have spent any amount of time on BookTok, you have probably heard of the 66 Book Club.
And if you haven’t, don’t be surprised when I describe a warehouse on a dreary industrial estate in Hemel Hempstead as actual heaven.
66 Book Club usually operates for trade purposes, selling books wholesale, but one weekend a month (sometimes two) they allow members of the public to visit and stock up on books for up to 70% off the retail price.
In real terms, this means your average £8.99 paperback becomes £2.86.
If you want to push the boat out and treat yourself to a bougie £20 hardback, it will cost you £6.36.
Like most hidden gems, it is not actually that hidden – a few viral TikTok videos mean you’re pretty much guaranteed to be spending time queuing.
I first visited in November 2022, before it got hugely popular (yes, I liked it BEFORE IT WAS COOL GUYS). We managed to rock up on Sunday at 11am, found parking directly outside the front door and walked straight in.
There’s no real system inside; books are slightly haphazardly divided between children and adults, but generally, any sense of structure ends there.
You need to leave enough time to properly dig around, and while all the books are new, you are unlikely to find any that were published the week before. I did find plenty of fairly recent bestsellers, some big names and several others that I thought just looked good (because at that price, you can afford to take a risk).
I ended up with a stack of books that staff told me had a retail value of more than £140.
I paid £33.
Second time is also a charm?
I took my mum again in April 2023 and this time, it had suffered more heavily from the curse of the viral TikTok. We ended up fighting for our lives trying to find a parking space and standing in the queue for just over an hour to cross the threshold.
However, once we made it inside, it was just as great as the first time. My mum is a headteacher so stocked up on books for her school, while I meandered down the fiction aisles.
She ended up buying £749 worth of books for her school.
The amount she ended up paying? £149.
So is it worth it?
Honestly, yes. Especially with Christmas coming up, it can be a great way to stock up on bargain presents.
The business now posts queue updates on its Facebook page, which show how visiting at different times of day can make a huge difference…
So if you’re going early, go really early, but waiting until the afternoon seems to be your best bet (it’s a warehouse, it isn’t going to sell out). Make sure to leave enough time – you can find some absolute bargains but you need to be willing to really trawl the shelves. Take coffee and snacks because you will be there for a few hours.
Finally, keep a close eye on your finds… I had to fend off a few basket snatchers (I wish I was joking).
The next book club is taking place on 7 and 8 December, so save me a place in the queue.
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