Bibliophiles, get ready for first Powell’s warehouse sale in two decades

Powell’s Books, considered one of the finest independent bookstores in the United States, announced that it will hold its first warehouse sale in 20 years.

The event runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, at 2720 N.W. 29th Ave., Portland.

An Instagram alert, posted over the weekend, reads, “You know what’s better than books? More books!”

Powell’s was created in the 1970s by Michael Powell and his father, Walter Powell. The main branch, Powell’s City of Books at Northwest 10th Street and Burnside, opened in 1979.

That site, which takes up a full city block, claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world.

The Instagram alert reads, “Yes there will be music! And food carts? Yes, of course. But most importantly there will be books and books and books. Hardcovers, paperbacks, mass market — all at exception, amazing, nearly ridiculous sale prices."

KOIN 6 News, a partner of the Pamplin Media Group, reported that the bookstore will offer hardcovers for $3, paperbacks for $2 and mass-market books for $1. Customers also will be able to purchase an entire bag of books at a low cost sometime on Sunday.

Chief Executive Officer Patrick Bassett told KOIN 6 that Powell’s hasn’t hosted a selling event of this scale in two decades. That changed during the pandemic, when the store couldn’t update its stock as often.

“I’d say over the last year, we’ve had a lot of really good inventory coming in, but we lack the shelf space to effectively merchandise,” Bassett said. “We’re going to clear the shelves of the old inventory and make room for hopefully a lot of really good inventory that our customers are looking for.”