‘It’s part of our culture’: Portlanders brave weather, long lines for Powell’s Books Warehouse Sale

When Andrew Schafer arrived at the Powell’s Books warehouse in Northwest Portland early Saturday morning, he saw a small line of people near the front door.

“I was wondering, ‘Why are employees lining up to get in?,’” he said. “And then I realized, ‘Oh, those are customers.’”

Schafer, the chief marketing officer for Powell’s, then saw the line grow and grow until it was nearly two miles long.

It was all for the Powell’s Books Warehouse Sale, where for two days bibliophiles could sift through more than 30,000 surplus books at heavily discounted prices. Hardcovers could be purchased for $3, while paperbacks were $2.

And people traveled from all over the country to take advantage. Employees said some came from Seattle, Idaho and even Florida.

Saturday saw the largest crowds, with lines winding for miles. Even with rain showers on Sunday, hundreds still waited outside, drenched in anticipation for an opportunity to explore the warehouse.

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Amy Gervais waited for an hour-and-a-half to get inside and said she felt overwhelmed amid the sea of people looking through books. Still, she left with two tote bags full of materials.

Asked why she thought lines were so long, Gervais said Portlanders are passionate about books and especially Powell’s, which claims to be the largest independent new and used book store in the country.

“I think we have a love affair with Powell’s,” Gervais said. “It’s part of our culture.”

Powell’s Books was originally founded in 1971 by father-son duo Walter and Michael Powell. On Sunday, Michael could be seen preparing shopping bags for customers with his daughter Emily, the company’s current president and owner.

Both had expected a large turnout for the sale, but not on such a massive scale.

“Yesterday was mind-boggling,” Michael Powell said on Sunday. “It’s been rough since the pandemic, but just seeing this kind of turnout really energizes you to do more.”

Emily Powell said she doesn’t yet know when the company will hold another warehouse sale — the current backlog had taken five years to accumulate — but that similar sales will be held in the future.

Some customers came out with one or two books, while others filled wagons and backpacks with as many materials as they could carry home. Shafer estimated that customers bought about half of all the books in the warehouse by Saturday afternoon.

One of those customers was Elizabeth Steffen, who exited the warehouse with two large bags and a gigantic backpack full of DVDs that were on sale.

After waiting in line for three hours on Saturday to no avail, she had arrived the next day at the crack of dawn with an awning and chairs to beat the lines and be one of the first people inside. Despite all the waiting, she said the experience was well worth it.

“This is a moment I’m going to be bragging about to all my friends and family.”