CHRIS TITLEY visits a sale with a difference

BOOK lovers can spot a heavyweight writer a mile off. Charles Dickens, Salman Rushdie and the like - well, you don't get many of their works to the pound.

Now you can find out exactly how heavy these heavyweights are. In a "novel" move, which will affront the senstivities of traditional booksellers, a temporary York shop is selling its books by weight.

That's right. At the Publishers Book Clearance store, presently trading in Coppergate Centre, bargain hunters are piling books on the scales and paying accordingly.

All unpriced volumes are being sold at £1.69 per pound - or £3.72 per kilo in new money.

Selling volumes by volume may seem like sacrilege to some, but it is proving popular with many customers.

"Takings have doubled since we have had this sale," said Louise Lambert, shop manager.

"One customer bought about £60 of books, which you can imagine is quite a lot. They were presents for next Christmas."

One disgruntled reader interrupted our interview to say that a paperback book he had just bought from another shop for £6.99 would have cost him £2.42 in hardback in the sale.

"People are quite enthusiastic about it," Louise said. "It's just fun.

"Everybody comes in and says, 'I have weighed vegetables before but not books'.

"The kids love it. They say, weigh this! Weigh this!"

Publishers Book Clearance has been occupying the premises, formerly Burton Menswear, since September. But the sale has been running for less than a fortnight.

There are 12 other branches of the Sheffield-based group across the country. A temporary shop at Scarborough is soon to move to permanent premises.

"Some of the stock you get here is returns from booksellers like Borders, WHSmiths and Tesco. Some of the stock is out of print," explained Louise.

Billed as "the craziest book sale ever", the idea is thought to have been pioneered in Britain by Publishers Book Clearance, although books are sold by weight in some South African stores.

Customers can check the price on scales dotted through the shop. Then they weigh and pay.

A paperback version of the classic Dracula, by Bram Stoker, weighed in at 86p. The Salman Rushdie hardback The Ground Beneath Her Feet, original price £18, is £3.68. And Postman Pat's Sleepy Day costs £1.06, as opposed to £5.99 when first published.

Publishers Book Clearance is one of a number of temporary shops that have sprung up in York recently. It pays a discounted rent, but has to move on when a full time occupant is found.

Because it is in premises already earmarked for retailing, no planning permission is required.

Liz Levett, head of City of York Council trading standards, said there were three different types of temporary shop. Some, like the Coppergate bookshop, were legitimate businesses with a short term lease selling merchandise that was up to scratch.

Others pay the rent but sell goods of questionable quality.

Finally there were the crooks who take over shops without permission, sell-up and move on.

She said trading standards officers visit temporary stores to ensure they are not breaching the law.

But consumers should be aware that the temporary shop will soon move on. If you are unhappy with the goods you bought there, and it has closed its doors, you may struggle to trace the owners.

Shoppers should look out for a sign displaying the name of the business and an address to which documents can be sent. This information should also be on your receipt.

Any limited business, or any business trading under a name other than the owner's, is required to display this information by law.

Otherwise, Liz Levett's message is use your common sense.

It may be worth thinking twice about buying from "somewhere that opens up with a closing down sale".

"Weigh up what you're buying, and where you're buying from," she said.