vinyarb

The feeling of rifling through a book over a hot steaming cup of coffee trumps swiping over an ebook anyday. I remember reading voraciously when I was much younger, and tearing through The Three Investigator series, and then later on hooked on books by Christopher Pike.

Yeah, mystery and horror books were pretty much my staple.

As I got older, I started reading less fiction. I think it’s the peer pressure of trying to look somewhat intellectual while on the train. You’d be better judged carrying ‘Freakonomics’ than ’50 Shades of Grey’, but then again, I see plenty of that too.

I think the habit of reading needs to be cultivated from a young age, but then again, the high cost of living in Singapore means the necessities likes clothes, milk, food always comes first. Books for children, which can get rather expensive, ranks pretty far below, especially for toddlers.

The Groovy Giraffe

That’s where The Groovy Giraffe comes in. The Groovy Giraffe is a Singapore based online remainder bookstore. They source overprinted and unsold books from publishers, who sell it to them at bargain prices, and in turn, they pass over the discounts to consumers.

For example, the deeply philosophical and existential book called “Are you a Cow?” typically retailing for $9.25 is now $4.90 at Groovy Giraffe.

For the adults, “Steve Jobs” is retailing for $14.90 instead of the usual $30.

I had a chat with the owners of The Groovy Giraffe, Kheng Hoe and Pearlin, and they shared their perspective on why they decided to do this.

First of all, why the name Groovy Giraffe?

We had a long discussion on this actually. We wanted a unique name that is cool and will appeal to people of all ages. Giraffe being the tallest animal can also spot a bargain from far away!

(If you’re not convinced about the Giraffe’s appeal, here’s a picture of a giraffe taking a nap.)

What are some of your favourite books?

My favorite books are mainly from the self help category. I love the books by Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie, Have a little faith) and Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers, Tipping Point)

While Pearlin’s favorite books are cookbooks as she enjoys cooking. She loves the recipe books of Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson. She is also a big fan of picture books with a huge collection at home.

What made you want to do this?

Being new parents, we realised that books in Singapore, especially children’s books, were extremely costly. We didn’t like this, hence started The Groovy Giraffe with the dream of helping readers save on good books.

The books are all brand new, save for remainder markings or some shelf wear.

So, book readers and bargain hunters, remember this url: http://www.thegroovygiraffe.com/

They are also on Twitter and Facebook, so go show your support, and get great discounts off your favourite books!

Oh, and to celebrate their 1-month opening, from 12 July (today!) to 22nd July, all featured books at $9.90!