The Thousands

Walking into Carpark V is more like entering a battleground than strolling down memory lane with the Enid Blytons in the corner. However, look past the fourth-hand whitegoods, stinky teddies and random lampshades, to find the literary magic behind a bunch of folk hobnobbing over a bowl of noodles.**Sydney’s Swap and Sell Market is a multifaceted experience. If you have the persistence to trawl through the pre-loved treasure and trash, there are international editions, oddities, outcast classics and rebranded bestsellers to be found.

And, as the name suggests, these guys still operate on a bartering system, so don’t forget to bring your old unwanted books and heckling lungs.