Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

Most people probably would scoff at camping out for a used-book sale. But then again, those people probably haven’t heard of the legendary annual sale at Bethesda’s Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.

The four-day sale—which will be held April 11-14 this year—draws hundreds of book lovers, from recreational readers to book dealers looking for inexpensive stock for their own businesses. And typically about 40 people end up staking out a spot in line outside the gates the afternoon before the Friday morning opening. Their goal: first dibs on the 150,000 donated books stacked on tables in the private school’s three gymnasiums.

Veterans of the sale, held since 1968, know there could be treasure hidden in those stacks—donations often include valuable estate collections and signed limited editions—while bargain hunters wait for the final day, when they can fill a paper bag with leftovers for $10.

9101 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, 301-657-4322, www.stoneridgeschool.org