Reese Williams displays his prize purchases from the 2007 Trinity Bazaar: True Grit by Charles Portis; Streets of Laredo by Larry McMurtry; and War Birds by Elliott Springs and Burke Davis. Trinity Episcopal Cathedral's annual Autumn Bazaar has been known for many years for its high quality hand and homemade goods as well as attic treasures. Columbia attorney Reese Williams lucked into a super find at the bazaar last November: valuable first-edition books thrown into a Bag- For- A- Dollar sackful.

He'll be back next week for the November 15, 2008, bazaar. There's always something worth the search, he says.

"I'm a book collector," he admits. "A bag of books for a dollar was an irresistible lure to me, so I filled my bag with things that looked good and brought them home. I like to research these finds on the Internet, and lo, I tracked three of the books, first editions and in prime condition, for a total value of about $100.

"No, I haven't sold the books. I bought them because I wanted them. I did atone for my dollar- steal by sending Trinity a $100 donation in appreciation. I wouldn't have done that for a book retailer, but Trinity's profits all go to charity and I wanted to be part of that."

Trinity makes no promises of a fabulous return on a dollar investment. But there will be plenty of goodies, reasonably priced, and maybe a chance to great opportunities for Christmas shopping.

From 10 am to 3 pm, Trinity members will man their booths on the Cathedral campus, Sumter Street across from the State House. A children's carnival will keep the youngsters occupied while mommies and daddies browse. A barbecue lunch is available, and myriad shopping attractions: pickles, baked goods, new and used clothing, toys, gift baskets, and, of course - books!