Jurby Junk has now ceased trading but you will still be able to bag a bargain at the island’s most iconic secondhand store.

Legendary owner Stella Pixton plans to keep the unit holding the book room open until the end of October in the hope that she can sell all the books and leave the space free for a possible auction of other items that have remained unsold.

If you love old books the chances are that there may be some valuable volumes among Stella’s stock of books, possibly even some first editions if you are prepared to go and have a good root through the estimated one million books that she still has in stock.

She is open to doing a possible deal if anyone wants to take a large quantity of the books.

Stella said: ’I would love someone to take the whole lot cheaply or, if they handpick some of my best books, maybe 100 books for £100.

’Builders can buy "walls of books" cheaply for "cosmetic" effect or libraries might want to buy a quantity of books at a bargain price.’

A busy weekend with everything half price has seen the stock at Jurby Junk reduced somewhat but the treasures at Jurby Junk that are still for sale include a chair the Queen sat on when she came to the island for the Silver Jubilee.

Stella has ’no idea’ of how many items are there altogether but she reckons there are around 400,000 Isle of Man postcards; 12,000 - 15,000 LPs on vinyl; the same number of videos, and numerous singles, tapes and CDs.

She said that trading on Sunday had been especially brisk and also poignant with many people coming for a last look around and to say goodbye to her:

’Practically everyone wished me all the best and good luck for the future and one person called me a "national treasure".

’One chap came up to me and said: "Thank you for all the fun we’ve had over the years".’

It sounds like a very fitting tribute.

The bookroom (Unit 2) at Jurby Junk will be opening midday to 4pm seven days a week until further notice.

l Jurby Junk first opened its doors in 1972 in the old armoury building in Jurby before later moving to much bigger premises.

For more than four decades since it started trading the landmark emporium of antiques, bric-a-brac, clothing, ephemera and books, has been a magnet for both tourists visiting the island and locals seeking a bargain.

Over the years Jurby Junk has been featured on various television programmes, including BBC television’s Antiques Roadshow and the Travel Channel’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides of the World.