New Plymouth's 24 Hour Book Sale was a major event on the community calendar for 25 years. It was first set up by Bryan Robb, the manager of the New Plymouth Opera House, in 1990, as a novel form of fundraising. Inspired by Dunedin's Regent Theatre Sale, the first New Plymouth book sale took place on13 July 1990 and was a roaring success. All books were donated by the community, and the funds made were used on projects to help restore the Opera House and improve its facilities. The books were collected, sorted and sold by volunteers every year, including Ron Lambert, who wore this vibrant orange shirt while manning the floor.

However by 2014 the rise in digital books meant profits were declining, and the amount of work that was required to keep the sale running remained immense. The New Plymouth Opera House Friends Trust made the hard decision to make the sale on the 8th and 9th of August 2014 the last sale. In the 25 years the sale has been running, it has raised over $500,000 for the Opera House.