Don't Pay Bundles of Money for Children's Books

Difficulty:
Very Easy
Cost:
$51-$250
Average rating:
"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves." Anna Quindlen
Reading to children and teaching children to read is one of the most essential things you can do for your child. If you want your child to learn to read well and if you want your child to love to read, you must read to them and you must surround them with books. Surrounding a child with books can be a daunting task for anyone who has stepped inside a major bookstore. A good picture book can cost between $12 and $25 dollars when bought off the bookstore shelf. However, it is not necessary to break the bank when supplying your children with a wide variety of good, fun, and educational books. One simply needs to learn to shop and look for books in the right places.
Step 1:

Shop at thrift stores.  Thrift stores are a wonderful way to collect books, if one is willing to search. Selling books is not the primary purpose of a thrift store, as a result, books at thrift stores are usually very inexpensive, not priced by value, and are usually disorganized. If one is willing to spend some time looking through books, there are treasures to be purchased for pennies. In addition, many thrift stores will run specials where you can buy ten books for a dollar or as many books as you can fit in a bag for a set price.

Step 2:

Go to library book sales.  Libraries often host book sales as fund-raisers to pay for the purchase of new books or to fund cultural events. These book sales feature books donated to the library as well as books that the library is culling from its collection. In addition, many libraries supplement the sale with posters, software, music, and videos. Often books can be purchased for a dollar or two.

Step 3:

Remaindered booksellers.  There are various booksellers who specialize in what are called remaindered books. Remaindered books are books that are not selling well and that the publisher liquidates at greatly reduced prices. Often, remaindered books are high-quality books. Beautiful and very expensive picture books can be purchased up at a fraction of the list price.

Step 4:

Take advantage of book clubs.  There are dozens of different book clubs available. Many of have incentives for joining them such as buy 6 books for a dollar and agree to buy three more at regular price during the next two years. These incentives can make it worth joining a club as long as you remember to discontinue your membership as soon as you reach your commitment. It can be a great way to start or add to your child's library.

Step 5:

Look for used books on the Internet.  If you are looking for a specific book and find it hard to locate, search the Internet. Often the book can be had at a reasonable price. If the book is common, it might be available for next to nothing.

Step 6:

Shop at used book stores.  Don't forget to shop used bookstores. While used bookstores are not the cheapest place to hunt for used books, they are a reader's paradise.

Useful Links:
Daedalus Books Online - New & Remaindered Books
BookCloseouts.com

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