Discount Children's Books, Please.Here's how I think about discount children's books...
It's true. Just because children's books are a necessity, it doesn't mean you should have to pay an arm and a leg.
You remembered the library, didn't you? I only ask because sometimes I forget. There's a book I need - I search, I order it online - then I remember I could have just gone to the library. Libraries are pretty much the ultimate in discounted children's books. I find they're also great for your child's autonomy. When I bring my daughter to a bookstore, the most frequent words out of my mouth are "Put that back." The library translation of "Put that back" is a much more supportive "That looks interesting." Happier parent. Happier kid. New discount children's books Some people want only new books for their children. New discount children's books can be found. You have to know where to look though. Book closeouts Closeouts, also called remainders, are new children's books that children's book publishers have stopped publishing. They have a bunch lying around and they're willing to sell them at a discount in bulk to retailers. The retailers sell them, at a discount, to you. Here's my favorite online closeout bookseller. With closeouts, you have to sift through some dismal but cheap children's books to find the gems. But the savings are worth it! Closeout books often feature a mark - a corner clipped off the cover, a slash mark written with marker - to designate them as such. They're still new, but the publisher marks them to let retailers know they were sold as is. No returns. That usually applies to the retail children's book buyer - you - as well. (Want some tips on browsing bargain book closeouts?) Local vs. online Stores that specialize in closeouts are where I like to shop for my new discount children's books. For these stores, discount children's books are only one small part of what they do. I've had my best success at Tuesday Morning and Ross Dress For Less (believe it or not). You may do just as well elsewhere. Search yellow pages listings under discount stores and factory outlets. Of course, if you shop locally for closeouts you're limited to what you come across. If you shop for closeouts online, you can zoom in on the particular discount children's books you're looking for. Children's book clubs These children's book clubs are tricky. They tend to be set up so that if you don't tell them not to, they send you books regularly... And charge you for them. If you're a well organized person, they can be a good deal because of their generous initial offers. But if you're the kind of person who's going to have trouble remembering to return a postcard or go to the website to say, "Don't send me that!" then the book clubs aren't for you. There's the Dr. Seuss Book Club and then there's the Children's Book of the Month Club. And go here if it's your child's teacher or school who would like you to participate in one of the Scholastic Book Clubs. Discount children's books - Used I'm a big believer in used books, though maybe as a writer I shouldn't be. After all, children's book writers (and children's book illustrators) don't make money off of resold books. Of course, the people who make the real money off new children's books are children's book publishers... And sharing and trading books is a waste-free form of recycling... And, frankly, the most important entity to me in all this isn't the writers, or the illustrators, it's my child. So if buying "pre-owned" children's books allows me to supply my child with more reading material, and a slightly more tidy world, then I'm all for it! Online discount children's books - Used People are starting to use the internet in some very creative ways in order to share books in general and children's books in particular. It's fascinating enough that I'm going to devote two pages to it. There's my children's booksharing page. You'll also want to check out my used children's books online page. And my eBay page too. And this just in! Have your kids grown out of some of their books? (I hope so!) There's a website where you can actually make money from old books in order to buy new books. It's called Clever Squirrel Books. Local discount children's books - used Okay, I have a bunch of ideas here for you.
Garage Sales You want discount children's books? Garage sales, yard sales, moving sales - whatever you want to call them - are your best bet. There's something I've noticed about children: they grow up. They move. Parents sell their books and toys. Where does all this come together? At a garage sale. Talk about your discounted children's books! What's better than cutting a deal for 5 books for a dollar? Chances are... ...your local paper now publishes its classified ads online. Searchable by area. Searchable by content. And because you're looking for discounted children's books - not unrecognized art masterpieces, not antique furniture - you don't have to get there at 5 in the morning! And these aren't children's book rejects. These are often the classics that book-loving children simply grew out of. And here's a great way to find your local newspaper classifieds. Click News Voyager. http://www.newsvoyager.com/voyager.cfm Skip the map and use the drop down menus and/or fill-in box to select your location and to select Classifieds as the newspaper section you want to start off in. Voila! Discount children's books are out there People don't tend to throw books out. That means they're available to you if you know where to look. Remember, visit my free kids' books page to find free children's ebooks and such. And check out my children's book sharing page to see how the internet enables you to trade free kids' books with other parents for nothing more than the price of postage - sometimes less! Now that's a discount children's book. Best Children's Books - Find Read or Write Home Page
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