BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, EDUCATION, AND HOMESCHOOLING
Home of Barb's People Builders
Education is our business!
We supply the literature, workbooks, and teaching materials you need in all subjects, preschool through high school.
USED BOOK INFORMATION
Price Codes / Links to Used
Books for Sale
Glossary of Terms Used in Describing Books
Ordering Information / Estimating
Shipping Costs
Used books may be combined with new books in your orders.
But be sure to specify that a book is used when you order it, because many of the books we
sell used we also sell new. All used books are paper unless HC is specified.
PRICE CODES
We are currently in the process of revamping our pricing structure.
Until we can change the entire site, please note the following price codes:
B after a price indicates a budget book that gets no further discount.
D after a price indicates that the 10% discount has already been applied.
S after a price indicates a
sale book (damaged or overstock) that gets no further discount.
* after a price indicates a short discount book which we cannot afford to discount
or an item the publisher has forbidden us to discount.
U after a price indicates a used book. (We are still in the process of adding the
"U")
Items with no code are eligible for the 10% discount on the order form unless they are
used books.
When you place an order or make an inquiry by e-mail
or phone,
it is important to include the entire price, including the code, so that we can find your
book easily.
PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
Condition of books / Ordering books
LINKS TO USED BOOK LISTS
Rare or Collectible Used Books
for Children and Adults
Judy Bolton: #34, Puzzle in the Pond
(sold, but information remains for reference)
Zane Grey's Sports and Children's Stories
in Walter Black editions.
Academically Related Subjects
American History / California History / Biography ( Secular)
Ancient and Medieval History/ Modern
World History
Miscellaneous Social Studies or Mixed Subjects
Geography and Travel
Law, Government, Civics, Economics
Language Arts (Learning to Read, Grammar and Usage, Spelling,
Writing, and Story-Telling)
Fine Arts / Education and Home Schooling
Math /Science /
Used Foreign Language Books and Courses
Used
Reference
Used Literature
Easy-to-Read Books for Beginners / Picture
Books
Used Mysteries for Adults and Mature Teens
Used Literature for Elementary and Junior High Students
Used Literature for Teens and Adults / Zane Grey Books
Ephemera
Used Christian Books
Bible Stories, Bible Curriculum and Children's Devotionals
Bible Study, Theology and Bible Related Reference
Christian Biography (Those known for Christian work
or witness)
Christian Living (Devotional,
Inspiration, , Suffering and Grief)
Family Life, Marriage, Parenting, Relationships, Singleness, Sex
Education and Abortion
(Some of the books in the topic above may be secular)
Business,
Motivation, Relationships and Self Help
Business, Personal Finance, MLM, and Secular Motivational
Literature
Family Life, Marriage, Parenting, Relationships, Singleness, Sex
Education and Abortion
Secular Books on Self-Help, Motivation, and Inspiration
Practical
Skills for Around the House and Garden
Cooking / Health, Diet and
Fitness / Gardening
(Hobbies, Home Skills, Child Care, Home Business,
and How-to-Do-It Books)
Recreational Activities
Hobbies, Games, and Crafts
Humor, Jokes and Comics /
Pets and Domestic Animals /
Sports
If you can't find the book you need here, try searching
the
following data bases of used books sold by thousands of independent
dealers worldwide.
DESCRIPTIONS OF BOOK
CONDITION
Most of the books for sale on these pages are described
in lay terms, not professional bookselling terms. Here are some of the terms I will use to
describe books and what they mean. For books under $3.50, I
will give only brief descriptions using the general condition terms below. If I were to
list every flaw in these books, I could not afford to offer them for under $5.00.
BCE: Book Club Edition
Fair means the cover might not look so
good, but all the pages are intact and the hinge isn't loose, and the book isn't torn
unless noted. .
ffep: The end paper that is not attached
to the inside front cover.
G: This is the abbreviation for Good in
bookman's language, and means it's not beautiful but it's readable.
Good means the books might have a few
defects such as a paperback cover that doesn't lie flat or a cover that might have a
slightly bent corner or some of the color worn off, but nothing that makes the book more
difficult to read or use, and nothing that shortens the book's useful life. It might have
a name, bookplate, or label or some other writing near the front of the book.
HC: Hardcover. Some of these may not
have dust jackets -- either because they weren't issued with them or because they are
missing. If the dust jacket is very important to you and you don't see it mentioned in the
description, please feel free to write and ask if
the book has one.
Library discard usually has a pocket and
date slip present or removed with the removal marks still there. It also usually has the
name of the library stamped in one or more places throughout the book and a location
marker written or taped on the spine. Expect that.
MM: Mass market or pocketbook size
NF: near fine -- almost like new
OP: Out of print at time book was
listed. Books continually go in and out of print, and what's out of print today may be
brought back tomorrow, especially if it's been in print in the past couple of years. Some
of the old classics are also being republished.
Poor means the book may be falling
apart, but you can still read it. Just don't expect it to last very long. It also might
have some scribbling on end papers or text pages, or an occasional torn page.
Pretty good means the cover may be a bit
dog-eared or wrinkled, as though it might need ironing, but no really bad creases are
present, and no pages are torn unless noted.
VG is the abbreviation for Very
Good.
Very good means a book shows very few
signs of wear, but some of the surface color may have flaked off and there may be a bit of
minor wear near the edges and corners of the paper cover.
- / This mark in between two terms or abbreviations as in VG/G
is used to show the condition of the book and its dust jacket for hardcover books. In the
example used above, the book itself is in very good condition, whereas the jacket is only
good. I have only used this mark in my BT listings, and when you see it, assume this is
bookseller's language, rather than lay language.
Other defects, if present, are noted in
the description. Almost all of the books have either a name label, book plate, or previous
owner's name in one or more places. Just assume that, unless I say it's perfectly free of
writing. I will note it if a child has taken half a page to write his name in red crayon,
or some such thing. If you have specific questions about a book's condition, just ask.
Some descriptions may seem a bit more detailed and
technical. Those are the ones I have copied from their descriptions on tomfolio.com
and other book search services. I am trying to list all of the appropriate used books I
have for sale here in one place to save you the trouble of following more links. Iif you
can't find what you need here, you might want to look for your book in www.tomfolio.com,
They represent several hundred used book sellers throughout the world and are easy to
search.
ORDERING INFORMATION
Be sure to check the availability of a book by e-mail before you actually mail a check. Most of
these books are one of a kind, and a book may already be on hold for someone else who
inquired first. I try to mark these books with a SP for "sale pending" until I
actually get the check and mail the book to the one I'm holding it for. But sometimes I
forget or haven't had time yet to mark the SP. The other advantage of checking
availability is that when I know what you want, I can weigh your order to calculate
exactly what your shipping and handling cost will be. That usually saves you money over
the estimate system described below. You may include any new books you want to order in
this e-mail as well and use it instead of the order form. Just include your name, mailing
address, phone number, and a valid e-mail address with your inquiry. That helps me with
the postage calculation. If you need something shipped Priority, let me know that, too. I
will mail you a reply telling you if the books are still available and the amount of the
check you should send. After your check arrives, I mail the books. That's all there is to
it. If you want to pay with a credit card, wait until availability is confirmed and then
either call in your number to (800) 925-8587, or send two separate e-mail messages. The
first should have the ordering information and the first two groups of credit card digits.
The second e-mail should be labeled with "ORDER PART B -- YOUR NAME in the subject
line, and contain in the body the last two groups of digits, the expiration date, and your
name the way it appears on the credit card.
MINIMUM ORDER
We have a minimum order requirement of 7.00, excluding
postage, handling, and tax. You may combine new and used books to meet this minimum. If
you find yourself a little short, try ordering some of the books from our inexpensive book page, many of which are only a dollar, to make up
the difference. Orders under the minimum will be charged a 1.00 service charge.
A NOTE ABOUT ESTIMATING POSTAGE
Books are coded A, B, or C beside the price. For books labeled "A" postage is
$4.00 for first book and .25 more for each book in that category thereafter. For
"B" books, the first book is $4.00 and each "B" book thereafter adds
.50 to shipping. For "C" books, the first book is $4.00 and each "C"
book thereafter adds $1.00
If buying books from more than one category, the book from the highest initial cost
category must be considered the first book. So if you buy an "A" book, a
"B" book, and a "C" book, postage would be $5.50 for all three. If you
include new books with your order, count each mass market paperback as an "A"
books, and each workbook or trade paperback or average size hardcover book as a
"B" book.
This postage information is to help you estimate postage.
It is not exact.
All books are mailed U.S. Mail, Special Fourth Class (Book Rate) unless Priority is
requested. Priority mail rates start at $5.00. Shipments are insured -- either privately or
with the Postal Service. It is not possible to insure foreign shipments
unless they go by regular parcel post air mail, which is very expensive. If you want a
book shipped outside the USA, you need to send me your address with your inquiry so that I
can give you a postage quote.
Estimated rates apply to U.S. delivery only.
For more used books in other subject areas,
try the following data bases of independent used books dealers:
TomFolio.com: The new cooperative of
independent used books dealers who adhere to a strict code of ethics and guarantee that
the books you buy from them will be as described. I have met many of these dealers,
since I belong to TomFolio myself. I highly recommend it as a first search. You
can buy direct from the dealers, and they encourage communication if you have questions.
If you want to pay by credit card, there is a secure server on the site. Many dealers
also accept PayPal. Check their individual terms. Search my inventory or browse
it by category at my Tom Folio
Home Page. I have many books there that are not listed here.
For links to other independent used book
dealers you might want to search, click here.
We receive a small commission from some links to third party sites with whom we have an affiliate relationship.
We're in the Pacific Time Zone
Our normal office hours when we answer the phone are 10: 30 AM - 4 PM Monday -
Friday.
We answer email and ship at other times, but normally take Sundays off.
You can fax your purchase orders to 805-237-8639, but it's good to follow up with a phone call in a couple of days to make sure we got it, if you did not receive a delivery confirmation email. Please include an email address with your purchase order in case we have questions and so we can send your delivery confirmation number to you. You can also attach a signed purchase order to an email.
We prefer you ask your questions about products
and availability by
e-mail (barbsbooks@sbcglobal.net), since that gives us more time to prepare a thoughtful answer and
keeps us from playing phone tag. Please remember to put our email address in
your address book if you have a spam filter or you won't ever get your answer
unless you also leave a phone number. We cannot usually tell you immediately over the phone if a
book is here. We have to walk two blocks to check the warehouse, so I usually
have to call you back or email you anyway. We do check our e-mail frequently
throughout the day when we are at home. If we should be out, and you leave a
message on our answering machine, we sometimes cannot hear the phone number
clearly to return your call. Those are some reasons why we recommend you email
us first. If you want us to call you, please leave your phone number and time
zone.
When you do email us, please do not leave the subject blank or just say "Hi" or
"Hello" as the subject. We delete those before opening because a lot of spam
messages look like that.
We have supplied a subject line in the link provided above that will guarantee
your mail will be opened fast.
Or call (800)925-8587 (not before 10 AM or after 10 PM Pacific Time)
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