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MommyD
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 12:20pm | IP Logged
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I would love some tips on building a family library without going into the poor-house!!
Melissa
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mary theresa
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 12:51pm | IP Logged
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Oh, I'd love to know how, as well! Books are my greatest love and I really want to start building a library! There's so many wonderful books out there!
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Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
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Anne McD
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 12:53pm | IP Logged
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I'm there with you! I love to get books at used book store and used on Amazon-- full price for books is so tough! (except for any authors on this board, of course  )
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Anne
Wife to Jon
Mommy to Alex 9
James 8
Katie 6
William 3 1/2
Benedict Joseph 1
and baby on the way! 10/14
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Caroline
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 1:09pm | IP Logged
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I have purchased some excellent used books at library sales. Sometimes the selection is good, sometimes not. Know what the good books are, what you want your library to have and hunt!
This linkcan direct you to some local sales in your area.
I often find books for $1-$2 (although I have found paperback Tomie dePaola books for 50 cents).
Happy hunting!
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Devoted Wife to  and Mama to three beautiful boys and another little boy due in September , and two beautiful souls in heaven
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aussieannie
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 2:58pm | IP Logged
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Melissa,
Four years ago the Australian government in an election year brought in a family bonus payment. It was $600 per child, per year in a lump sum and they paid it twice in that first year. I have 5 children so it was $6000. This money dropped out of the sky, so as to speak and had no pressing bills so we used $3000 and bought books, my oldest was a avid reader and was reading our adult encyclopedias,  so we thought it would be a good investment. We bought $1500 from Emmanuel Books and $1500 in Australia buying the complete sets of Vision books, Mary Windeatt and Bethlehem books. The Australian company were overjoyed and gave us 20% off the books.
Since then (and discovering Catholic Mosaic and Catholic picture books  ) I have been hosting a book party once a year and receiving 20% discount off my purchases. Just recently I've discovered US ebay - the Australian ebay just doesn't have the companies or private sellers, that sell Catholic books. With the feast of St George, I read our newly acquired copy of St George and the Dragon, which I bought for 50c and paid minimal postage by asking to have it sent via economy mail. This has become my new avenue for cheap books new and used. There are many cheap bargins I cannot buy because I'm Australian and they will only post to the US, so I would say that very good buys are to be had there. I just did a search on every book I want to buy, all the Catholic Mosaic's I still need and others I have had a wish list for. If I can't afford it at the time, I send the link to desktop where I put it in an ebay folder, for these links tend mostly to be companies with a 'buy it now' price and so I feel confident I can go back at a latter date and purchase.
It is always a good investment - I have 5 children so far, these books will be treasured and well read. I have just done a computer 'inventory' on every saint story in my library and put them in order of each day of the year - we are now reading our stories like never before and on the saint's feast days. When they have grown up, you will not have trouble selling them, that is for sure!!
While we are on a single income and it is hard, I think we save soooo much money not paying private school fees at a Catholic Schools. So we do budget specifically for Catholic children's books as they are a source of education and inspiration that even I can remember as a child and still feel the effects of their goodness today, as an adult.
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Under Her Starry Mantle
Spiritual Motherhood for Priests
Blessed with 3 boys & 3 girls!
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aussieannie
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 4:38pm | IP Logged
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While I think of it....the buying and selling board here is good, I bought a Cooking with the Saints and When Jesus came to my House from here. Also Cathswap is a great place to buy secondhand Catholic books and curriculum.
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Under Her Starry Mantle
Spiritual Motherhood for Priests
Blessed with 3 boys & 3 girls!
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helene
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 5:57pm | IP Logged
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We are a large family living on a Teacher's Salary so we are often forced to be more economical than we'd like. My two favorite resources: Campusi.com and BookCloseouts.com. Also, most libraries have good book sales when they clean out (this time of year!).
Happy Shopping.
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Happy Mom to five girls (20,17,13,11and 4) and five boys (19, 15, 10, 8 and 6)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 8:01pm | IP Logged
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I find great books at garage sales- always lots of de Paola, plus Little House books, etc. I don't live in a heavily Catholic area, though, so I don't find many saints books or religious books that way- I usually buy those through half.com, Amazon.com (has a used section), Overstocks.com or Bookcloseouts.
I also hit the library sales, but I have found you have to get there right when they start to get the really good books. At garage sales I pay anywhere from 0.05 to a dollar for books. At the library sales, fifty cents to $2-3.
I also keep a list of books handy for relatives and friends when they ask what to buy as gifts. My SIL last Christmas sent me several things from half.com, and the kids have enjoyed them all.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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chicken lady
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| Posted: April 23 2007 at 8:04pm | IP Logged
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Make lists of books you want, say the Catholic mosaic list, carry it with you to yard sales etc, you will be blessed by your finds.
Half Price book stores if you have them in your area are wondeful. I always come out of there with arm loads from their clearance area. The complete set of HAppy Hollisters at .50 each.
Book hunting is half the fun, enjoy, and don't forget to ask for them for your dc b-days and Christmas.
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: April 24 2007 at 7:27am | IP Logged
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Great suggestions from everyone above! I'd just like to add that I am learning to put my homeschool budget money into really good books. Sometimes packaged curriculums with all the colorful workbooks look so inviting. But at the end of the year you have these paperback workbooks, falling apart, and besides keeping them for nostalgic purposes they are really of no use. Now I try to buy just the absolutely necessary workbooks (like a math workbook or something) but put everything else into good literature - hardbound if possible. DH is a book lover as well so when we go to the homeschool conference each year, we spend most of our time at the used book tables. I keep a list of the books we already have as well as a "wish list" on a clip board and carry it with us. That has really helped a lot!
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Building a family library
