How To Find These Books
Although many of these books were published a long time ago, a surprising number of them are still in print, have been reprinted, or can be found inexpensively if you know where to look. I do almost all of my book shopping on-line, so these instructions are for on-line book searching. Although these are offered in the sequence in which I generally search for a book, I highly recommend checking all sources before buying. Condition, age, and especially PRICE of the books can vary widely from different sources. Remember to account for shipping costs when comparing prices.
My first step is to check for a title at Barnes and Noble. If a book is still in print it will probably be available through Barnes and Noble, at a discount from the cover price. Barnes and Noble sells current titles and sells only new books. They offer free shipping on two or more books and also allow phone orders if you don't wish to use your credit card on-line. If your title isn't available they will give you a link to search for your title on their network of out-of-print booksellers, but I do NOT recommend using those sources as I have never seen a reasonable price offered from any of them. At least compare them to other sources before buying.
My next step both for in-print books and older ones is to check Half.com. Half.com offers mostly used books, and sometimes they are very cheap. But as half.com deals with individual sellers, prices vary widely and the price might be higher than for a new copy, especially if it's an older printing, so it's important to compare before buying.
If the book I am looking for is no longer in print, and is not available from half.com, my next step is usually to check for the title on eBay. Again, I recommend comparing eBay prices with other sources before buying, as they are sometimes badly inflated on certain titles.
My fourth source is Adall, the Used and Out of Print Search, which searches many major used book sites. I go here for older books. Again, these are individual sellers so prices can vary enormously, but I have found a lot of good discounts on books I thought would be hard to find.
Of course, before you decide to purchase anything, don't forget to check your local library! If I do not have complete publishing or other information for an entry, try the Library of Congress On-line Catalog for help. You can find more information many, many books there, but I haven't had time to research and publish complete information for every book on my list.
Of course, don't forget to check your local library for titles! Many libraries have access to interlibrary loan and can obtain books for you, and I have occasionally found doll books simply by browsing in a library or used book store.
That's all there is to it! I hope you find what you're looking for.
(c) 2001 by Sara Cole
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