Holiday Shopping Is Here!
What's New in Our Bookstore - Gift Ideas, National Geographic Magazines from the 1940s, Recently Added Books
Discussion Board for Book Lovers - Current Topics
Article - How to Buy Gift Books Online
December Discounts and Promotions
Refer a Friend: Free Book Offer for Cat's Cradle Books Newsletter Subscribers

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It is impossible to believe, but the holiday season is upon us. There's still time to shop online - check our December discounts and promotions, below, for our book shipping special.

Shipping Deadlines: Within the US, you can purchase books up to and including December 19, and with Priority Mail, they should be there by Christmas morning. Hanukkah orders should be placed no later than December 2 for delivery by the beginning of the Festival of Lights. International orders shipped by Global Priority should arrive at their destinations by Christmas if ordered by December 12. (It's a bit late for Hanukkah deliveries outside the US, unfortunately.)

We Wrap Gift Books: As a service to our customers, Cat's Cradle Used, Rare and Out of Print Books gift-wraps books at customer request. It makes giving a book to someone far away that much easier. When you check out, add a note to the "comments" window that you want the book gift wrapped, and we'll take care of it. There is no charge for this.

Gift Ideas: Art, Antiques, Children's & Teens, Signed Books - a carefully chosen book is always the right holiday gift-giving answer.

National Geographic Magazines from the 1940s - We are in the process of adding dozens of National Geographic Magazines from the World War II and post-war years. Our inventory spans the entire decade of the 1940s, although we no longer have a full run because individual issues are selling briskly. Many have the original fold-out National Geographic maps included. We provide a scan of the front of the magazine plus a detailed list of contents (example) for each magazine, since we know that many people are looking for a specific article or author. GIFT IDEA: Do you know a War baby or an early Baby Boomer? Give a National Geographic from his/her birth month.

Recently Added Books – The 100-plus books currently in this area of our store were added between 15 and 30 November. We update this list frequently

Note: Owing to a cyberattack, we have had to discontinue our book discussion board. We apologize to our readers for this.

Buying books online as gifts presents a dual challenge.

What book is the right book? And what book is in condition such that you'd want to give it as a gift?

What a wonderful gift a book makes! It indicates that the giver has thought about the recipient and has taken time to choose a book, whether online or in a brick-and-mortar store.

That said, how does one decide on the perfect book--assuming that there isn't a ready made shopping list with author, title, ISBN, and so forth?

Choosing the Book

Consider age and reading level, in the case of children. Picture books are abundant, in all topics and interests.

Many children who read are devoted to series books. This has been true from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to the present day. A volume in a favorite series might be appreciated - although it's often hard to know what series books a child has not yet read. A discreet inquiry might be in order. Or if a favorite copy has become worn, a brand-new replacement is one idea.

For children, also consider whether this is to be an heirloom book or not. Children are notoriously hard on beloved books, as they should be. it indicates they're reading. Before you invest in a higher-priced collectible such as a signed first edition, consider this. It's a great idea, of course, but the child is probably less likely to appreciate its importance than the parents or the gift giver him/herself.

When would a signed first edition at higher price be appropriate? Perhaps as a gift to an older child or to an adult. Receiving a childhood favorite in this manner is a touching experience. Of course, there are also many children who care for their books very well. Don't leave them out here - they will appreciate the gesture with every passing year.

For all ages, signed copies of favorite books--or books in a favorite subject or genre--are great ideas for gifts. Signed books can range from very inexpensive to sky's-the-limit.

Books reflecting the hobbies, favorite sports, and other special interests of the recipient are always welcomed. So are books about travel to places the person has always wanted to visit.

A gift book's condition matters...

Pay close attention to the "grade" assigned to used books online. This grade is generally "fine," "very good," "good," "fair," and "poor." Some sellers use variations on these, but these terms are standard in the bookselling trade. When buying gift books, you will probably want to look for those that are graded "fine," with "very good" possible for some. Antiquarian books described as "good," which are very hard to find in "fine" or "very good" condition, might also be worthy of giving as gift books.

Use caution when you see the following bookseller descriptions: "like new," "mint," "excellent," "in good shape for age of book," and "acceptable." While "as new" is an accepted term in the industry, "like new" has seeped in from huge listing sites which are heavily populated by hobbyists and amateurs (along with many expert, professional booksellers who avoid these terms). "Mint" has made a leap from coin collecting to book descriptions. It suggests amateurism, as do "excellent" and "in good (or great) shape for age." As for "acceptable," this should tell you to expect a worn and used copy. It is not an established bookseller term. Avoid these as well, unless you are able to contact the seller for specific information.

NOTE: There are some very reputable booksellers who use these terms. But I would strongly advise that you investigate before buying, if condition is important to you. Also, read the details of the description when "fine" is used to describe books; many inexperienced online booksellers haven't taken the time to educate themselves about this term, and they use it to mean a book that's "just okay."

Seek booksellers who use grading and condition terms as the Independent Online Booksellers Association defines them. Avoid booksellers who use these terms with no further description (except possibly in the case of "fine" - but there are so many sellers out there who misuse this term, I'm cautious even then). The grade tells you it's a book in gift-giving condition. The description tells you the nature of the wear the book has received.

In the case of "fine," the wear should be very, very slight. In the case of "very good," there might be a few flaws like minor edge wear to the dustjacket and so forth. However, it should still be worthy of gift giving if it's a special and scarce book.

Look for booksellers who post pictures of the actual book for sale - not a generic picture such as would be found on some of the larger sites. Amazon, Alibris, and half.com, for example, show generic pictures of books on their sites. Abebooks, biblio.com, and ChooseBooks show pictures of individual books that each seller has uploaded. Online independent used book websites also generally show pictures of the actual books when such pictures are part of the website.

Plan ahead so that you can communicate by e-mail or phone if necessary. Let the bookseller know that this book is going to be a special gift, and ask the seller to confirm the condition. Also ask the seller if the book can be gift wrapped if you're sending it to someone far away. Many booksellers do this at no charge. Some charge a nominal fee.

Also plan ahead for shipping, or be prepared to pay higher prices for fast shipping. Media Mail in the US might take up to 3 weeks from the east coast to Alaska, for example (usually it's a week or two to most places in US). Surface post from the US to other countries is 4 to 6 weeks in most cases. If you are ordering within 2 weeks of a holiday, birthday, or anniversary, it's better to pay a bit extra for Priority Mail inside the US. Speed of international shipping varies dramatically, as does domestic shipping within different nations, so it's best to plan well ahead if you can.

Now - Surf the internet, find a bookseller who has the perfect gift choice, and buy with confidence from booksellers who are eager to answer your questions and accommodate your gift and shipping needs.

Within the US, you can purchase books up to and including December 19, and with Priority Mail, they should be there by Christmas morning.

Until 19 December, we are offering a FREE UPGRADE TO PRIORITY SHIPPING IN US for all purchases of $50.00 or more (after any price discounts are applied). We are also offering a FREE UPGRADE TO GLOBAL PRIORITY OR AIR MAIL SHIPPING INTERNATIONALLY for all purchases of $75.00 or more.

You don't need to do anything to receive this discount. Just choose "media mail" or "surface" when selecting shipping options, and we will automatically send your purchase by a faster method.

In addition, we're extending this fall's popular 20% Sale through the end of December. Coupon code DEC04 applies.

Free Book Offer for Newsletter Subscribers

Forward this newsletter to a friend with a recommendation that he or she subscribe. If your friend subscribes to our newsletter and mentions that you've referred him/her, we will send you an e-mail coupon for a free book from our inventory!

TERMS: Maximum value of each free book: $10.00. Maximum total value you can claim under this offer: $15.00. For example, if you refer one friend, you can pick out one book up to a maximum price of $10.00. If you refer two friends, you can pick out two books, which may total up to $15.00. And so forth. You must pay our regular, modest shipping fee on free books.

Cat's Cradle Used, Rare and Out of Print Books Special Offers

Website Customer Feedback Survey - Help us improve our website. Complete this site survey and get a $5.00 gift certificate.

Spend $25 or more on books, and get an instant $5.00 rebate. Enter coupon code SAVE5 into the coupon window at checkout, and your savings will be applied automatically.

Add your name to our newsletter e-mail list. We keep our subscriber list completely private. Only Cat's Cradle Used, Rare, and Out of Print Books staff will ever see it. You'll get advance notice of additions to our growing list of used, rare and out-of-print books, as well as discounts and other specials. There's a different feature article with each issue.