From a Cluttered Desk

I am Tammy Cardwell, she of the cluttered desk. (Hey, you think I'm kidding?!) I'm having a blast here in Blogland and invite to you to peruse my ramblings. Like a buffet, they offer variety - essentially whatever makes it to the top of the piles that sometimes clutter my brain. We'll eventually cover it all - homeschooling, God, our church, the Eclectic Homeschool Online, books I'm writing and publishing, conferences I speak at, the joys of grandmotherhood, and hopefully chocolate. Of course, this is only what's near the top now. Who knows what's in those piles?

These books are from the Instructor Literature Series. They came to me in an original box. The box is marked "Grade 5," but I cannot guarantee these are all 5th grade readers, because several do not actually appear on the list - meaning books that belong in the box are not here and there are books here that were not put in the box by the publisher. The books are 5" by 7 1/4". Page counts and cover colors vary.

All are in good condition. All contain the teacher’s name and date (I believe it’s "Vildabald Bucek" and sometimes "1938") inside the front cover and "Bucek" written on a page inside the book. Some have checkmarks on the cover. Some have minor page tears. Cover and page wear varies from book to book, but over all they are at least in good, usually better than good condition. Where I have found it indicated, I give the copyright date.

Price these on the net and you’ll find them all over the place. To keep things simple, I’m pricing them at $7.50 each, and that price includes first class mail. If you want insurance, let’s talk. For more information, or to place an order, email me at - tammyc at tammycardwell dot net (You know how to turn that into an email address, right? <wink>)

If, by chance, you would like to purchase most/all of these, I will throw in the box and unused record book.

Animal Life in the Sea: Queer Creatures from Sponges to Whales
  Harriet G. Reuter
  #92, green, copyright 1910

Child Life in the Colonies: New Amsterdam
  Virginia Baker
  #64, tan, copyright 1907

The Child of Urbindo
  Louise de la Ramee
  #200, green

David Copperfield (Condensed)
  Charles Dickens, Condensed and Retold by Matthias R. Heilig, A.M.
  #297, light blue, copyright 1918

A Dog of Flanders
  Louise de la Ramee
  #407, light green,

Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie
  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  #14, light green

Eyes and No Eyes
  Dr. John Aiken
The Three Giants
  Mrs. Marcet
  #208, blue

Jackanapes
  Juliana Horatio Ewing
  #199, blue

Little Daffydowndilly and Other Stories
  Nathaniel Hawthorne
  #113, red

Little Stories of Discovery
  Rena Isabelle Halsey
  #219, orange, copyright 1917

The Snow Image
  Nathaniel Hawthorne
  #10 tan

Tales from Shakespeare Part II
  [Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; A Midsummer Night’s Dream]
  Charles and Mary Lamb
  #316, light green

What We Drink
  Harriet G. Brown
  #96, tan

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

How’s this for a subject topic? LOL!

When you sell through amazon.com, at least at the level I’m selling at, you have to relist your books and other products periodically. This book, Colt Breaking & Training, by Dan Crotty, came up for relist so I had it in my hands, checking it out to see if I needed to update its description or price or whatever. And you know what? It’s really a cool book!

I’m not as into horses as some friends of mine are (Multiple friends own horses and my pastor and his son both show cutting horses fairly regularly), but I do have great respect for those who are and I have learned a little as a result of conversations and, believe it or not, illustrated sermons at church. As a result, I know enough that I found this book really interesting.

It was published in 1951 in Australia and I believe this must be a first edition. I’ve tried to find information about it on the net, but the best I’ve done is find a listing of a later edition in an Australian’s "for sale" pages and a listing for this edition on ebay. The ebay listing does a really good job of sharing about the book, and shares some of its photos (It’s chock full of drawings and photos), but nowhere on the net do I find information on this Dan Crotty person. That’s sad, because from the sound of things I figure he was probably fairly well known, at least in his area. I would really like to learn more about him and what he did with his life.

Colt Breaking & Horse Training is divided into five sections (The author calls them "books"). The first section/book teaches the basics of breaking and training a colt, the second deals with bad habits the colt may have already picked up and how to deal with them, and the third gets into the really cool stuff - trick riding. I look at some of these photos and can’t help but wonder how the rider stays put. Yeah, I know there are scientific laws that make it happen, but when you’re looking at a still photo it gets really impressive. Section four deals with even more on trick riding, some really impressive riding (at least in my book) and five handles roping.

If you’re into this sort of thing, especially if you appreciate the historical aspect of the book the way I do, you may want to consider buying it. I’ve listed it for $200 on amazon (The closest price I’ve found for a comparable book is that ebay listing at $275), but I would consider other offers.

Fun stuff!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

When you’ve had a book listed on Amazon for a few months, they ask you to update it, so I’ve been busy doing this very thing. I’ve lowered a few prices and thought I’d take a minute to note here some of the books I’ve been working with.

Adobe InDesign CS Classroom in a Book
With its ever tightening integration with Adobe’s full suite of creative products and its own increasingly sophisticated feature set, InDesign is winning legions of Quark converts. If you’re among them–or if you’ve decided to sidestep those programs altogether–you need this book! In these pages, the Adobe Creative Team uses a series of project-based lessons, tested in the company’s own classrooms and labs, to provide a thorough grounding in the InDesign school of page design. You’ll find step-by-step lessons in InDesign CS fundamentals plus plenty of the advanced tips and techniques you need to take your page designs to the next level. The workbook-style format includes self-paced lessons followed by review questions to reinforce the knowledge and a CD with all of the files required to complete the book’s projects. Throughout, special focus is given to the features new to InDesign CS: an updated Story Editor, nested styles, separation previews, the Package for GoLive command, and more.

All Through the Year
1944, bound in burgundy suede, tied with suede lace and stamped in gold. Awesome, unique poetry book printed during the war.

A Cloud of Witnesses: The Greatest Men in the World for Christ and the Book [illustrated]
an exhaustive and unprecendented collection of biographic and autographic opinions respecting the AUTHOR of Christianity and the Bible from over eight hundred illustrious personages outside the clerical profession.

Gaining Favor with God and Man  SOLD
Mantle Ministries, 1989 green-and-gold hardcover, reprint of antique

The Home-Based Business Kit
Launch a money-making venture from the comfort of your own home.
Starting a home-based business has special challenges. From preparing the right business plan to your first successful sale, The Home-Based Business Kit gives you the tools you need to succeed and make a profit. Experienced home-based business owners show you how to: Write Your Business Plan, Analyze Market Data, Prepare a Budget, Manage Your Time, Handle Family Distractions, Set Up Your Home Workspace, Negotiate with Vendors, Hire Employees, Find Customers, Raise Start-Up Money
Additional features include: Case Studies, Checklists, Sample Business, Marketing and Financial Plans
Now is the time to turn your skills, hobby or big idea into real money.

The New Day In and Day Out - Alice and Jerry Basic Readers: Reading Foundation Program
1948 School Reader

 Project Gemini: technology and operations;: A chronology (NASA historical series) SOLD
308 pages
Publisher:Scientific and Technical Information Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; [for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off.] (1969)

 Project Mercury: A Chronology – NASA SP-4001 SOLD
Publisher: NASA (1963)

I also have, though it’s not listed on amazon.com, the four-book NASA set The Apollo Spacecraft. If you are interested in this set, feel free to email me or post a comment here.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

 PS: Remember that today’s the last day you can comment on my blog and be entered in the drawing for the Good Company CD.

I’m going to try something new and share here when I list new books on amazon.com, just in case any of you would like to support my efforts and see something you like. These lists will usually be seriously eclectic in nature; you never know what I’ll find inexpensively and hope to sell for a profit. [grin]

Pride and Prejudice (Slipcased Hardcover, 1976)

The Wild Food Trail Guide (hardcover, 1976)

Creative and Mental Growth: A Textbook on Art Education (1950)

Moving Ahead (The Open Highways Readers, 1968)

Functional Method Dictation (Louise A. Leslie,1946)

Basic Electronics Course (first edition, Crowhurst, 1972)

Holiday Reader (School reader, 1957)

Let’s Have a Party (cookbook, 1978)

The Short Story in America 1900-1950 (1952 edition)

111 Don’ts for Writers (Maren Elwood, 1961)

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Have you ever heard of the Instructor Literature Series? I had, but only because I own a box of them that was given to me years ago. They’re readers, 5×7 booklets containing an assortment of stories, biographies, abridged versions of popular books, etc. The box informs me that it belonged in the 5th grade classroom and just handling them brings back memories of pouring over similar boxes of books (published during the 60s of course) while I was building my own reading skills.

Again, I’ve never really thought about monetary value, but I am thinking now that I’ve been digging around on the net. I’ve not found any mention at all of sets of books that are still in slipcases (Admittedly, the slipcase isn’t in all that great of shape, but structurally it’s still quite sound). Instead, I’ve been finding listings of the individual books and they’re going for…well, surprising prices. The most common prices I’m finding are $8 to $10 per booklet. Astounding!

This boxed set has 24 literature booklets, plus an unused record book. The record book contains a list of the books that should be in the box, and comparing the list to the stack of books made me grin. These obviously came out of an active teacher’s room; the kids didn’t always put the books back in the right boxes. Of the 25 books that are supposed to be here, there are 13. Another 11 books round out the collection, making it 1 book short of the goal. Somewhere in that classroom, there was another box packed just a teensy bit too tightly.

So what do I sell the set for? I haven’t figured that one out yet. If anyone has any ideas or offers, I’m listening. Here’s the list of book titles, along with copyright dates when they’re available.

Record Book (Hey, it’s important! [grin]); Animal Life in the Sea, by Harriet G. Reiter (1910); The Child of Urbindo, by Louise De La Ramee; A Dog of Flanders, by Louise Da La Ramee; Four Little Discoverers in Panama, by Bertha E. Bush (1914); Little Daffydowndilly and Other Stories, by Hawthorne; Little Stories of Discovery, by Rena Isabelle Halsey (1917); Moni the Goat Boy, by Johanna Spyri (1918); Nathan Hale, by Nellie McCabe; Story of Florence Nightingale, by Inez N. McFee (1912); Peeps Into Bird Nooks Part 1, by Inez N. McFee; Robert Louis Stevenson, by Bertha E. Bush (1906); What We Drink, by Harriet G. Brown (1905); When Plymouth Colony Was Young, by Bertha E. Bush (1918); The Snow Image, by Hawthorne; Evangeline, by Longfellow; Child Life in the Colonies: New Amsterdam, by Virginia Baker; Stories of Courage, by Bertha E. Bush (1910); Labu the Little Lake Dweller, by Katherine Atherton Grimes (1913); Jackanapes, by Juliana Horatio Ewing; Eyes and No Eyes and the Three Giants (2 stories), by Dr. John Aiken and Mrs. Marcet respectively; Story of King Corn, by Edgar W. Cooley (1920); Bolo the Cave Boy, by Katherine Atherton Grimes (1915); David Copperfield (condensed), by Dickens (1918); Tales from Shakespeare Part II, by Charles and Mary Lamb

I…dunno…. I’m having second thoughts now that I’ve typed in all these titles. Do I really want to sell them? I haven’t even read them yet.

If anyone out there is interested, contact me and we’ll see.

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

The used book business is a very interesting thing that can really throw some surprises at you.

Here I sit, going through my shelves and pulling off all of the books that I know we can’t hang onto anyway and preparing to either put them up for sale on amazon.com or take them to a used book store where we will hopefully get enough credit to buy some other things that will sell better online. One of the things I pulled out is a stack of NASA paperbacks that were published back in the 60s. These are reports of various space programs and I always kept them because I thought they were fascinating, but never really thought too very much about potential value.

So I grab the top book on the stack, Project Gemini: A Chronology, and type the title into amazon’s search window, not really expecting it to show up at all. Oh, it showed up all right!

The LEAST I found it available for is $121.64 and it goes a lot higher!

That is the most valuable of the collection. Project Mercury: A Chronology ranges in price from $98 to $195 and I’m still checking on each of the four volumes of The Apollo Spacecraft: A Chronology. Interesting thing about that one: it’s a four-volume set and there isn’t any entry at all on amazon for the fourth volume.

You never know what you’ll encounter when you start exploring new businesses. As I say on my other blog, I am forever learning.

Anyone wanna buy some NASA books? [grin]

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C

I purchased these two books in 1990, the year I realized just how little truth I’d been taught in my history classes and how vital, how alive and God-oriented, the books were that were printed in years past. Now that we’re moving into such a smaller home, these and other books from my collection must leave. More "For Sale" posts will follow in coming weeks as I decide what I can and cannot part with.

The prices you see include shipping and handling to any location in the US.

I prefer PayPal and will hold checks 10 days to allow them time to clear.

Contact me at tammyc@tammycardwell.net

About the Books

I purchased both of these facsimile reprints directly from Mantle Ministries and they’ve spent the past 17 years in my smoke-free home. Yes, there is mold in this house, but my precious books I’ve kept protected (Unlike my winter clothing [WryGrin]).  They are hardcovers with gold stamping and gilt page edges and lots of illustrations. You’ll find the inevitable, age-related page yellowing, but other than that and one minor issue with A Cloud of Witnesses, they’re in near-pristine condition.

It looks like both are out of print and the prices I’m seeing on the ‘net range from semi-reasonable to astronomical (Really, $128.47 for a book in GOOD condition?! I’m in the wrong business!). I have been careful to price these reasonably and, again, the prices include shipping and handling.

A Cloud of Witnesses: The Greatest Men in the World for CHRIST and the BOOK

Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D.

524 pp + index

The books "official" description, which is actually yet another subtitle from the title page (Antique books are great about having looooooooooooooooong titles&subtitles) is…

An exhaustive and unprecedented collection of biographic and autographic opinions respecting the AUTHOR of Christianity and the BIBLE, from over eight hundred illustrious personages outside the clerical profession.

And it really is "all that." The book includes quotes, many extensive, from over 800 of the world’s most respected people (Some of whom will surprise you if you were taught the same lessons I was!), every one of them standing up for God and not one of them a cleric/minister of the Gospel. Everyone could benefit from reading this, but I would especially recommend it to the history student. I would keep it on hand while studying and ask, as I meet new historical figures, "Did he have anything to say about God?" Thanks to the index, if the person is quoted here you should be able to find the right entry with ease.

Condition Notes: Mantle Ministries, 1987, blue-and-gold hardcover, first-edition reproduction, no dust jacket issued. Would be listed as "very good"  except for minor corner bumping, light marks on back cover, and one nickel-sized area on bottom where gilt has come off.

Price: $70.00

Gaining Favor with God and Man

William M. Thayer

432 pp + index

You will find this book on many reading lists for good reason. You’ll also find an excellent review of a more recent printing (which is evidently also out of print) at EHO, so I’ll be brief here. Essentially, if you want a book through which many great men will help you build your child’s (or your own!) character, instilling such traits as courage, discrimination, self-control, magnanimity, self-respect, honesty, punctuality… If you want them to learn about minding little things; what to read; the power of character; making, saving, and giving all they can; seizing opportunities; personal responsibility… This book is for you.

Condition Notes: Mantle Ministries, green-and-gold hardcover, 1989 first-edition reproduction, no dust jacket issued. Would be like new except for very minor spots of edge wear and slightly faded gilt.

Price: $30.00

If you would like both books, I’ll make it $95, since it will be less expensive to ship both together.

Again, these two books are facsimile reprints of books originally published in the 1890s. I also collect originals and have accepted the fact that at least a few items from my collection will have to go, so keep your eyes open for more "For Sale" posts.

Celebrating Jesus!

Tammy C