No! I adore all children's books, the perfect & the not so perfect. But children’s books get LOTS of love from very little hands and don’t always survive that experience so well. When I find a book that’s in poor condition or is about to be destroyed, I try to rescue whatever is still usable so that at least part of it can continue to live on in someone's collection or craft project. My customers repurpose the things I sell in marvelously clever ways. You might even have a chance to purchase the finished pieces in THEIR Etsy shops!

Ephemera is all the wonderful pieces of paper created for a specific purpose and meant to be discarded after use — things like tickets, postcards, calendars, posters, labels, advertisements, brochures, stickers, letters, greeting cards, road maps, menus, and event programs. Luckily for us, many people hold onto them, and they become heirlooms perfect for collecting, decorating, and crafting. These types of things are a wonderful window into the past, and now that so much of today's communication is digital, these bits of paper are more precious than ever.

No. All of my items are vintage, with most of them being at least 40 years old. Many proudly show their age and the love they received from children long ago, giving them a wonderfully shabby or rustic vibe. Please read all item descriptions very carefully before making your purchase. I list any flaws that I find and/or provide photographs so you can make an informed decision. You are always welcome to contact me with questions.

It probably won't take 12 days. I usually ship orders one business day after receiving them and my post office is usually great about moving things out quickly. To keep shipping prices affordable for my customers, I ship books via USPS media mail (unless otherwise noted) and other items via first class. USPS states that media mail takes up to 8 business days and first class up to 5 business days. Most of my customers receive their packages more quickly than that. If you would like expedited shipping, please contact me BEFORE placing your order, and I'll be happy to set up a custom listing that includes expedited shipping.

If the shipping estimate you receive when you place items in your cart seems higher than it should, please send me a message *before you place your order* and I’d be happy to research a more inexpensive shipping option for you. In addition, I combine shipping charges on multiple items upon request and refund any overages back to the customer's account.

If you're looking for something special and don't see it in the shop, please send me a message and I'll be happy to check the rest of my inventory for you. If I don't have what you're looking for, I'll be happy to keep an eye out for it and get in touch when I find it.

I love it! The Etsy community of vintage and handmade sellers and shoppers is wonderful to work with, and the platform is very easy to manage. I feel like Etsy truly helps me get my products seen by the people most interested in them. The Etsy Seller Handbook found here https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook will walk you through all the steps of starting your business. You can use this link to get your first 20 items listed for free when you set up a new shop: https://etsy.me/3Z5aG2K

You will sometimes get this message if you have a mix of books (which ship via media mail) and other items (which ship first class) in the same order. The best thing to do is check out the books in one order then go back and check out the rest of your items. If you’d like me to combine the items into one shipment and refund any overage, please send me a message at the time of your order. However, because books qualify for the more economical media mail rate, it’s often less expensive for them to ship separately. You can always contact me if you need assistance!

Yes! You can follow the shop on Facebook to receive donation updates, or you can view the full list of projects supported at www.rhymeandreasonbooks.com

If there is a problem with your purchase, please contact me right away so that I can help you resolve it. If the problem can't be resolved, many items are returnable if you contact me first and send them back within 14 days of receiving them. You wold receive a full refund of the purchase price minus the original shipping fee, and you would be responsible for return shipping. You would also be responsible for any loss in value if the item(s) were damaged en route to me. Seasonal and holiday items are not returnable unfortunately, but if you are having an issue please reach out to see if I can help.