Start Your Stamp Collection this Summer

Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is one of the world's most popular hobbies, with the number of collectors in the United States alone estimated to be over 20 million. Postage stamps are often collected for their historical value and geographical aspects and also for the many different subjects depicted on them, ranging from ships, horses, and birds to kings, queens and presidents. If you are one of those million collectors or want to be one, we have got a deal for you. Offered this month several commemorative collections:

Dominican Republic 1956 - Summer Olympics in Melbourne box set. This is a fine Olympic collection of 40 souvenir sheets, 20 stamps per sheet with plastic sleeve. Set sells for $20.

First day covers 25th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 1978. The 25th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was commemorated by this elegantly designed mint stamp sheets from British New Hebrides. Issued on June 2, 1978, these stamps have covers from each country in Great Britain, a deal at $30. (Yes, this is the Queen that jumped out a plane for this summer's games!)

Four volume set, Philatelic History of the United States West portal collection 1565- 1977. The first sheet in this collection depicts the settling in 1565 of a small fort at St. Augustine, Florida, founded by the Spanish, in 1607. This four-volume set will be sold together for $80.

 
Preview Our Shelves

Check out some of the thousands of books that will be on sale this weekend using our shelf preview pictures.

 
Summer Cooking for Everyone

The kitchen has been heating up this summer and everyone can get involved. Our Children's Room has a full basket of cookbooks for kids. Look for a copy of "All-Star Fast and Fun Recipes" there you'll find easy-to-prepare dishes by well-known stars like Michelle Kwan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Oprah Winfrey. One favorite recipe from this book is "Touch down Tostadas" contributed by Steve Young. We have several copies of this kids cookbook plus many more, all priced at one dollar or fifty cents.

For the all the big kids we have dozens of gently used cookbooks to choose from. Cooking section manager Rosemarie Giamalis has displayed several copies of nearly new Williams Sonoma cookbooks. With simple titles like Chicken, Fish, Potato, Sauce, Hors d'oeuvres & Appetizers or Cooking Basics you're sure to find a cookbook that you can use to inspire you to get cooking with friends and families. Keep checking our Cooking section for a new selection of cookbooks each month; we receive so many cookbook donations that often we hold boxes of books for the following month's sale.

 
Summer Crafting on a Budget

There's no need to buy books on crafting because the Friends of the Palo Alto Library has a plethora of reading materials for how to best exercise your artistic muscle. Our Home & Crafts section books are great for learning because they often show descriptive pictures with step-by-step directions and you can learn and do the project at your own pace. The best part: most "how-to" books come in beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. For our August sale our Home & Crafts area has been blessed with a large donation of crafting books with an emphasis on knitting, crocheting, quilting, jewelry making and metal smithing. Use our monthly book sales to inspire you. Check out the large number of books available and see how very affordable learning or perfecting a craft can be. Being an avid crafter myself, I want to emphasize that you needn't be hard on yourself when exploring your artistic flair; the best way to approach crafting is with an open mind and to have fun!

 
Planes, Trains and Automobiles...

If you've been on vacation recently you may be interested in knowing about all the different transportation methods you used for your traveling. Why not take a short trip to our Transportation section to read more about what moved you? The definition of transportation is moving people or things from one place to another. Machines that move need motors, wind, steam, gas, oil or people to make them go. Cars, trucks, buses, etc. are machines we drive on land. Airplanes, jets and helicopters transport things and people in the air. Boats or ships carry people or things across water.... All that being said we have an entire section of books on transportation, including all of different modes mentioned above and more! If it can move you from here to there we have a book on it, its origins, how to repair it or how to build your own. As our Transportation section manager Althea Andersen says "Take a bus or take a train, take a boat or take a plane, take a taxi, take a car. May be near or may be far, take a space ship to the moon, but be sure to come back soon."

 
Sections on the Move in the Main Room

In a continued effort to accommodate the generous donations we receive and buyers' demand we occasionally revise and reshuffle our sections. Some sections get fluffed up and other pared down. Such is the case for our Biography/Memoirs and Reference sections. While the Biography/Memoirs section has doubled in size, Reference has moved to a smaller area in the Main Room's northwest corner. So for all of you interested in "Looking it up" look for the clip on lights above to guide you to a very reasonable priced Webster's Dictionaries and more reference books. Also, many donated dictionaries, thesauruses, atlases, and other reference works can be found in our Bargain Room.

What's on the shelves now where Reference used to be? I'm so glad you asked, it's Poetry! This popular section is being moved to a prime location on the Main room floor, row lucky number 13! Another section making a move is Asian Language; it's joining Poetry at the far end of row 13.

If you need help finding a specific section that's been moved look for the posted signs with the green arrows directing you. Or please feel free to ask one of our sales day floor persons to help you. Here at FOPAL we believe it's a privilege to help people find what they are looking for.

Volunteer Miriam Landesman wants to mention a fabulous find in a recent donation, she writes "The Children's Book Room is selling a group of original 1970s Star Wars toys including the Millennium Falcon and dozens of action figures. This offering can be viewed and purchased at the cashier's table."

And, I'd like to mention that our Summer intern Charlette Cutkosky did some online research on the value of the Millennium Falcon is worth $50-$60 alone! Our collection includes 60+ action figures from the original Trilogy plus the Millennium Falcon and Stand all for $80.