About Kittys Tales

At Kittys Tales we adore vintage books, especially vintage children's books. We think they have a very special magic, all of their own and opening their pages transports you right back to that moment as a child with your nose stuck to your favourite book.

This is exactly why we have been selling books online in the UK since 2006 and our website was established in 2017. Here you can find those wonderful old books you loved so much as a child and hold them in your hands again.
  • Black cat ringing Kittys Tales little vintage bookshop doorbell under a trellis of flowers with a red spotted handkerchief.

    Kittys Tales' Own Story

    Kittys Tales is owned and curated by our founder Kitty Golightly, alifelong bibliophile and a respected and trustworthy dealer in the Antique and Vintage Book Market since the 1990's. For many years Kitty has enjoyed meeting our customers in person through collectable and antique book fairs in the UK and we have been selling online since 2006.

    This website, to share her love and knowledge of books is a very exciting chapter in the book of our life and we are thrilled to share it with you

    Guarantee 
  • Kittys Tales our story. Cute dressed woodland animals in a doorway looking at a book.

    Our Values

    We want to do the best we can to keep our customers happy whilst also selling a sustainable product to save our precious planet's resources. Being a small independent bookshop much of our custom is by word of mouth. We are approachable and aim to please, and offer a full guarantee with all purchases. And each of our vintage books is carefully selected for the best quality.

    Contact Us 
  • Black and white illustration of tiny thumbelina on a lily pad with two large frogs looking at her.

    Kittys Tales bookshop

    We are proud of being a Small Independent Bookshop. The Hobbits were small. The Borrowers were very small. Thumbelina was tiny. Fairy stories were all about the little people. Being small is our Superpower. It means we care. Genuinely passionate about books all our lives we simply want you to discover how delightful lovely old vintage books can be.

    Kittys Tales Favourites 
  • Fox saving a book from landfill. Fox sat at home in an armchair wearing dressing gown reading the found book.

    Kittys Tales Mission

    In this throwaway world we want to give vintage books a chance to be loved again. We think vintage books have a special charm all of their own and if we can help you source a favourite book and save it from landfill we are very happy. We believe in sustainable action to protect our planet and natural world and work hard to reduce our carbon footprint.

    Sustainability 
View our Book Collections

Fire their Imagination

Firing the imagination fantastic colourful dragons with golden scales and wings flying in the clouds.
Front cover of The Saga of Erik the Viking by Terry Jones Vintage Puffin Children's Book 1988 showing a Viking Ship sailing against a grey ground with celtic ornamentation.

The Saga of Erik the Viking by Terry Jones Puffin Vintage Children's Book 1988

The Saga of Erik the Viking by Terry Jones Puffin Vintage Children's Book 1988

£10.00 GBP
£10.00 GBP
Fantasy Fire Breathing Dragons flying in the clouds

Fairy Tale Myth and Fantasy Books

Why choose our Vintage Fairytale, Myth and Fantasy books? Old Fairy Tale...

Fairy Tale Myth and Fantasy Books

Featured collection

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Kittys Tales In Depth

Codes of Practice and Bookselling Organisations 

At Kittys Tales we aspire to and abide by the Condition Guidelines and Bookselling Principles of the following useful organisations. All of whom offer a variety of interesting resources for book collectors and retailers alike so please make use of these resources as you see fit:

IOBA Independent Online Booksellers Association Code of Ethics

ABA The Antiquarian Book Sellers Association The ABA Code 

We are particularly dedicated to Section 22 of The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers ILAB Code of Usages and Customs that states:-

"22. PRESERVATION Members are committed to the
preservation of historical materials and should not break complete and
intact copies of books or manuscripts."

Social Media

When we aren't too busy organising all our vintage and antique books for sale and when we can drag ourselves away from reading them, 'Kittys Tales' presence can also be found on various Social Media Sites:

We would love you to connect with us on Social Media.

You can follow us on Pinterest. Our account @kittystales is curated by Kitty, giving an entertaining insight into many of her eclectic interests and passions. 

Kitty curates our Instagram account too; Kittystalesbooks

You can also find Kittys Tales on Facebook.

Kitty's Literary Enthusiasms

Kitty's favourite genre alongside Antiquarian Children's books is
19th century Victorian Women Writers if you have a keen interest in these works especially early Gothic & Sensation literature she would love to hear from you!

Kitty has most recently been studying and reviewing the minimally
explored field of Anti-Suffragette literature, including periodicals
such as 'The Girl of the Period', a Victorian periodical that ironically
worked far better to encourage Women's Suffrage than discourage!

Our Service Standards and Interests

At 'Kittys Tales' we are reputable and honourable Small Independent Book Sellers, we have retailed for many years in person and have a keen 'word of mouth' following by our private clients.

Our Mission is simple:- "Provide books we love - to people who will love them!"

We offer an unconditional Guarantee on all our books and items and accept returns within 14 days from your items delivery.

This website is owned and managed by Kitty Golightly. Kitty has been immersed in the field of Antiques and Antiquarian Books since early childhood inspired by her father; a passionate Bibliophile with a deep love of poetry and art.

Our online presence includes our 'Kittys Tales' Etsy Store since 2015. There we are gaining a strong following and have achieved multiple 5 star reviews.

We have been involved in the world of online retail since 2010 and were one of the early pioneers of the antique's world to embrace trading online. We have now successfully sold books to many satisfied customers worldwide.

We regularly sell to countries such as the United States, Canada and New Zealand. We pride ourselves upon our careful and thoughtful packaging to make sure your books arrive safely to live happily ever after on their new book shelf!

Our Ethos

Our Ethos

At Kittys Tales we strongly believe that complete books should not be
broken for contents. A trend that has unfortunately been common most
recently amongst online retailers aiming to profit from selling prints
from books or constituent parts.

We would only ever sell the component parts of a book separately if it was already so disbound and incomplete that it was beyond reasonable repair. 

We hope you will bear this in mind when purchasing any book from us,
(especially a beautifully illustated antiquarian book), for even a
humble document of little interest today may prove to be a key piece of
social history in the future. 

Book Fairs, Collections & Literature

Book Fairs

PBFA The Provincial Bookseller's Fair Association is an excellent resource for upcoming Book Fairs across the country.

Museums and Collections

We recommend the following museum collections for anyone passionate about book collecting and Antiquarian books in general.

Kitty's favourites are:-

 The Bodleian Library collections.

The V & A Museum Collections

The Penn Museum Collections

Royal Museums Greenwich Collections

Literature

As a book collector it is always helpful to have your own library of
interesting book collecting related literature. We recommend the
following Wikipedia page that offers an excellent bibliography of books on book collecting.

Information about our Book Grading Standards

You can find more information and a guide to how Kittys Tales grades their books for their detailed 'Condition Notes' in our page on Book Condition