Store Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10:00am - 7:00pm | Sunday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Red Balloon will be closed early on Wednesday, March 20 at 5:30pm to set up for an event.

My Account

FAQs

Answers to all your questions about Red Balloon!

 

Do you have storytimes?

Do you only sell books for kids?

Do you have audiobooks or ebooks?

Do you sell used books? 

Will you buy my new or gently used books?

Can I make a registry or wishlist on your website?

How can I learn more about what’s happening at Red Balloon?

I need recommendations but don't want to or can't stop by the store! What do I do?

I have questions about ordering online!

How do I know what you have in-stock?

What if I'm trying to find a book that you don't carry?

How do I get my books?

What are the different shipping options?

Why should I shop local?

Is the store accessible?

Do you do anything special for birthdays?

Do you have signed copies? Do they cost extra?

Do you have books by local authors?

What is your return policy?

Can you donate to my organization?

Can you get my favorite author to do an event with the store?

Can you carry my book/game?

Can you host an event for my book?

 


Do you have storytimes?

We have weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30am with Storyteller Angela or Storyteller Lora!

 

Do you only sell books for kids?

No, we have books for grown-ups, too! While children’s books—from babies to teens and young adults—are our focus, we always have a carefully selected collection of adult fiction and nonfiction. And if we don’t have it we’re happy to order it!

 

Do you have audiobooks or ebooks?

We do! We’ve partnered with Libro.fm to make digital audiobooks available through our website. We can also order CD versions on request.

You can purchase eBooks and still support us by signing up for a Kobo account!

Do you sell used books?

No, we only sell new books and toys.

Will you buy my new or gently used books?

We do not buy used books. If you have new or gently used books you'd like to part with, consider donating them to The Story Orchard in Minneapolis.

Can I make a registry or wishlist on your website?

You can! Once you've logged in to your Red Balloon account, you can pick any book and add it to an existing or new wishlist. And wishlists are shareable! Details are on our wishlist page.

 

How can I learn more about what’s happening at Red Balloon?

We’re on social media--you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also sign up here for our newsletters, which have updates on upcoming events, staff recommendations, and Red Balloon news!


I need recommendations but don't want to or can't stop by the store! What do I do?

Send us an email or give us a call! We're very happy to recommend books to you via email or over the phone. Emails should go to info@redballoonbookshop.com. Our phone number is 651-224-8320. If you don't catch us, leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we're able.

 

I have questions about ordering online!

We can answer them (hopefully)! This page has lots more details about how online ordering works. If that doesn't help, feel free to send us an email at orders@redballoonbookshop.com or call the store at 651-224-8320.

 

How do I know what you have in-stock?

If you're shopping online, the best way to know whether we have a book, can order it, or probably can't get it is to check the "Availability" lisitng, which is underneath the "Add to Cart" and "Add to Wishlist" buttons on each book's page.

On Our Shelves Now. Please call our store for up-to-the-minute stock availability: These are the best bet—they are probably in-stock! Our site only updates availabilities once per day, however, so if you want to be sure, it's best to give us a call. 

Not on our shelves now. Usually ships in 1-5 business days from warehouse: These are available from the wholesaler and/or publisher, so we can order them for you! So far, the time estimate has held during all of this, though some publishers are experiencing delays or closures.

Backordered: These are not currently available. Many of them are waiting on re-prints or shipments and will be available again, though they probably will take a while to arrive.

Not in stock at our store or warehouse. Special Order. Please call or email for stock availability: These are rarely available—often they are books that have gone out of print. If it's a book you really want, feel free to contact us and we can double check.

 

What if I'm trying to find a book that you don't carry?

We can almost always order books upon request! We're always happy to look up a title to see if it's one we can get for you. Ordering doesn't cost any extra.

 

How do I get my books?

There are twooptions to get your books!

1. In-person shopping!
2. Shipping! We offer USPS Media Mail, USPS Priority Mail, and UPS Ground Shipping. For details on each type of shipping, see "What are the different shipping options?" below.

 

What are the different shipping options?

We offer USPS Media Mail, USPS Priority Mail, and UPS Ground Shipping for domestic shipping. We generally do not ship internationally, but if you have a specific order in mind, feel free to contact us for a shipping quote at info@redballoonbookshop.com.

USPS Media Mail: This is for books (and CDs) only—puzzles, games, toys, art supplies, etc cannot be shipped using media mail. Media mail is offered by USPS to be a cost-effective way to send media and educational materials. Due to its low price, media mail packages are not insured and will not be replaced if lost. We offer free media mail shipping for book orders over $50—just select "Free Media Mail Shipping" at check-out (US only).

USPS Priority Mail: This option can be used to ship any materials. Delivery usually takes 1-3 days. Cost is calculated based on the distance the package is going. We offer free priority shipping for orders over $200—just select "Free Priority Shipping" at check-out (US only).

UPS Ground: This option can be used to ship any materials. Delivery usually takes 1-5 days.

Please note: Select the "Ship as Available" option at checkout if you would like your books to ship as they are available- if you do not select this option, your order will ship when all items have arrived in-store. The additional cost for shipping as books are available is to help us cover the cost of making multiple shipments per order. Please email orders@redballoonbookshop.com with any questions.

 

Why should I shop local?

When you shop local, you keep more of your money local, making for a stronger community. Local business provide jobs, support local supply chains, and help create more vibrant neighborhoods. For each dollar spent at a locally owned business, 68¢ stay in the community, compared to 43¢ for non-local businesses (numbers from MetroIBA). 

 

Is the store accessible?

The back door is accessible from our parking lot, which has a disability parking spot. The front entrance is raised above street level and must be reached by a short flight of stairs or by a steep ramp. Inside the store, the picture book section has limited accessibility (it is two steps above the rest of the floor). We are always glad to pull specific titles or general recommendations on request. 

If you would like to stop by the store for in-person shopping and need to enter through an accessible entrance, please ring the back doorbell or give us a call when you arrive and we will be happy to accomodate.

 

Do you do anything special for birthdays?

We do! Everyone is welcome to sign up for our Birthday Club, where we'll send you a special birthday coupon every year in your birthday month.

 

Do you have signed copies? Do they cost extra?

We usually have a wide range of signed copies, both from authors who have visited recently and from many of our local authors. The local authors on this list, among others, are also generally willing to stop in to sign books for us upon request. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out what authors have recently signed books at Red Balloon. And signed copies don’t cost any extra!

 

Do you have books by local authors?

We love our local authors and try to make sure they’re represented on our shelves! Contact us if you're looking for a particular author or title.

 

What is your return policy?

Returns are accepted for items in new condition within 30 days after purchase with proof of purchase.  Gift receipt returns are accepted for exchange or store credit only. All gift cards are non-refundable.

 

Red Balloon donates to many organizations every year. For details on requests, please visit our donations page.

 

Can you get my favorite author to do an event with the store?

We’ll try! We request events with authors all the time—especially those whose books we love. You can check our event listings and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on who’s partying with us soon.

 

Can you carry my book/game?

If your book/game is self-published, check our consignments page for details on that program. If it’s traditionally published, please let us know the title and we can look into ordering it through our sales reps.

 

Can you host an event for my book?

Red Balloon Bookshop is happy to be transitioning back to in-person events. Due to the large number of requests and the small size of our staff we’re currently able to host events only with the support of traditional publishers. If you would like your book to be considered for an event, please have your publisher contact Red Balloon 3-6 months in advance of your book’s publication date, or the desired date of your event.