It’s Used Curriculum Sale Season once again – every homeschool mom’s dream! Where we magically and effortlessly sell every item in our home with little prep effort, and also find every single thing we need for next year in mint condition for a steal!!
Yes, that’s right. Used Curriculum Sales can be great for shopping and finding great deals, but even more, it can be a great way to get rid of your own used materials!
TIPS FOR USED CURRICULUM SALES:
- Start right away! If you’ve been letting those piles of “old curriculum” build up, it’s time to start getting organized! I keep a bin in the basement where I’ve been storing items as we get done with them. When we finish with a book, I have one of the kids run it down and put it in the bin right then.
And puh-lease, keep on top of everything from here on out! One year, because of our move, I put off dealing with clearing out used items, and then, when you add the fact that we changed our entire curriculum plan midway through the year — that one bin exploded like Gremlins!
- Research and choose your curriculum sales! Different sales have different pay-out rates. Some you get 65-70% of your total sales, some more (or less). I’m a huge fan of our Co-Op’s sale – by manning my own table all day, and working my own sales of my own items, I get to keep 100% of all my sales! I’ve seen other CoOps that keep a percentage of the profits in exchange for a larger sale with more items, and they might also use it for a fundraiser for their own group. So, you have to decide which ones are better/easier for you. I’ve done all sorts of sales in the past. Some sales I’ve given up on because they seem like far too much work for too little reward. Others, like our local HEAV convention, are well worth all the work of inputting info for barcode systems, simply because of the volume and size of the sale! You might even decide to participate in multiple sales, both small/local, and larger/convention, to maximize your efforts.
Be sure to look at ways to improve your sale chances! Often, in exchange for volunteering, you might get a improved percentage of total sales, and/or get to shop early, improving your chances of getting the best deals for yourself!
- Being Organized Helps! Read all the details thoroughly and make sure you follow all the prep rules of each sale exactly. If the sale is using an online barcoding system, be sure to print your labels with a good quality printer. If you are manning your own table, you might choose to sort your books by category or by price. Sometimes it’s just easier to label a box that says “Everything in this box $1,” but if you choose to label individual items, make sure they are clearly posted. Also, be careful of the tape that you use – some may damage the book which might decrease its value to purchasers.
- Starting Early Helps! You definitely want to start early! If you have mountains of stuff to get rid of (like me), it will drive you absolutely crazy.
- Pricing is Extremely Important! My biggest stressor is always pricing. How do figure out what is a fair rate? One suggestion is to search the Internet (such as Amazon) for fair market value, and then price it no more than 50% of that price – depending on the shape your item is in.
Really, I can’t stress this enough. People attend Used Curriculum Sales to find good deals. If you actually want items to get sold, you have to sell it at a GOOD price. I’ve learned to focus on getting quantity sold at lower prices, and only price certain items around the mid-range. If I’m going to do all that prep work, I definitely don’t want to bring any of it back home, if I can help it!
- Shop Your Heart Out! Plan on being there for a while! You might go by “just to see what’s there,” and end up emerging three hours later! If it’s possible to bring a buddy, that can be helpful, because they can help you look or watch your stuff while you continue to shop!
Again, look for how you can get the best deals for yourself – many sales will allow volunteers to shop first, so be sure to volunteer!!
What are your Used Curriculum Sale success tips?
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