Prairie Dawn Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 This was our first year homeschooling, and I'm realizing that it might be worth it to buy better quality supplies. Our store brand pencils turn to splinters in the sharpener, for example (other random pencils we have all sharpen beautifully). I also noticed that the cheap "washable" markers I bought leave marks on the table, while Crayola's washable wipes off easily. What items do you buy a specific brand, and choose not to settle for the cheapest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyboys Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 dry erase markers, pencils, sharpies, mechanical pencils, glue sticks, definitely the art supplies -- colored pencils, watercolors, paper The good brands last longer, are more rewarding to use (for art/projects) and work better. If you need to save, do so on paperclips, lighter-weight xerox paper, and things like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 dry erase markers, pencils, sharpies, mechanical pencils, glue sticks, definitely the art supplies -- colored pencils, watercolors, paper I totally agree with your whole list. I purchased generic lead refills for mechanical pencils last month and I couldn't believe how junky they were- the lead nearly rubbed right off the page. I have no idea how you can mess up lead, but apparently it can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I don't actually know if they're more expensive than other kinds, but we're thoroughly sold on Maped compasses (the circle-drawing kind, not the direction-finding kind). Ours was reportedly passed around the math team for admiration and mild envy. And black pearl erasers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Definitely dry erase markers, Sharpies, and colored pencils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Oh! I thought of one to add: Headphones. If you buy decent ones, you don't have to replace them every few months. Who knew? (ETA: My kids do a lot of online stuff- DE, Eggspress, etc.- so I consider headphones to be a "school supply" at our house.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKidAcademy Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Post-It Notes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Black Warrior Pencils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Post-it notes (we use a lot for bookmarks) Paper (I love the filler paper with the reinforced edge/holes) Pencils, pens, markers, dry erase markers CD player Maps Art supplies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova147 Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Crayons. Crayola crayons don't break as often and have a better "feel" when you use them. Last year, I bought 2 64-count boxes. I'm considering 4 this year. But I have lots of littles, so we do lots of crayons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I try to buy "brand name' whenever possible. Not because I am a name snob, but because they are usually more expensive for a reason. Just because something is cheaper, doesn't mean you save yourself any money or frustration. I go by value, not price. I have to disagree with the one who mentioned cheaper paper...that is another one that I refuse to use less than 24 lb. paper for most school stuff. You may be able to get it in a cheaper brand, but most paper sold in the "value stores" is 20 lb. I have some 20 lb. stuff that I dole out to the kids, or use for things that are one-time only uses (such as printing a receipt for an online purchase that requires in person pick-up like amusement park passes, etc.) I use the better stuff for printing workbooks (such as Math Mammoth). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Pencils: Black Warrior Erasers: Magic Rub Blocks & Arrowhead Caps We don't use glue sticks. They dry up too fast. I bought a gallon of Elmer's Glue about 15 years ago. I pour it into old yogurt covers and the kids use paintbrushes to apply it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calimom04 Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Crayons and pencils. Oh and glue sticks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 With the crazy back to school sales in July and August, you can get most of the name brands for very low cost. My big one is that washable markers need to be washable. :tongue_smilie: Thus, I only do Crayola for those. And dry erase markers need to stay colorful. And scissors. Cheaply made scissors are more trouble than they are worth. I am a bit of a crayon snob. We much prefer art store crayons or stockmar crayons to even crayolas. We like nice heavy art paper. I don't mind off brand pencils (my son will destroy them regardless of the name on the side), post-it notes, kid's paint, glue, paper clips or staples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcelmer Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I do buy name brands of pencils... after the plastic coated ones from the $1 store got stuck in the sharpener. Then a whole bunch of plain ones (also $1 store) had off center lead. I now pay to get nice ones, or just use mechanical pencils. You can't sharpen an off center lead. :-P I use scotch adhesive 3m( scrapbook kind) only for school. We do some lapbooking. Crayola Color Markers, I want to know that the "washable" will actually wash out. Backpacks are an area I plan to invest a bit more in next year, or just get doubles. I am tired of them dying mid year. ( we coop 1x a week) Crayons and color pencils. I like things that work well, so I get crayola crayons, and I saved up & got prismacolor pencils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LillyMama Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Colored pencils, highlighters, paper, erasers. And, although it's not really a consumable, frequent purchase, I will never again buy either a cheap electric pencil sharpener or paper cutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Backpacks are an area I plan to invest a bit more in next year, or just get doubles. I am tired of them dying mid year. ( we coop 1x a week) For this I absolutely recommend L.L. Bean. I got the kids bookpacks with matching lunch kits on a closeout sale...uhhhhh....let me think...I think it was Christmas 2008. DD carried hers to PS every day from January of 1st grade until we pulled her out December of 4th grade and aside from being a little dirtier and darker in color now (it was a bright yellow) that thing looks almost new. Not a rip or a tear anywhere. DS used his for pre-school and kindergarten. His is a dark blue, so doesn't show any wear or tear at all. Both have used them to carry their "treasures" back and forth across country via personal car and train several times. They get tossed around in our truck, get left on the floor of the vehicle and get stomped on, sat in the entry way when we lived in MN and ND (snow, wet, mud). DD begged and pleaded a few times for a new backpack with various character "flavors of the month", but I refused. Before the LL Bean one, she had already gone through 3 different backpacks in pre-k, K, and first half of first grade that fell apart, ripped, or zippers broke. I told her she'd be carrying her yellow backpack off to college with her. :D If I recall correctly, I think I paid somewhere between $10-$15 for them. I know they weren't very expensive, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtney.byrum Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 For this I absolutely recommend L.L. Bean. I got the kids bookpacks with matching lunch kits on a closeout sale...uhhhhh....let me think...I think it was Christmas 2008. DD carried hers to PS every day from January of 1st grade until we pulled her out December of 4th grade and aside from being a little dirtier and darker in color now (it was a bright yellow) that thing looks almost new. Not a rip or a tear anywhere. DS used his for pre-school and kindergarten. His is a dark blue, so doesn't show any wear or tear at all. Both have used them to carry their "treasures" back and forth across country via personal car and train several times. They get tossed around in our truck, get left on the floor of the vehicle and get stomped on, sat in the entry way when we lived in MN and ND (snow, wet, mud). DD begged and pleaded a few times for a new backpack with various character "flavors of the month", but I refused. Before the LL Bean one, she had already gone through 3 different backpacks in pre-k, K, and first half of first grade that fell apart, ripped, or zippers broke. I told her she'd be carrying her yellow backpack off to college with her. :D If I recall correctly, I think I paid somewhere between $10-$15 for them. I know they weren't very expensive, anyway. We also went with backpacks from LL Bean. I bought them when DS was in K and he used it every day for K, many trips to grandparents, trip to Disneyland, trip by plane back east, and then coop 1x a week for 1st/2nd grade and it still looks brand new. DD hasn't used hers as much as she only went to K for the 1st quarter and coop as well but hers is perfect too. Highly worth the $25 or so we spent given that we've gotten 3 years of use out of them so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 index cards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSchoolmom Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Pencils, the cheap $.01 cents ones break and break and break, I'm going to save my one cent this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Arrowhead Caps :iagree: LOVE these. You can get a big box on Amazon. I loved them so much, I reviewed them. Also, no cheap pencils and a decent set of those plastic geometry guides. Nothing like frustration in a 10 year old trying to draw his geo problems and have the pencil "mount the curb" and make a mess. Anything to make math less frustrating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 (edited) Black Warrior Pencils Crayola Crayons/markers or Prang Prang, Prismacolor, Lyra, Crayloa Colored Pencils (depends on age of student) Fiskars Scissors Brand glue sticks (no Roseart etc) Elmers washable glue for little kiddos 5-Star spirals I don't care about brand, but I only buy extra thick 3-ring binders I prefer 5-Star notebook paper if I can get it for a reasonable price Maped for handheld pencil sharpeners, misc supplies like compass/protractor and erasers Sharpies for permanent I don't mind store brand post-its but they can't be dollar bin style. They curl for some reason. Pink Pearl eraser caps. Edited June 2, 2012 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Mostly all I buy either Crayola OR Dick Blick brand. I'm so tired of markers drying out with the caps ON even! I'm tired of cheap-o pencils and erasers! This year although I was pumped to do some school supply list making, I realized that I'm going to be spending ALOT more than usual. I'm so tired of buying cheap school stuff...and Crayola is CHEAP IMO. The only Crayola I will be buying is for the younger kids who don't have a big focus on art just yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlylocks Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Backpacks are an area I plan to invest a bit more in next year, or just get doubles. I am tired of them dying mid year. ( we coop 1x a week) :iagree: -- I *love* LLBean's backpacks. You pay a little more, but it is SO worth it. (They have a warrantee...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I once bought the 24 lb. by accident and it did not work in my printer (I had an HP inkjet at the time). Now I have an LCD printer so it might work. I just wanted to throw that out there. ;) I find the 20 lb. to be fine. Another one I don't recall seeing is glue and glue sticks. I've tried some generics and they were awful so I don't buy that generic anymore. That's weird. I've always owned HP printers (used to be inkjets, but we went laser about 5 years ago) I always used 24lb paper in mine an it was fine. I too am a paper snob and will only use 28lb paper with a 98 brightness in my laser printer. I only buy crayola crayons, and if we're not using the prismacolor colored pencils then I will only buy faber castell ones. I don't buy glue sticks anymore I went with the gallon of elmers glue and a pump for it. I just bought some little condiment cups and we put some glue in there and use paintbrushes like a pper mentioned. I also found these things called Glue Dots in the scrapbook section which work great for lapbooking (you can also get them on amazon for a better price) I also only get filler paper with the reinforced holes or will buy it from Miller pads and paper (there's is a thicker weight paper, but it doesn't have the red stop line down the side and isn't 3 hole punched, but I took it to office max and had the 3 holes drilled easily and cheaply) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 My son has autism and when he was younger he communicated to us with drawings. He is very talented artistically and he would sit and draw for hours, literally. To save on paper waste I bought washable Crayola markers and let him draw directly on my kitchen floor. It was an off white color and gave him room to sprawl out and draw. Never had an issue with getting the marker off the floor. For xmas my MIL gave him Rose-Art washable markers. No matter what I did I could not get the marker to come completely off of the floor. Never again have I used anything but Crayola washable markers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Our printer won't print on anything heavier than 24lb.:glare: I'm not picky about most things and I usually buy cheaper brands, but if you buy the actual generic (or RoseArt or whatever) of some of the kid art supplies, it's just complete junk. So we may not have fancy beeswax crayons, but we do have Crayola. We don't have the most expensive gluesticks, but we do have ones that actually stick things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Ticonderoga pencils Black Warrior pencils vis-a-vis WET erase markers Prisimacolor colored pencils Rival pencil sharpener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I've learned not to buy any generic school supplies. They just don't last as long or hold up as well. The only pencils that don't seem to break after the first use around here are Ticonderoga. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Pentel mechanical pencils Ticonderoga wooden pencils Livescribe notebooks (to work with the Livescribe pen) Expo dry erase markers vis-a-vis transparency markers Elmer's glue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Bic mechanical pencils Crayola markers, crayons, and colored pencils Pearl erasers Elmer's glue and glue sticks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I have never heard of Black Warrior Pencils.. we bought Ticonderoga pencils this year when on sale and I have NOT been as pleased as in past years. They seem to break much easier than they used to :( I do like the classic pencil with a hexagon shape and after googling Black Warrior, they seem to all be round? Maybe when the girls are a wee bit older. eta: we stick with crayola markers and crayons elmer's glue name brand dry erase markers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punks in Ontario Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Most stuff. I'm always amazed at the junk that's out there. I figure, I save money in the end. That said, I try to find August sales. Cheap paper was my worst buy one year. The paper was almost see through. Wound up throwing it out. Now, if it's not name brand, I don't waste my time on it. Luckily I got some hilroy for 10 cents/200 pages last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Pencils, all art supplies and pens. I can't abide inferior materials, smudgy erasers or crappy pencils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 I will never buy anything but crayola crayons, I learnt the hard way with the cheap ones. I am picky about pencils too, the generic ones never sharpen right and break easily. Now that my kids are getting older I no longer skimp on art supplies, I buy the good quality, name brand supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Pretty much everything. I buy name brand everything cheaper than generic. ;) Couponing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Pencils - Ticonderoga only Filler Paper - Mead w/reinforced holes Art Supplies - at the elementary level, Crayola only; at the high school level, artist quality: Prismacolor; DerWent, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 glad i'm not the only one who is a crayola crayon snob. I buy only Crayola for dd because they don't break as easily, the colors are nicer, they don't seem to rub down as fast, and they are easier to get off the wall with some WD40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chels~ Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Glue sticks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Black Warrior Pencils YES! Just found some at Rite Aid, of all places, and bought 3 packs...have to nab them when I see them. Also I won't buy Rose Art supplies at all, esp for crayons, only Crayolas (or Stockmar--but we are pretty much beyond crayons now). I also don't buy cheap colored pencils. Pearl erasers and those white art erasers, too--the white ones are excellent for erasing used workbook pages, if you are like me and might buy something used that maybe has a page or two written on. I'm also getting good Fiskars scissors this year--so tired of them breaking or getting dull right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Crayons must be Crayola. I've gotten Rose Art in the past, to save a few cents. What a mistake! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Crayola for crayons. Prismacolor...other brands just aren't as beautiful. Oh, and here's a weird one: Due to our science pursuits, Superjet glue is a must. There is an off brand, but it takes longer to set properly. Superjet all the way! :D The boys converted to mechanical pencils and will have nothing to do with regular ones. Due to cheap.7mm lead breaking all the time even though they weren't putting undo pressure on it, we converted them to 1.3 mm drafting pencils which were not cheap. But, we buy the lead refills from Amazon and they've actually turned out to be more economical because they NEVER break the lead. It takes them a very long time to wear through a piece and that's will ds taking an actual drafting course this year and doing a lot of drawing. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Dixon's Ticonderoga pencils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 :iagree: LOVE these. You can get a big box on Amazon. I loved them so much, I reviewed them. I didn't know there were actually quality cap erasers out there! I'm ordering a set from Amazon right now... I'm tired of the ones I buy that break off and continually fall off the pencil. Thanks for the recommendation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I don't think we buy anything generic. There's just no reason to. You keep your eyes peeled and you can pretty much get a good/great/free deal on anything. There's always Michael's and Hobby Lobby coupons too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Pencils - Ticonderoga onlyFiller Paper - Mead w/reinforced holes :iagree: regarding the pencils. I love these! I did not know you could buy filler paper with reinforced holes...where have I been all these years? I'm on the lookout for that this year. Is there a special brand that sells this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyBee Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 For some reason, I thought that Ticonderoga made the Black Warrior pencils. But I'm looking on Amazon, and I see that while Ticonderoga has a pencil that is indeed black, it's not called "Black Warrior", and the actual Black Warrior pencils are made by PaperMate Mirado. So which ones are better? Anyone have experience with both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I did not know you could buy filler paper with reinforced holes...where have I been all these years? I'm on the lookout for that this year. Is there a special brand that sells this? I buy Mead brand. I always find it at Target and I have seen it at office supply stores as well. Look at the left side of the paper and you will see that the entire side is reinforced. It is strong, too. The paper is also smoother than a lot of papers, making it easier to write on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Backpacks are an area I plan to invest a bit more in next year, or just get doubles. I am tired of them dying mid year. ( we coop 1x a week) Get a jansport! My mom bought me a Jansport backpack my senior year of high school for our senior trip. That was 1991. I'm still using it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 (edited) Pentel Sharp 0.9mm P 209 Mechanical Pencils Yellow Barrell Bill Edited June 7, 2012 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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