Wildiris Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I've priced my books and stuff ridiculously low and so have others on the sale board, but it seem like there are very few buyers. What gives....? Rather than selling on eBay or Amazon, I'd like the help other homeschoolers out, but Amazon and eBay are looking better and better all the time. Do you buy on the sale board here at The Well Trained Mind? If not why? Maybe the sale board could be made better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starwarsmomma Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I didn't even finalize my list until about 15 minutes ago. LOL So far, nobody has had what I needed, but I'm checking agin to make sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakblossoms Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I think a lot of people are enjoying summer. I buy stuff year round as we are ready for a new subject or level. I am not one to buy stuff all at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kricau Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I checked out your lists. The only thing that I would have needed was the SOTW stuff. But I finished my shopping last month. I think that alot of other people have finished shopping for this year as well. ' Yes, I did buy a bunch of books on this forum about a month ago :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I think it's because it's summer too. People are taking a break a bit. Have you tried the FB swap group that started as a spinoff to a thread here? It's linked in my signature tag. It's divided into categories (Math, Science, Language Arts, Preschool, Social Studies, etc.) so it's easier for buyers to find what they're looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Seems like the big buying months are March (lots of people plan the following year that month and try and buy used stuff at that time), somewhat in May/June but especially in August (back to school sales -- lol). It's hit-and-miss the rest of the year on if what you post is what others want. You can also try listing your items at http://www.homeschoolclassifieds.com for a pretty wide viewing audience. You can have 7 free listings, or for $5/year, have 30 listings of items. I often check the "Want to Buy" listings on this board (and others) first, and then email people directly before listing things. I also list my stuff (always in great condition) for low prices -- and it kills me when people ask "Could you lower your price?" Well, not really -- with postage so high, that's almost like asking me to pay YOU for the privilege of taking this curriculum off my hands... sigh... It is amazing, though, how stuff you have to look for and pay a high price on, suddenly is virtually worthless once you buy it. Guess that's just the nature of "stuff"... My rambling musings for the day on selling curriculum. LOL! BEST of luck as you sell! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 It may just be that people are buying less. I went to a curriculum fair today which was only remotely crowded right in the middle of the Rainbow Resource both. DH also talked to one vendor who said his sales are down everywhere (store, fairs, online). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firestar Academy Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I looked, too. I would have been interested in only STOW, but I already have 2 copies. I am looking for audios and activity books for STOW!! It seems sellers never have the stuff when I want to buy. robin in NJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I have pm'd you. So cheer up just a little, please. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 It may just be that people are buying less. I think that's true, too. I was selling at our city's big used curriculum sale back in June, and it was loaded with tons of curriculum -- but not that many buyers, and they all had a short list of very specific items they were looking for -- mostly specific books, for SL or as good reading books -- or high school science programs. That's about it. So, those of us who didn't have those items, no matter how low we had priced stuff, didn't sell much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFJ in IL Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I purchased half of my curriculum supplies through this board. Great prices and everything has been in good to perfect condition! I will always look here first for a few weeks before buying anything brand new. I hardly ever look for used stuff on Amazon and I never use Ebay. Hope your stuff sells :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I buy from the board and have been happy with my transactions there. I've bought some things for next year, but haven't finalized my plan totally. Many of the items I have just get passed down to the next child in our family, so I'm really only purchasing for the oldest grade each year. It might be great curriculum (I did check your lists for some of my needed books, but didn't see any), but there's so many grades and so many different kinds of curriculum (I paged through Rainbow Resource last week and was overwhelmed) and people purchasing on so many different timelines, it seems a miracle that anything someone is selling used ever gets matched up to the buyer who needs it. I typically just do a search of the Sale Board for curriculum I'm looking for and see what comes up at that particular time rather than looking at the posts as they roll during the day. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 I read a similar to post to mind a few months back and thought it would be better to wait-- Maybe not such a good idea. Perhaps people are buying less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I checked out your listing and it seems like you have a bunch of workbooks & teacher's guides for sale without the corresponding textbooks. Honestly, I think that's going to be a hard sale because most people who are interested in a program want the set. I might be interested in the Hewitt Conceptual Physical Science but without the textbook, the workbooks are not of use to me. Not wanting to have to piecemeal things is a big reason why I tend not to buy used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Please don't be offended but I don't think your stuff is ridiculously low. I may be an oddball but I don't list anything more than 50% ppd and I usually buy at about that range or go new. Your SOTW vol. 2 is selling for $9. It can be bought from Amazon for $9.52 plus free shipping new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 Amazon is a big problem. But hey, I offer free shipping too. So what does one do? Ah well, maybe recycling is the answer. Please don't be offended but I don't think your stuff is ridiculously low. I may be an oddball but I don't list anything more than 50% ppd and I usually buy at about that range or go new. Your SOTW vol. 2 is selling for $9. It can be bought from Amazon for $9.52 plus free shipping new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Amazon is a big problem. But hey, I offer free shipping too. So what does one do? Ah well, maybe recycling is the answer. Remember I am one of the very cheap ones. Instead of recycling you could drop your prices a bit more. I have all my stuff for next year so I'm not buying now. I also don't list things unless I know there is a demand for it. I do generally advertise on my local hs loop giving things away for nothing or next to it. Good luck. I really do hope you sell your items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I am Canadian. I admit I don't even bother checking for anything for sale since I'm not willing to even think about shipping from the outside Canada. Since most people on this bird don't live in Canada I don't do any shopping from this message board. (I do ship from the us or other countries when I must. But I find the expensive and nusisance of shipping across the border is not worth buying something I can get from Canada.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Honestly? Some people, not necessarily you I didn't look at yours, sell used for just a few bucks less than if I bought it brand new from elsewhere. Even if it is like new condition, it still isn't new and likely won't sell unless the price is nearer to the 50% of new price. It has to be more than $10 cheaper than the cheapest place I can get it new for me to consider the used price worth it. Especially as so many places to buy used often offer free shipping. Idk why others don't bite, but that's usually my reason. And I admit it's also the reason I don't sell much. If I paid $25 for something new and can't get more than $15 +s/h, then I have to question if I'm making much profit after packaging and gas to the post office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalliemorgan Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Patience, young grasshoppah. As a seasoned internet-sales-person, sales ebb and flow. Let it ride. People will be elbowing each other soon enough over your books. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 You will have better luck at homeschoolclassifieds.com I buy things and post things on the For Sale Board here, but the majority of my sales happen on homeschoolclassifieds. Blessings! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoyost Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I am interested in low prices. Just registered & am hunting for Sonlight core f books. Don't give up because the organized people have already made their purchases. There will always be people like me who are still making up their minds what to do for this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 I am Canadian. I admit I don't even bother checking for anything for sale since I'm not willing to even think about shipping from the outside Canada. Since most people on this bird don't live in Canada I don't do any shopping from this message board. (I do ship from the us or other countries when I must. But I find the expensive and nusisance of shipping across the border is not worth buying something I can get from Canada.) I ship to Canada a lot for my sunglasses/eyewear business and items get stuck in customs all the time. It takes weeks to clear. Honestly? Some people, not necessarily you I didn't look at yours, sell used for just a few bucks less than if I bought it brand new from elsewhere. Even if it is like new condition, it still isn't new and likely won't sell unless the price is nearer to the 50% of new price. It has to be more than $10 cheaper than the cheapest place I can get it new for me to consider the used price worth it. Especially as so many places to buy used often offer free shipping. Idk why others don't bite, but that's usually my reason. And I admit it's also the reason I don't sell much. If I paid $25 for something new and can't get more than $15 +s/h, then I have to question if I'm making much profit after packaging and gas to the post office. I'm sure what you say is true. I'm not even thinking about a profit. Remember I am one of the very cheap ones. Instead of recycling you could drop your prices a bit more. Most of my prices are as low as I can go. $5.00 for many of my items barely covers PayPal fees, shipping, and packaging. I just want the closet space back and the books to go to a family that needs and wants them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyful Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I like to buy homeschool curricula second hand. I've had good experience on the WTM sales board. I do have a list of things that I specifically want to buy. I do most of my looking in March-April. I still have a few things to get. But, since it is summer, and we go out a lot, I haven't been looking on the sales boards as much. I some times forget to check. I probably look once or twice a week. And when we were out of town, I didn't check at all. The consequence is that I've missed some sales of books that I'm looking for. So, maybe others are like me, on vacation mode. Maybe you'll get some buyers in the next several days. :001_smile: (But some times it is a price point issue. For example, I've been wanting to get a set of AoPS Algebra books for a while. The best price I've seen is $50ppd on the sale board. But every time I PM the seller, it's been sold - yeah, I wasn't not fast enough. Now, Rainbow Resources is selling the set for $59 with free shipping (any order $50 or over). So, with that option, I stopped looking for AoPS Algebra on the sale boards (looking actually takes quite a bit of time, some times with low yields), and am just waiting to place a large order later this summer along with other books that I am not able to find second hand.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I do really well in the summer on eBay, but everywhere else spring seems to be the best time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I finished my curriculum shopping months ago.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Buying season in our hs support group is April-May with used book fairs. I really do not buy online, eBay, or elsewhere. If there is a specific title then I hunt year round in advance looking online for a low price like Amazon (used) or homeschoolclassifieds. That being said, my curriculum shopping was done months ago. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I just want the closet space back and the books to go to a family that needs and wants them. Why not just donate the books to groups like the Book Samaritan? They give away books to homeschooling families in financial need: http://www.thebooksamaritan.com/p/how-to-help.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 Why not just donate the books to groups like the Book Samaritan? They give away books to homeschooling families in financial need: http://www.thebooksamaritan.com/p/how-to-help.html Thanks for this most useful link. I'm going to do this rather than recycling.:D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I sell all year long and never found one month to be better then the next. Some things I have posted for weeks nothing happens. A month later I repost and my PM lights up, everyone wants it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I sell all year long and never found one month to be better then the next. Some things I have posted for weeks nothing happens. A month later I repost and my PM lights up, everyone wants it. :iagree: The boards are kind of slow right now, so not as many people are here to even read the sale ads. I expect that in a few weeks the people who have been procrastinating with their planning will be popping in to find what they need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 OP, I haven't looked at your list, but I bought most of my stuff a few months ago, mostly in March. I start my year in July, so I wanted plenty of time to peruse everything and get ready early. I also wanted to buy before the big homeschool conference around here, which was in mid-May; if I couldn't find something used for a price I wanted to pay, I could have gotten it at the CHAP convention, because a lot of vendors seemed to have some discounted prices. Amazon also makes it really easy and cheap -- it's really hard to beat their prices sometimes, new or used. I've bought some items here, but I've also had really great success buying stuff on homeschoolclassifieds.com, so I'd recommend trying there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 (edited) Fear. lol Edited July 24, 2012 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ednkirstin Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I think that alot of other people have finished shopping for this year as well. You can also try listing your items at www.homeschoolclassifieds.com for a pretty wide viewing audience.:iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I think your prices are high for some thins. I need swallows and amazons, but amazon sells a usedcopy for 45 cents plus shpimg, bringing the total to about half what youmare charging. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 This is me too. I recently listed Core 4 books for SL. I am trying to find time to get my IG together to sell on ebay because people keep IMing me for ONE or two books. It cost me more to get those one or two books out to them than it does for the book itself. The 4 miles each way to the post office alone is $2 in gas. Shipping is $2.80 minimum, and for a $5-$10 book it just isn't worth it. What I NEED is a Core 6 IG, an Apologia Biology book (prefer 2nd edition), TT3, and a couple things I can't think of at the moment. Those are very popular items on here and go within hours of listing. I can't find them in time! Dawn Honestly? Some people, not necessarily you I didn't look at yours, sell used for just a few bucks less than if I bought it brand new from elsewhere. Even if it is like new condition, it still isn't new and likely won't sell unless the price is nearer to the 50% of new price. It has to be more than $10 cheaper than the cheapest place I can get it new for me to consider the used price worth it. Especially as so many places to buy used often offer free shipping. Idk why others don't bite, but that's usually my reason. And I admit it's also the reason I don't sell much. If I paid $25 for something new and can't get more than $15 +s/h, then I have to question if I'm making much profit after packaging and gas to the post office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I think pricing on used, not necessarily your items, is a big issue. I don't sell a lot of used because after you pay shipping, package it up, run to the post office, and deal with follow-up it's not worth it. However, if I'm going to buy used it will generally be from a vendor that will stand behind condition concerns and/or shipping issues. I also don't trust media mail that much, but again from a vendor I have some recourse and I don't have to buy insurance. I donate items to friends or a thrift stores to get rid of it. As someone who has many books from thrift store, I always appreciate the homeschool material I find there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 You have one book for sale new for $10. I can but it new from Amazon.com for $13 or used on amazon.com for $5. If there is a problem I would rather pay the extra $3 to amazon.com and know that I am going to get my money back pronto. This post just reminds me of why I don't buy used books from the for sale board. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I'm still waiting on my TOG spine to show up :glare: No point buying anything else, even if it's on their book list, until I've been able to do some planning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 i think your prices are high for some thins. I need swallows and amazons, but amazon sells a usedcopy for 45 cents plus shpimg, bringing the total to about half what youmare charging. Good luck! my copy is new with free shipping too. I need to cover paypal, shipping, and packaging. you have one book for sale new for $10. I can but it new from amazon.com for $13 or used on amazon.com for $5. If there is a problem i would rather pay the extra $3 to amazon.com and know that i am going to get my money back pronto. This post just reminds me of why i don't buy used books from the for sale board. Sorry. I guess it is a matter of faith. If you use paypal the buyer has recourse no matter the buying venue. So will amazon ace out all other sellers because they have the lowest prices? It is no wonder why boarders books went out of business. Glad i don't work at amazon. I read the working conditions are brutal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 (edited) I guess it is a matter of faith. If you use paypal the buyer has recourse no matter the buying venue. It is definitely a matter of faith. Paypal buyer protection only protects you if the money is still in the seller's account. If the seller has cleared the account, the buyer still takes the hit--Paypal doesn't cough up out of its own pocket. So you're still relying on the good nature of the seller. I just purchased a book that was listed as being in "very good" condition. It is most definitely NOT in very good condition. Sometimes sellers are jerks, and sometimes it's worth a few extra dollars for the security of knowing you're getting what you actually paid for. I've heard good things and bad things about Amazon's record as an employer. But I don't know you either. You might not be someone I want to buy from. I can't know that. I can only make a judgment based on the value proposition offered. Personally, I'm usually willing to buy from a WTM seller even if the discount is just a few dollars as long as I'm comfortable with them, but they have to actually have what I want too. I'm still shopping, and I looked at your lists, but there isn't anything there I need, unfortunately. I think that, for most things, re-selling isn't worth it. I have a big box of things ready to go to Book Samaritan myself, because I'm not willing to deal with the whole song and dance to clear $1 on a transaction in which I'm still liable if the package is lost or destroyed or the buyer is the scammer. Only you can decide if it's worth it to you to bow to the market. For most of the stuff you have, IMO, it's probably not. For example, I've seen Swallows and Amazons at nearly every library book sale I've been to, so it's probably not a good choice for resale. It stinks, but there it is. Edited July 22, 2012 by melissel Incorrect copy and paste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I bought in February and March and started our year three weeks ago. I'm not yet buying for next year. I haven't looked at your listings, but I've seen a lot that people price for a significant percentage off the list price, but that are close to or even more than what Amazon sells for. If it's a few dollars difference, I'm going to go with new from Amazon vs. used from someone I don't know with no protection. PayPal doesn't help if the seller already cleaned the account and they only care that you got the item, not that it was as described. I have bought on here when I saw a good deal and I needed something, and I've used homeschoolclassifieds, but I'm always nervous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I agree with what others have said. If you are selling something just a few dollars less, than I am not going to buy it from you. Just yesterday, I saw a CD set that I'd like, but it was only 2.50 less than Rainbow. That's just not worth the extra risk or hassle. Generally, it's only worth it to buy or sell the big items or multiple small items at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kricau Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 That's funny I had the opposite result. I had the same things at the same price posted here and there, and NOTHING sold there. But I have sold some stuff here. You will have better luck at homeschoolclassifieds.com I buy things and post things on the For Sale Board here, but the majority of my sales happen on homeschoolclassifieds. Blessings! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kricau Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 :iagree:eBay has been good to me too. and Amazon It really depends on the item. I like to do the more expensive stuff on Amazom & the bulk (like whole sets) stuff on eBay. I do really well in the summer on eBay, but everywhere else spring seems to be the best time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie75 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I can't do media mail. It gets lost getting sent to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 It is definitely a matter of faith. Paypal buyer protection only protects you if the money is still in the seller's account. If the seller has cleared the account, the buyer still takes the hit--Paypal doesn't cough up out of its own pocket. I'd heard that, too, so when an ebay seller never sent an item, I complained to ebay instead of to paypal. Finally, the seller refunded my money via paypal, but... guess what? It needed to clear the bank first. A week later, I got the notice that it didn't clear. I had to let ebay know, they had to verify it on their own, and in the end ebay refunded my money. It was only $14, so I don't know if ebay would refund a big amount, but I was pleased to have the money refunded at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godsaggie Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I did buy my stuff for next year on the swap boards here and at homeschool classifieds. I bought all that stuff in May. Then I got what I couldn't find here at the homeschool convention. I have a few things on the swap board as well that I am trying to sell. I think I will probably drop the price since they aren't moving as quickly as I thought they would. I guess it is a little late in the summer and people are busy or have already gotten what they needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniBlondes Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I've bought here several times and will continue to do so. I find the FS board moves too fast and it's often hard to find what I need. I only buy things that are truly a good deal. If your used copy is only $2 cheaper after shipping then I'd rather pay the extra $2 and get a new one. I like shiny, new books! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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