Farrar Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I needed to clear a little space on a shelf the other day and I ended up pulling a box of books and curricula that are definitely going. We're done with it for sure. And then I started thinking... I have a LOT of this stuff. My kids will graduate next year. I don't anticipate teaching them anything much next year - they're doing their own things. And while there are a few things I'll keep for sentimental reasons (you'll pry my beloved Cuisenaire rod set out of my cold, dead hands, thanks) and a decent number of things I need to keep for my own teaching... there's a lot more stuff that needs to go. Some of it is just books. Like, I have probably 30+ Horrible Science books, old Usborne titles about things, picture books that covered specific school topics in science and history, lots of DK books, map books, workbooks, etc. etc. And some of it is curricula that isn't especially valuable. But some of it is textbooks that were pricey and educational tools that are pretty nice. I have a really nice Zometools set and the curriculum book that goes with it. I have Dolciani's Pre-Algebra Teacher's Manual. Actually, I have like a bajillion algebra I programs. You name it, I've got it. Plus college level textbooks for science... I mean, I have things I'd kinda like to recoup for a little bit of the value. How did you handle it when you cleaned out all that stuff? Obviously I can list the items that are worth something somewhere. What about the other stuff? I'd so much rather pass it along to someone than take it to the thrift store. But things are so weird right now. And I've honestly had trouble handing things down in the past. 1 Quote
LJPPKGFGSC Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 (edited) There is a large homeschool book sale in Loudoun County next month. It is at Blue Ridge Bible. I can't seem to find the website right now. But I will in the morning if you are interested. Edited April 14, 2021 by LJPPKGFGSC 1 Quote
Shoeless Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I have sold a lot of homeschool stuff on Facebook marketplace. If you are willing to ship and have paypal, I might be interested in some of those Horrible Science books. 2 Quote
Farrar Posted April 14, 2021 Author Posted April 14, 2021 1 hour ago, LJPPKGFGSC said: There is a large homeschool book sale in Loudoun County next month. It is at Blue Ridge Bible. I can't seem to find the website right now. But I will in the morning if you are interested. Ooh, thank you. Yes, I might be willing to travel. But yeah, PM me with the info and I'll see if it works. Probably I can't bring all my evolution stuff to a place called Blue Ridge Bible, lol. But they might want most everything else. 1 hour ago, MissLemon said: I have sold a lot of homeschool stuff on Facebook marketplace. If you are willing to ship and have paypal, I might be interested in some of those Horrible Science books. Yeah, maybe... let me... figure out how many I actually have and what the titles are. I have one box set and another stack of them. 1 Quote
gardenmom5 Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 depending upon what it was - my local homeschool bookstore. half-price books, or goodwill. I'm not willing to do the ebay thing. Quote
Excelsior! Academy Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 (edited) https://www.bookfinder.com https://www.textbookrush.com https://www.sellbackyourbook.com Edited April 14, 2021 by Excelsior! Academy Quote
Resilient Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 Consignment and donation to classical schools. Consignment dollars go to needy friends who need homeschool materials. Quote
Eos Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 Synchronicity: this is today's task on the mega-deep-clean circuit. I've been putting off setting up the attic ladder to haul down the boxes. None of mine has any monetary value, but I'm sentimental as heck and my 31 year-old's little Miquon books bring me memories and joy. Why am I even saving it? No thrift store will want it. No modern homeschooler will want it. No grandchildren will want it. Ruthless recycling seems to be the order of the day. 2 Quote
teachermom2834 Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 When I did a major purge before moving I went to a big homeschool book sale at a park. I was able to sell the higher value items I had and then I just let everything go for next to nothing. I had so much that even at $1 it added up to a little bit of cash and the people disposed of it for me. Dh loaded up the leftovers and took it to the local used bookstore and then donated what was left. My big kids are post college now and my third is a high school senior who has done mostly de. All I have left is books I have had in recent years for my 7th grade ds. She has done Memoria Press almost exclusively since K. There are so many books and videos and teachers guides and student guides she didn’t write in. They hold zero value locally. Cant give it away. I have a couple years worth of it now. I guess when Covid is over I will try to find a large sale somewhere and just say everything is $1 and hope the right person comes along. At this point I just want someone to have it and feel like they got a deal and to have enough cash to buy dinner. The market for selling curriculum has changed for sure as online programs/classes and all in one curriculum in a box has taken over. 2 Quote
Amethyst Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I never sold any of it. Considered it, but dh didn’t think it was worth the time and effort. I agreed. So, I just tossed things. Little at a time. And a lot at a time certain days. Like you, there are some things I kept for sentimental reason (I see you Cuissinaire rods). I have every set of Teaching Textbooks from grade 2 to Calculus; those I’ve stored in the attic until the day when I am ready to let go. I’ve kept very few other textbooks; those are on bookshelves but I really did purge almost all of those - they get outdated. The biggest thing I’ve kept is a HUGE box of my kids’ portfolios. It’s too huge to move with all those binders in there, but it’s my kids’ entire childhood! 😭 Dh keeps telling me to toss it but I keep resisting. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of getting rid of most of my homeschooling stuff so I hold onto that. 3 Quote
MEmama Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I don’t know anyone who homeschools or anyone with younger kids so I just ended up giving everything to the Goodwill. I don’t have the energy or interest in going through the more valuable items; someone will find it and maybe it will make their day. It took me a few years to finally purge but I have no regrets in finally getting rid of it all. 2 Quote
Katy Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I take them to goodwill too. The shops I most prefer are still closed bc pandemic. I’ve found some good books there in the past. 2 Quote
kristin0713 Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I brought tons of stuff to a used curriculum sale the last time I went to the CHAP convention in 2019. I chose the option to donate what didn't sell rather than take it back and try to sell it again. I just wanted to be done with it. I'm so glad I did! Quote
Garga Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 (edited) Somewhat local homeschool consignment bookstore. For an hour and a half round trip, it was worth it. I didn’t get full value, since the shop takes its cut, but saved the hassle of mailing books. Edited April 14, 2021 by Garga Quote
Beth S Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 Another option is your local library, which likely will resume periodic Book Sales in the next 6 months or so. We finished a year ago, so I'm thinking of sorting thru my 6 boxes of homeschool paperwork soon, & I appreciate this thread! 2 Quote
Soror Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 Things that I could easily sell for more I sold online. Things that would sell locally and not worth shipping I sold locally. Anything else I thought I could get anything out of I took to a homeschool consignment store. I only get half of the profit but they have more traffic and can get more from books than I can- besides the fact I don't have to mess with it. Anything else was given away or taken to Goodwill. Quote
HS Mom in NC Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I donated everything to my homeschool support group (100+ families.)I let them know in advance and told them to bring their friends. I gave away 14 moving boxes packed full of K-8 stuff. There were 6 books left, which were donated to Goodwill. 2 Quote
LAS in LA Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 Anyone else saving a few things for the grandkids? It’ll be a few years, but the R&S grammar books and some other things (the Cuisenaire rods for sure!) will be sticking around. 3 Quote
kirstenhill Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 (edited) I helped a retired teacher neighbor who had six boxes of books and supplies to get rid of. She was really excited about giving them away to homeschoolers. After I sorted through what I wanted, I posted pictures in a couple of local groups and told people to "claim" what they wanted in the posts' pictures and message me for my address. I then put things on my porch with people's names and they stopped by for pick up. Then I donated to a thrift store things no one wanted or things that people didn't follow thru with picking up. This was pre pandemic but I've seen other people doing similar things during the pandemic. At least where I'm at, no-contact porch pick up seems to be something people are pretty comfortable with. Edited April 14, 2021 by kirstenhill Quote
dsmith Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I'm trying to figure out what to do with all of our curriculum, science equipment, etc.. I had planned on donating some to Goodwill, but unfortunately they didn't survive the pandemic. I will list valuable stuff on ebay, but I'm not looking forward to it. I had considered rejoining Facebook to sell, but I don't want to do that either. I miss when this site had a thriving classified section! 2 Quote
domestic_engineer Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 Post it for sale in the Classified section here!!!! 1 Quote
HS Mom in NC Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 2 hours ago, LAS in LA said: Anyone else saving a few things for the grandkids? It’ll be a few years, but the R&S grammar books and some other things (the Cuisenaire rods for sure!) will be sticking around. No. If my daughters end up having kids and homeschooling them, they'll want to pick their own curriculum. Quote
klmama Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 Literature will stay if anyone loved it. A few high school/college books will stay for reference, maybe a few others that they loved and want to keep for sentimental reasons. The rest (and especially all the science equipment) I plan to sell/give to local homeschoolers, then donate whatever is left to Goodwill. 1 Quote
Caraway Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I'm in a similar situation. I'm going to post most of it in a homeschooling FB group for items free for shipping. (Group name: Homeschool Curriculum Free For Shipping). There is another group for paid items. (Group name: Homeschool Buy Sell Trade) Quote
cintinative Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I have sold tons of stuff via the FB sale groups. One of the biggest is Homeschool Curriculum Marketplace. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Homeschool.Curriulum.Marketplace It has 84K members. If you hate FB you could try HomeschoolClassifieds.com It *is* work to pack and ship everything, so I always have a minimum purchase requirement. A friend gave me four or five boxes of her stuff to sell for 50% of the proceeds--she still made over $700. That was about three years ago but it's worth putting the time in to sell some things. Literature will sell well, texts that don't age (like your Dolciani), the Horrible Science or Horrible Histories, etc. 1 Quote
Dmmetler Posted April 14, 2021 Posted April 14, 2021 I am planning to take stuff to a park homeschool sale next month. Pre-Covid, we did a Save the Frogs event,including a homeschool/kids book sale to benefit conservation, and that got a lot to good homes, but we didn't do one last year and aren't this year, but since I'm vaccinated I feel fairly safe loading up the car. Quote
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