athena1277 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Is it cheaper to buy new curriculum at fairs? Do vendors offer discounts there? I'm trying to decide if I should buy online now or wait til the fair to get stuff for next year. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Is it cheaper to buy new curriculum at fairs? Do vendors offer discounts there? I'm trying to decide if I should buy online now or wait til the fair to get stuff for next year. Thanks! Well, sometimes there are discounts; sometimes there are not. It depends on the vendor. But if you buy it there, you don't usually have to pay shipping. OTOH, once you factor in the cost of admission, you might not be saving anything at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 If Rainbow Resource is at your fair, ordering from them there gets you free shipping. Some vendors offer specials and bundle packs, some offer a discount. The real benefit is seeing the materials IRL and getting to actually touch them and look them over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Touching the material, standing and reading through the material, comparing side-by-side two programs you are considering are huge pluses to curriculum fairs. At one fair I stood and read through Canon Press' Introductory Logic and Memoria Press' Logic programs---stood there for over an hour, comparing the two programs. I finally made a choice and felt very comfortable with it. I rarely buy at a fair though, unless the vendor is offering free shipping and even then I don't always buy there. The fairs I've attended have been in states with high sales tax. If I order online I do not pay the tax and sometimes can still get the free shipping. Seeing the material has been worth it to me to attend. Oh, and sometimes when I have been looking at an item some nice woman will start sharing how the item did or did not work for her family. Those conversations are fun! Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 ABeka is another free shipper, although they often don't have a copy of every book for every grade but rather a representative sample across the grades. I have saved money by deciding that something just wasn't for us. But I've also spent money buying things that I didn't know I "needed" until I saw it at the fair. They weren't always a good buy. Also, some vendors will have bundles of stuff for sale at a special fair price. Some will also sell off their materials at the end of the fair to keep from having to ship it home (although this might have been a bigger deal in Hawaii where shipping was more expensive. If you're just loading the car back up, you might not care so much). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekarl2 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 We offer a 10% discount for those who attend our workshops at conventions and all convention purchases get free shipping. I recommend that you call the vendors and ask; they'll tell you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Sometimes you will see a discount but it isn't common. Like others said, you can get free shipping, which is nice so you don't have to lug all your purchases around (I personally like to take them home). I love to see everything in person. My favorite is the Rainbow Resource booth. They have a lot of cool, fun add ons, that are easy to miss in their catalogue. It is also nice to just peruse book racks and find new curriculums that aren't talked about much (this is how I found Journey into Africa several years ago). Critical Thinking usually has some good package deals, but their individual books/cds are often cheaper still if you order through other companies like RR. Timberdoodle is another great stop for me. They commonly have good games/activities for sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferB Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I bought SOTW 1&2 CDs at a good discount at last year's convention. On the other hand, I also bought a bunch of stuff I haven't used yet, and I'll probably have to sell, because I won't use it. So, there's the risk of looking and buying too much, too. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Last year I got a better deal buying Rod & Staff directly from them during their spring discount than I would have gotten at the curric fair. For a short time they gave 10% off (or was it 15?) plus free shipping if your order was at least $25. Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 One other thought ---- some curriculum fairs also have a used book sale section. I picked up R&S 4th & 5th grade grammar w/ TM for $15. Great deal and it was on my to-buy list. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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