Finding Used Curriculum

Posted by Peggy | 0 comments

These days most of us are looking to stretch our dollars as far as possible and I’m sure we’ve all bought curriculum that just didn’t work for our family. As a self professed curriculum junkie I have quite a collection of places that I go for deals and to resell or offer curriculum that I have that didn’t work.

These are just a few of the many sites on the web:

• Homeschool Classifieds.com
  This is a free site and easy to navigate. Registration is quick and easy. The various search options make it very easy to find what you are looking for. With registration you get 7 credits – (7 items for sale listed at one time) and unlimited wanted postings. There are many options if you need more credits. It costs nothing to purchase from the site.
• Vegsource.com
  This website is a little harder for me to navigate. The sale/swap boards are on the right side of the page. You do not have to register to post. The site does have a lot of ads.
• Edify at Home
  This auction site lists more than just home school curricula but it does have a separate category. It appears to be easy to use and registration and basic auctions are free.
• Ebay
  It is free to use for purchasing though you do have to create an account. Finding a deal on Ebay isn’t as easy as you’d think. Always check the shipping prices to make sure you are getting a deal. Ebay also will not allow any Teacher Editions to be sold.
• Used Homeschool Curriculum.com
  This is in a message board format and registration is free.
• The Back Pack
  This website mainly has used textbooks though they do offer curriculum packages as well. You cannot order directly off the website – there is an order form to print off and mail in or you can order via phone.
• Second Harvest Curriculum
  This site is easy to navigate and not only lists the used curriculum by publisher but also by year and condition. There is an online cart and checkout and shipping rates appear to be very reasonable.
• Paperback Swap
  I have heard raves about Paperback Swap for years but never found time to really look at the site. It has used curricula as well as books that go along with curricula such as Sonlight and Konos. Registering is free.
• Well Trained Mind Forums Sale and Swap Board
  This is a very active area of the Well Trained Mind Forums. Registration is free and you are required to have fifty posts before you can post an item for sale.
• Yahoo groups
  There are many groups set aside just for selling or swapping used curriculum. Just type whatever publisher you are looking for or just ‘used homeschool curriculum’ and you should have many groups to chose from. You will need a yahoo account to join these groups but that is free.

These are only a few of the many sites that can be used to locate used homeschool curriculum. I have also found items on Amazon’s Used Marketplace. These are great places to pick up a curriculum you are considering using but don’t want to pay full price for until you can actually ‘see’ it and determine if it can work for your students. Happy Hunting!

Peggy Dalley has been married to her best friend and husband for 13 years. She uses the eclectic approach to homeschool their three sons, 12, 10 and 7. Her interests include writing unit studies, Bible study, history and she is working hard to become a Proverbs 31:10 woman instead of a Proverbs 21:9 woman.