Over the years I’ve spent a lot of money on new homeschooling books and curriculum, and it was worth it, no question. But I have to admit that I often found some of my best stuff while browsing at garage sales.
One year I saw an ad in the garage sale section of the newspaper classifieds that said, “Teacher retiring, many years’ worth of books and teaching supplies for sale.” I turned up in her driveway early the first day of the sale, and was it ever worth it! She had beautiful old textbooks, lots of children’s literature (mostly hardcover), and reproducible masters of worksheets from the 1960s that I couldn’t resist. I was like a kid in a candy store.
And how many times at other garage sales did I find unused workbooks, like-new boxes of flashcards and untouched educational games bought by well-meaning parents who planned to help their kids hone their skills over the summer or on weekends but never got around to it?
At garage sales, I’ve bought educational computer games, like-new art supplies and classic literature and movies (Moody science videos!) sold for pennies on the dollar. The beauty of all these purchases is that, once we were through with them, I resold them at my own garage sales.
These days, many support groups sponsor used curriculum sales, and I highly recommend them. But don’t forget to hit the garage sales, too. With money tight these days, finding something wonderful for a few bucks (or cents) can be very encouraging.
Us homeschoolers can be a creative and frugal bunch! Sometimes our local Christian school would have a used book sale; that was always a great place to pick up items, for they often had brand new publisher samples, plus lots more. I also liked to buy and sell stuff at a few online used curriculum places like http://vegsource.com/homeschool/
My m/i/l did that when the 1 room schoolhouses closed in the area. She got all the Dick and Jane books. We used them for reading.
Karen, I did find a few things at the local public school sale, but I would have loved to find a used book sale at a Christian school…lucky you!
BarbaraLee, those are awesome books. I think they’re worth something nowadays, too!
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I too buy things from yard sales as well as thrift stores for our homeschool. One can really find some great deals that way.
My only beef with some (not all) teachers’ yard sales is that…being teachers…they price everything individually, won’t dicker, and usually overprice stuff (books priced close to their original cost rather than at yardsale prices). I know they spent hours putting together that laminated teaching poster or game–fifteen years ago–but it’s just not worth five dollars at a yard sale now.
It’s not true of all teachers’ sales–just enough to make me cautious.
Laura, it’s pretty much a survival skill these days, with the high price of educational games and toys, don’t you think?
Mama Squirrel, my big successes were at the retired teachers’ sales….or maybe the teachers are just crankier where you live? Hmmm….