STEP 1: REGISTER TO SELL BY MAY 21ST (REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED)
STEP 2: GATHER YOUR BOOKS
STEP 3: PUT PRICES ON THEM
STEP 4: CONSIDER HOW TO ARRANGE YOUR TABLE
STEP 5: CREATE A POSTER FOR ANY LARGE SCHOOL-RELATED ITEMS
STEP 6: SHOW UP ON JUNE 4TH AND SELL LOTS OF BOOKS
Registration is now closed.
Most homeschoolers who have been at it for a few years have books, curriculums, or materials that have been outgrown, or didn’t “click” with the student and needed to be replaced with something else. Don’t sweat it - use this opportunity to REDEEM those unused books, so you can afford next year’s curriculum (or perhaps to pay for gas for the next field trip to the beach!)
What’s permissible at the TEACH sale? Almost any school books, curriculums, textbooks, or readers, and more. Examples of non-book items include educational games, flash cards, manipulatives, computer software, craft and science experiment supplies, microscopes, and anything that can be used for educational purposes in a home school environment. See the two bullets below for the things we do NOT allow:
How (or if) you tag your materials is up to you this year, but TEACH recommends you do. One of the common complaints of this style of sale is sellers who don’t put clear prices on their items, leaving the buyer with the ackward predicament of having to ask the seller what the price is and then deciding (in front of the seller) whether or not to go ahead and purchase. Many buyers will simply keep walking and find a seller who has neatly tagged their wares.
TEACH also recommends pricing to SELL (that means keeping the prices low). Past experience has shown that the best-selling items at previous sales have been in the $1 - $5 price range. Also, keep in mind, if your stuff didn’t sell at the LAST used curriculum sale, it probably didn’t GAIN any value since then and quite likely LOST value (closer to obsolescence). You might even consider having your own FREE box at your table, for those items you really don’t want to bring back home yet again.
You will be expected to bring your own table(s), if at all possible. You can use card tables, folding tables, or even old doors laid across sawhorses! There will be a limited number of tables available for those who cannot fit tables into their car, or for those who need several tables.
You may want to bring props (boxes, crates, bookends, etc) to help arrange your table to maximize your available space. You may choose to “overflow” onto the ground under of in front of your table (we suggest you keep those items in boxes or crates), or to the open trunk or tailgate of your vehicle. Be creative, but we suggest you sort it out in advance of the sale and bring appropriate materials with you, as we won’t be supplying any boxes or other props on the day of the sale.
While designing your table space, consider any signage you may want. We suggest posting the methods of payment you accept, to avoid having 50 people ask you that question. Also, consider posting “Name Your Price”, “Make Me an Offer”, or “PRICE is FIRM” signs, depending on how you roll.
Also consider bringing hand sanitizer and/or wipes for your sale table, according to your own comfort level.
If you have larger school-related items available for sale (i.e. musical instruments, sports equipment, furniture, etc.) that won’t fit in your car, you may want to advertise them with a poster. To do so, print a picture of the item on a sheet of paper or posterboard and bring it with you on the day of sale, along with a way to prop it up where folks can see it (potentially on your seller table). We suggest you include on the sheet a written description of the item, price, and contact information.
Please plan to arrive before 9:30 am and stay until the end of the sale at 1:00 pm (for the safety of the many folks milling around the sale grounds, we don’t want anyone driving through the selling areas to arrive late or leave early). If you think you may need special accomodations, please arrange this with the Seller Coordinator.
If you need assistance setting up or taking down your tables, or lifting boxes of books in or out of your car, please grab the attention of one of the several volunteers available that will be roaming around during the setup and takedown times.
The sale will be held in a parking lot in June, so it might be hot. If you have a 10 x 10 canopy or some other method of providing shade you want to bring, you are welcome to do so, though it may need to be taken down if it turns out to be a windy day (no way to stake the feet down through the asphalt).
Before packing up any unsold material to take back home again, consider donating it to TEACH instead. TEACH is willing to accept a limited number of unsold items at the end of the sale. If you are interested in this option please visit the TEACH table for more details.
If you have any questions or specific concerns regarding the above instructions, please do not hesitate to contact the Used Curriculum Sale Coordinator at moc.liamg@rotanidrooCrelleSSCU. We want this sale to be beneficial to both the Seller and the Buyer!