Selling used curriculum/books

[momofkhm]

I know there are several places on-line to sell stuff. But I'm wondering about selling it on-line or at the local homeschool store.

Benefits on-line - get more money (probably): I would price it to sell, but I would get all the money. At the store, I price it to sell, but they get 1/2. BUT many people wan to do paypal so money goes into paypal account, not my pocket.

Benefits store - I don't have to go to the post office. I just have to go to the store. I get less money, but if it stays on account there, I get to spend it on homeschool stuff. They do send checks out. They will also keep it until it sells. I've gone in and seen notices "Everything with this date or earlier is a % off." But at least it's out of my house.

There may be things that the store won't take. The cd's for music appreciation are my concern.

It's hard enough to actually decide to get rid of it. Now I have to figure out where to sell it! I'm thinking the convenience of one stop but less potential money is worth it. Thoughts?

[WendyK]

Even with all of the associated fees and little bit of hassle, I have had my best luck on ebay. I am considering trying out Amazon. They have pretty decent terms.

[Claire]

It really depends. It can be worth it to get everything out of your house at one time. OTOH, you will get more if you sell it online so that is worthwhile if you really need the money.

I sold non-curriculum items (toys and children's clothing) at a consignment shop. Really, for all the trouble of carting things down there (and there were some things they wouldn't take that I had to cart back), I ended up with very little money.

For me, it's better to sell online. Packing is time-consuming at first, until you get the hang of it. I use PayPal to print my own postage (have a post office scale at home that cost $25), so all I have to do is drop things off at the post office. When you sell online, you can specify that you mail out only on Tuesdays and Fridays.

[mia78]

Online is a definite for me as I need every penny. I second the specified shipping days in the listings. It also would be good to plan the end of your listings to coincide with your errand days so you can kill two birds with one stone. You can always incorporate the paypal fees into the handling. This is common practice and I'm not put off paying it at all.

[sticer]

I find that online is best. Amazon or ebay. I'm also trying to get my 50 posts so I can sell some of my used WTM books here.

[GVA]

Like some of the other posters, every penny counts in our house. I live in what has become an upscale neighborhood, and I'm out every morning hanging up my laundry. I'm the only one in our neighborhood that does it, but we're committed to paying our bills! I also don't like going to the Post Office. The nearest one is about 8 miles away with no parking lot of it's own, so I have to find a parking place on the street or in a lot away from the building...you get the idea.

So I sell my homeschool stuff on www.homeschoolclassifieds.com mostly with Paypal shipping. If your carrier is agreeable (do talk to them first, they can refuse ala Homeland Security), you can print the postage at home if you use a digital scale and have your regular mailperson pick it up without leaving home. I do eBay here and there for non-homeschool stuff, and you can also use Paypal shipping through them and leave it out for pickup as well. Frankly I've been disappointed of late with selling here, and only do it here and there if I have very popular items.

For books that I have trouble selling or that I would only make $1-2 dollars on, I use www.paperbackswap.com and spend the credits on books we need. We use Sonlight, and this has been amazing for all the Sonlight books that I wouldn't make much on. You can also print postage there and put it out for your mailperson if it's less than 13 ounces or if they're agreeable. I wrap in paper grocery bags or brown paper, so my costs are minimal there.

My college books go on Amazon. I have to go the post office, but I only sell a few each semester so I can tolerate that.

For me, selling via homeschool consignment isn't worth it. The nearest one is 30 minutes away, and I don't go there more than once or twice a year. They also take half.

HTH!

[LKMN]

I'm struggling with this same thing. I had over 500 items for sale so I advertised with our local HS group for a books sale and had just a few people show up. I made good money but I still have over 300 things to sell.
I want to clean it up and get it out!