Wondering where to buy inexpensive homeschool curriculum? Trying to figure out the best places to shop online for used homeschool books? Here’s the ultimate resource: a list of my favorite places to buy — and sell! — used curriculum and books. Let’s start with the websites.

Best Websites to Buy / Sell Used Homeschool Curriculum

Homeschool Classifieds

Homeschool Classifieds has been around for a long time. If you don’t mind having to scroll through long text lists (and then emailing the seller to see if the item is still available) you can often find things not easily found elsewhere. I’ve made many purchases through this venue; just ask lots of questions and ask for pictures of the item before you send money (always use Goods & Services, not Friends & Family, on PayPal).

eBay

My best tip? Look for buyers with 100% positive feedback — or even better, a “Top Rated Plus” insignia next to their username.  And if anything in the listing or the condition of the item seems unclear, send a message to the buyer and ask before you bid. If you’re auction-averse (I am), then just browse the Buy-it-Now listings.

Karen’s Kurriculum Korner

Karen has a physical store in Kentucky, but she also sells on Homeschool Classifieds, and often lists item on the Kurriculum Korner page on Facebook, too. If you need something specific, email her! I’ve purchased from her several times, and have had great experiences each time. (Unlike Homeschool Classifieds and eBay, of course, this isn’t a channel for you to sell your used books.)

Best Websites to Buy Cheap Used Books

Thrift Books

I feel like Thrift Books is one of the best kept secrets, but maybe it will be more well known now that half.com has met its demise. Most titles at Thrift Books are under $4, and for each order, there’s free shipping once you spend $10. What’s not to love? You’ll probably need another bookshelf soon anyway.

[Disclosure: The link above for Thrift Books is a referral link. No other links in this post are referral or affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase from Thrift Books, you’ll receive a  coupon for 15% off your first purchase, and I’ll receive a coupon for 20% off. I will receive no other compensation or product. As always, I’ll only recommend products or services I personally use and love, and I’ll always disclose such links.]

Best Facebook Groups  to Buy/Sell Used General Homeschool Curriculum

The vast majority of what’s in our bookshelves has been purchased either at thrift stores (more about that later), or in one of the many sale groups on Facebook.

Note that these closed groups are not the same as Marketplace! Marketplace on Facebook offers a framework, like Craigslist, for anyone to post an item for sale. Facebook Groups, on the other hand, are dedicated communities centered around a common interest — in this case, the buying and selling of specific categories of books. Facebook sale groups are super convenient, and I especially love how easy it is to ask questions or find out more about the condition/content of the items for sale.

What sale groups should you join? That depends what you wish to buy or sell. There are some broad groups for used homeschool curriculum in general, and other more specialized ones focused on particular publishers. Each group has different set of moderators and a different set of rules, so you’ll need to read those before you start buying or selling in that group. (These rules are typically in a pinned post or in the group’s description area, and often you won’t be able to see them until you’ve been admitted or approved as a member.)

Let’s start with the general groups designed for all types of used homeschool curriculum.

Homeschool Curriculum Marketplace

This is by far the largest homeschool Facebook sale group I’ve encountered. There are nearly ~60K members at the time of this posting! Be sure to read the rules carefully. To maintain the group at such a large size, the Homeschool Curriculum Marketplace moderators are very strict.

Homeschool Curriculum Sell / Exchange

With over ~26K members, the Homeschool Curriculum Sell/Exchange is great for shopping and selling alike.

Homeschooler Market- Buy, Sell & Trade

A very active group of ~20K members. I’ve had excellent experiences with Homeschooler Market- Buy, Sell & Trade. (This one might actually be my favorite of all the general groups.)

Homeschool Buy Sell Trade

The Homeschool Buy Sell Trade group (~17K) has rather particular guidelines, so be sure to read the rules.

Homeschool Used Curriculum Swap

I really enjoy browsing Homeschool Used Curriculum Swap. It’s  a wonderfully active group of ~12K.

Used Homeschool Books, Buy, Sell, Trade

The guidelines of Used Homeschool Books, Buy, Sell, Trade  (~8K) prohibit sale of entertainment books, allowing curriculum and educational books only. Your interpretation may vary.

Best Facebook Groups  to Buy/Sell Used Classical Homeschool Curriculum

If you’re looking for curriculum that’s more specialized or from a specific publisher, it makes sense to use one of the more niche groups, rather than sorting through hundreds of entries.  Here a few of the groups dedicated to classical curriculum.

Veritas Press Used Curriculum Buy / Sell / Trade

This is a newer group (disclosure: I admin this one) but it’s a great place if you’re looking for Veritas Press materials. If you’re looking for discussion, then you’ll want to head over to Veritas Press Homeschoolers, which I also admin.

Memoria Press Buy/Sell/Swap, Review & Discuss

If you use any Memoria Press curriculum, this group is a great resource, because it’s one of the few groups which also allows shopping and discussion in the same forum.

Classical Conversations Used Materials Buy/Sell/Trade/Share (and) Classical Conversation Exchange

Each of these two different groups is about the same size (~12K members). While both are centered around Classical Conversations resale,  people do freely buy and sell other non-CC curriculum, too. I would say the Exchange group has more of these non-CC items, which makes it a great resource even if you’re not a Classical Conversations family.

Well Trained Mind Curriculum Buy/Sell/Trade

This sale group is intended for reselling any of the many different curriculums recommended in Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well-Trained Mind. It’s a wonderful shopping spot for all things classical.

Tapestry of Grace Homeschooling Books and Used Curriculum

This group is moderated by Tapestry of Grace itself, and is fairly small (under 1K).

Tapestry of Grace Homeschooling books, Seek/Sell/Swap Spot

A bit larger (just over ~1K), this one, like the other Tapestry group, has a wealth of wonderful books, even if you’re not a TOG user. In fact, it really could have been listed under the next category, too — literature-based curriculum.

Best Facebook Groups  to Buy/Sell Used Literature-Based Homeschool Curriculum

Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum USED books Sell/Swap/Share

This is the larger of the two Sonlight sale groups, and has everything from individual readers to entire grade-sets, or cores.

Sonlight Homeschool Moms Swap & Shop

Newer than the above group, this sale community is moderated by the same team who run the Sonlight Homeschool Moms discussion group.

MFW, BP, MOH, SL, SOTW (Literature Based Curriculum)Buy/Sell/Trade

That’s a lot of acronyms! Let’s see…My Father’s World, Beautiful Feet, Mystery of History, Sonlight, Story of the World…phew! Note also, this one has very particular moderator guidelines for how to list items, so if you’re planning on selling, be sure to read the pinned post / group description first.

Charlotte Mason/Ambleside/ Living Books/USED materials for sale/share/swap

This is a wonderful resource for used Charlotte Mason curriculum. A nice-sized group, at ~8K members, it has lots of especially beautiful vintage books for sale.

But what if you’re just not into buying books online?

Best Ways to Find Local Used Homeschool Curriculum Sales

If you want to skip online buying / selling altogether, you have several options. The best sales are, in my experience, generally held in April, May and June. Any earlier or much later, and you won’t have as much luck. Keep those dates in mind when inquiring about local sales, too.

Used Book Sales at State Homeschool Conventions

Many homeschool conferences coordinate a huge annual consignment sale, often just for one night right before the conference begins. Check with your local organizations to see what’s available in your area.

Used Curriculum Sales Hosted by Local Homeschool Groups

In the early spring, I’ll sometimes email the largest area local homeschool groups in the, to ask if they’ll be hosting a sale. I’ve gotten some of my best deals at these small local sales.

Second-hand / Thrift Stores

When it comes to the book sections of thrift stores, they’re not all created equal. And time of year matters, too. I’ve found almost no homeschool curriculum locally, but when I visit my parents and browse second-hand stores there, I need  a second suitcase to  haul all my goodies home.

Location-Specific Used Homeschool Curriculum Groups on Facebook

Beyond the general “online garage sale” pages for your local area, do some searching within Facebook to see if there’s a used homeschool curriculum group specifically for your region (Orlando, for example, has several!) These can be terrific, because you can often arrange meet-ups to swap money/books, and save money on shipping.

And a bonus, because I am asked this next question all the time —

Where is the best place to buy Singapore Math books?

I’ve snagged some great deals in the general curriculum sale groups, but that does require time, since used Singapore Math books go very quickly.  eBay is sometimes an option, but since Singapore materials also holds its value so well, eBay prices aren’t really that much less than new. I often purchase new from the Singapore Math website. My top tip? Check the Singapore Math Bargain Corner. Several times, the item I was seeking was listed at a discount due to minor aesthetic damage. (And let’s be real, it would be aesthetically flawed after a week in our house, anyway. (Read more about why Singapore Math works best for us.)

What about you?  How do you keep your bookshelves filled?

Did I miss your favorite place to buy used homeschool books, or leave out a Facebook group you admin? Add a note in the comments, and I’ll add it to the appropriate category above.

If you found this resource helpful, why not pin it?