Homeschool Classifieds: Where to Buy and Sell Used Curriculum

Homeschool curriculum is expensive. A full-year boxed curriculum from a major publisher can run $300 to $600 per child. Buying used cuts that cost by 40 to 70 percent in most cases, and selling what you have finished recoups a portion of what you spent. Knowing where to look — and how to avoid the common pitfalls of buying curriculum secondhand — makes a real difference to the household budget.

The Best National Homeschool Classifieds Platforms

Homeschool Classifieds (homeschoolclassifieds.com) is the oldest and largest dedicated platform for buying and selling used homeschool materials. Listings are organized by curriculum publisher and subject, which makes it efficient to find specific editions of programs like Saxon Math, Writing With Ease, or Mystery of History. Most sellers include edition numbers, condition descriptions, and photographs. The site is free to list and charges no transaction fees — payment and shipping are handled directly between buyer and seller.

Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Groups have become the dominant venue for homeschool curriculum exchange, especially at the local level. Search for groups using terms like "homeschool curriculum swap," "[your state] homeschool buy sell trade," or "[your city] homeschool co-op." These groups allow you to arrange local pickup, which eliminates shipping costs entirely on heavy boxed sets and physical workbooks.

In Michigan specifically, regional groups like "Homeschooling in Metro Detroit," "West Michigan Homeschoolers," and county-level groups in Genesee, Kent, and Oakland counties maintain active buy/sell/trade threads. These hyper-local networks are particularly useful when you want to preview a curriculum in person before purchasing.

eBay remains a reliable option for curriculum sets that are out of print or difficult to find on dedicated platforms. It works especially well for older editions of established programs that publishers no longer actively market — sometimes the older editions are pedagogically equivalent and sell for a fraction of the current price.

Homeschool Buyers Co-op (homeschoolbuyersco-op.org) is not technically a classifieds platform — it negotiates group discounts on new curriculum — but worth knowing about when you cannot find a used copy of something and need to buy new at a reduced price.

Vegsource has a long-running homeschool curriculum swap board that predates most social platforms and still sees regular activity, particularly for older or classical curriculum materials.

Michigan Homeschool Conventions and Curriculum Fairs

The single best opportunity to evaluate and purchase used curriculum in Michigan is at in-person events, where you can physically flip through workbooks, talk to families who have used the program, and often negotiate directly.

The Michigan Christian Homeschool Network (MiCHN) hosts one of the largest annual homeschool events in the Midwest, which includes a substantial used curriculum sale floor alongside vendor exhibits. West Michigan Homeschoolers runs a regional marketplace event that draws hundreds of sellers each year. Regional co-ops across the state — from Traverse City to Kalamazoo to the Detroit metro area — also run smaller spring curriculum swaps in community centers and church halls.

These in-person sales are particularly valuable for families who are new to homeschooling and not yet sure which approach will work for their child. Talking directly to a seller who has already used a curriculum gives you information that no product description can match.

What to Check Before Buying Used Curriculum

Edition matters more for math than most other subjects. Publishers like Saxon and Singapore Math release updated editions periodically, and the teacher guides from one edition do not always align page-for-page with student texts from another. Confirm that buyer and seller are discussing the same edition before finalizing a purchase.

Check for consumable pages. Workbooks, spelling notebooks, and any fill-in-the-blank student materials become single-use the moment someone writes in them. Some sellers will photograph pages to show condition; if they do not, ask. An "all but workbooks" listing means you need to source the workbooks separately, usually by buying new.

Ask about included teacher resources. Many curriculum packages include a separate teacher's guide, answer key, or instructor's handbook. These are sometimes sold separately or lost over time. For programs like Classical Writing, Writing With Skill, or any structured writing curriculum, the teacher guide is essential — not optional.

For literature-based and classical curricula, check reading lists. Programs like Sonlight or Tapestry of Grace include specific books that need to accompany the instructor guide. Sometimes the guide sells without the book collection. Factor in the cost of sourcing the library books or purchasing them separately.

Selling Your Used Curriculum

Pricing used curriculum at 50 to 60 percent of the current retail price moves most materials within a few weeks on active platforms. Complete sets in good condition with teacher guides and answer keys command closer to 65 to 70 percent. Workbooks that have been heavily written in sell at 10 to 20 percent of retail, if at all.

Good photographs and detailed condition descriptions dramatically reduce buyer questions and failed transactions. Include the edition number, the publishing year if relevant, and a list of exactly what is and is not included. Note anything marked, highlighted, or missing.

Shipping heavy curriculum sets costs more than most first-time sellers expect. A full year of Apologia science or a complete Saxon package can weigh 8 to 12 pounds. Build shipping into your asking price or specify local pickup only to avoid the logistics entirely.

When You Are Just Starting Out in Michigan

If you are at the beginning of the homeschooling process — just transitioning out of a Michigan public school — buying used curriculum is worth approaching carefully. The temptation is to purchase everything at once, but most experienced homeschoolers recommend starting with the subjects your child finds most challenging and adding from there.

Before you buy anything, you need to complete the formal withdrawal from your child's current school. Until that step is handled correctly under Michigan law, your child remains on the district's enrollment roster and any absence will generate truancy flags — regardless of how well-stocked your new homeschool is.

The Michigan Legal Withdrawal Blueprint walks through the exact steps for legally unenrolling your child under MCL 380.1561(3)(f), including the withdrawal letter format, how to send it via certified mail, and how to respond if the school pushes back. Getting that step right comes before curriculum shopping.

Once the legal transition is complete, used curriculum classifieds are one of the most practical ways Michigan families keep their first year affordable.

Practical Tips for Navigating Homeschool Classifieds

Search by publisher, not subject. "Math curriculum" returns thousands of results. "Saxon Math 5/4 third edition" returns exactly what you need.

Build relationships in local groups. Families who have been homeschooling in your area for several years often become reliable repeat sellers as their children age through different grade levels. Getting to know them means first access to curriculum before it goes to a public listing.

Time your purchases to the school year rhythm. The heaviest listing activity on classifieds platforms happens in March through June, as families wrap up the school year and decide what to sell before the summer. Fall listings pick up again in August as families who switched approaches mid-year clear out unused materials. These peak periods offer the best selection and the most motivated sellers.

Do not buy everything at once. A frequent mistake among new homeschoolers is purchasing a full multi-subject curriculum set before testing whether the approach works for their child's learning style. Starting with one or two subjects and evaluating before committing to a full-year package saves both money and frustration.

See more United States homeschool guides →