The school year is over, the shelves are overflowing with curriculum, teacher guides, workbooks, and manipulatives that your family may or may not ever use again.
Some of it could be sold to help pay for next year’s curriculum. Some may be useful for a younger sibling. And some should probably remain on your shelves, even if you do not expect to teach from it again.
So, how do you decide what to keep, what to sell, and where to list it?
Before photographing everything and posting it online, let’s first take a look at what you shouldn’t sell.
What Homeschool Curriculum Should You Keep?
Keeping every book indefinitely isn’t usually necessary. On the other hand, selling everything as soon as your child finishes it can lead to regret when you need a resource again—or discover that replacing it later costs a lot more than you received for it.
Keep Curriculum You Will Likely Use With Younger Children
This is usually the easiest decision.
If you have younger children who will eventually reach the same grade or subject level, reusable curriculum can save your family a substantial amount of money. Teacher guides, textbooks, literature selections, flash cards, manipulatives, and other non-consumable materials are often worth keeping.
Before placing them in storage, check a few things:
- Did the curriculum work well for your older child?
- Is it likely to fit the younger child’s learning style?
- Will you need to purchase updated student workbooks?
- Is the publisher likely to release a significantly different edition?
- Would storing it cost more (in space and inconvenience) than buying it again?
You do not have to keep a curriculum simply because another child could use it. If you disliked teaching it, your child struggled unnecessarily, or you already know you want something different next time, selling it may be the better choice.
Keep Most, If Not All, High-School Curriculum
High-school materials deserve more caution than elementary curriculum.
For most families, it makes sense to keep the complete curriculum package for each high-school course at least until the student has graduated and completed any college, trade-school, scholarship, military, or other application processes.
Why? A homeschool transcript may show that your student completed Biology, Algebra II, American Literature, or World History, but someone could later request more information about what those courses included.
For example, some colleges ask homeschooled applicants to provide course descriptions containing information such as the subjects covered, approximate instructional hours, assignments, grading methods, and textbooks or resources used. Other colleges sometimes ask that homeschool applicants provide context about their program, course choices, and engagement with the curriculum. Having the original materials makes it much easier to reconstruct:
- Course descriptions
- Textbook titles and editions
- Tables of contents
- Reading lists
- Laboratory activities
- Tests and grading methods
- The difficulty or rigor of a course
- The approximate amount of material completed
Even when college is not currently part of your child’s plan, plans can change (and often do), and you don’t want to make a short-term decision that may close the door for your children later on.
You do not necessarily need to preserve every completed math problem or vocabulary worksheet forever, but keeping the curriculum and any major tests, projects, and final grades can prevent a great deal of scrambling later.
Keep Excellent Reference Materials
Some books remain useful long after a course ends.
A strong grammar handbook, math reference, historical atlas, science encyclopedia, writing guide, field guide, or literature collection may continue serving your family for years. These resources can help with later assignments, independent study, sibling questions, and everyday curiosity.
Ask yourself whether the book has ongoing value outside the course for which you purchased it. If it does, it may deserve a permanent place on your homeschool shelf.
Keep Hard-to-Find or Out-of-Print Materials
A curriculum that is difficult to replace should not be sold casually.
This may include older editions you prefer, discontinued teacher guides, unusual literature packages, specialized manipulatives, or curriculum that rarely appears on the used market.
Before selling something uncommon, search for its replacement cost. A book you sell for $15 may cost $60 to replace two years from now.
What Can You Probably Sell?
Curriculum is generally a good candidate for resale when:
- All your children have finished with it.
- It did not work well for your family.
- You have switched to a different program.
- You accidentally purchased duplicates.
- You own materials for a subject or grade you no longer expect to teach.
- The books are taking up considerable space and would be inexpensive to replace.
- You have an unused or partially used curriculum that another family could use now.
You have several options, and the best one depends on whether you prioritize convenience, selling price, or speed.
1. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is an obvious starting point because it connects sellers with buyers in their surrounding area. Local pickup eliminates shipping costs, packaging, and trips to the post office. Meta describes Marketplace as a way to buy and sell items with people in your community. Your curriculum may receive more attention when you:
- Include the publisher and curriculum level in the title.
- Photograph all included components together.
- Add separate photos showing condition and edition numbers.
- State whether student workbooks are clean, partially completed, or fully used.
- Mention your general pickup area.
- Offer a reasonable bundle price.
Do not assume that an expensive curriculum will sell quickly simply because it is listed at half its original price. Buyers will compare your set with other used copies, publisher sales, and the cost of buying only the components they need.
2. Local and Regional Homeschool Facebook Groups
General Marketplace listings can get buried beneath furniture, clothing, toys, and household items. Local homeschool Facebook groups put your curriculum in front of families who are much more likely to recognize the publisher and need the exact level you are selling.
Search for groups covering your:
- City
- County
- Metropolitan area
- Region
- State
- Local homeschool co-op or community
Some groups allow curriculum sales at any time, while others restrict sales to designated days or separate buy-and-sell groups. A few do not permit sales at all, so check the group rules before posting.
Publisher-specific Facebook groups can also work well for popular programs. Someone in a group dedicated to a particular curriculum already understands what the materials are and may be actively looking for the missing level or component.
3. Local Curriculum Sales and Homeschool Events
Homeschool co-ops, support groups, churches, conventions, and private schools sometimes organize used-curriculum sales, swaps, or “trunk sales.”
These events can be especially useful when you have many inexpensive books that would not be worth packaging and shipping individually. You may also be able to sell an entire grade-level bundle to a family preparing for the next school year.
Ask local groups whether they have an annual sale, or consider organizing a small curriculum swap with several homeschool families.
4. Used Bookstores
Some locally owned used bookstores purchase homeschool textbooks, literature, teacher guides, and educational materials. Depending on the store, you may be offered cash or a larger amount in store credit.
Always call before loading the car.
Ask whether the store:
- Buys homeschool curriculum
- Accepts teacher guides and workbooks
- Requires current editions
- Offers cash, trade credit, or both
- Has limits on how many books you can bring
- Only purchases curriculum during certain months
A general used bookstore may primarily want literature and traditional textbooks rather than complete homeschool packages, but policies vary considerably.
5. Local Christian Bookstores and Curriculum Stores
Many locally owned Christian bookstores serve homeschooling families and may buy, consign, trade, or resell used curriculum. Stores that already carry homeschool publishers are more likely to understand the value of teacher guides, answer keys, test books, and complete sets.
You can use the Homeschool Hall Directory and filter for curriculum stores to look for homeschool-focused businesses near you. The Directory includes curriculum stores along with co-ops, tutors, sports teams, clubs, and other homeschool resources. Call before visiting. Some stores sell used materials but only acquire them through consignment, donation, scheduled buying periods, or annual curriculum events.
6. eBay
eBay can be useful for popular curriculum, older editions, replacement books, unusual materials, and individual components that someone may be searching for nationwide.
Include the exact title, publisher, edition, ISBN, condition, and all included pieces. Search completed or sold listings when possible rather than pricing your books based only on what other sellers are currently asking.
Remember to account for seller fees, shipping materials, postage, and the time required to package the order. A local $30 sale may ultimately be more worthwhile than a $40 online sale once expenses are deducted.
A Simple Sorting System
If the curriculum pile feels overwhelming, label four boxes:
- Keep for high-school records
- Reuse with younger children
- Sell
- Donate or recycle
Place uncertain materials in a fifth box marked Decide Later, but give yourself a deadline. Otherwise, “decide later” has a way of becoming permanent storage.
You do not have to make the perfect decision about every paperback and workbook. Keep the materials that protect your records, have a realistic chance of being reused, or provide lasting educational value. Then sell the rest while it is still current enough—and in good enough condition—to help another homeschool family.
The money you recover may not completely pay for next year’s curriculum, but it can make the next order a little less painful while giving last year’s books a useful second life.
