it depends on what you're looking for. I've found great things on ebay, homeschoolclassifieds.com, vegsource.com, amazon, paperbackswap, even our local craigslist has books sometimes. I've only ever bought a few things full price and lately I'm even being cheaper looking for free things I can use online...the darn economy! Jane
I use two that jrv posted...homeschool classifieds and vegsource...for used. http://www.homeschoolclassifieds.com/ http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/ If you want new, Rainbow Resources has the cheapest prices. www.rainbowresource.com
Vegsource is really good. You can also check ebay and craigslist. I got a set of Saxon Calculus on craigslist for $3 last year.
So I'm new, so do you guys find the sources listed above have better prices than buying through a co-op? I mean for new? I'm sure used can be found cheaper than new as a general rule...
I've never bought new through a co-op. However, there are a several used curriculum sales in my area, and I usually hit them up. By this time, I have a pretty good idea of what I want for next year and am looking for those things. So when I go to a Used Curriculum sale, I pretty much know EXACTLY what I'm looking for. My stuff is usually bought by June. Whenever I buy used, I compare the price to the one listed in Rainbow's catalog. I've actually had people reduce the price, because their used price is only a few dollars less than Rainbow's new price. MsChickie, I never thought of Criag's List! I'll keep that in mind!
When I'm buying new (ie workbooks or something that needs to be new) then I like http://smartalecbooks.com/ She typically has everything at cheaper than buying through the companies.
I use paperbackswap, homeschoolclassifieds, vegsource, the Well Trained Mind forums, ebay, half, amazon, and craigslist.. around here craigslist is slow, and we don't have many homeschoolers.. so I have searched some things out from out of the area and contacted the sellers asking if they would be willing to ship it if I paid for the shipping, some won't do it, but others will (I know it's a CL "no no" but oh well... some things are hard to find, like the complete collection of Highlights Which Way USA magazines with all their maps ) For new.. I check around including ebay, half and amazon and some of the sellers like Rainbow Resource.
OK, I checked out Smart Alec Books. The prices are slightly more than Rainbow, but not enough to really matter. I was looking at their price for SOS. Here's the thing. I can buy it for just about the same amount right now, because AOP has 20% off this month. That 20% brings it down to about the same price Smart Alec has it for. I think, with SOS, I'd rather buy directly from the publishser.
I try to save by purchasing everything at once. It lowers my shipping costs. Free shipping to Canada is rare and I often have to pay a tax when the UPS driver drops off a box. Purchasing things a little here and a little there doesn't really save much because of shipping costs. I usually use Rainbow Resource, Christianbook or a place like Amazon. I usually have to pay at least 10% of the total order in shipping costs. Choices are limited within Canada so I get the biggest bang for my buck when I get everything at once.
Now sometimes you can find things at these sites cheaper than Rainbow, also you may find things Rainbow doesn't have. home school super center home school stock room Christian book There are tons of places out there to buy things from. There is a yahoo group...I will have to go look up what the name of it is. There is many many places like the ones everyone has listed. Now word of advice, if you are looking into buying things used ask for pictures if you are not sure, make sure they tell you everything that is wrong with the item! I have had a few purchases lately that I did not ask and it turned out to be stuff I would not have picked up if it was free. Oh, and things like the sonlight packages if you buy used it is better to try to most if not all from one place. I did the whole "oh I can do it cheaper", after a lot of shopping around adding in all the shipping and cost for used, I could have bought new. So, try to keep track of all those $3 here and $4 there purchases, they sneak up on you fast. The next thing you know you could have bought everything you needed with less trouble new. Don't get me wrong buying used helps, but like all things it does come with risks. So, ask. Most are really good about telling you, then there is the handful out there that is not honest. They are far and few between, but still out there.
My favorites are homeschoolclassifieds, homeschool discount superstore (I have found great deals from them on new stuff), Amazon, and Christian Book. I find a few things here and there on craigslist or at one of my local used book stores, but that's not often. For some things I find new is generally better, for example whenever I buy manipulatives I buy new because small parts often go missing or pieces can be worn out especially when they are something used for multiple levels, also workbooks I always buy new because when I find used most of the time they have a few pages done already.
When I sell things that I have a partly used workbook for, I price it WITHOUT the workbook and don't list it. Then, when the person contacts me and tells me they want it, I let them know that if they want I will send the workbook, too, at no additional cost. I tell them how much is done. Then they are welcome to use what I can send them free, or buy a new one on their own.
