Treasure Hunters
Posted by Sharon M. Tresino on 28 Apr 2009 | Posted in: Life After School, Organization and Supplies, Teachers and Teaching
| Just this past weekend I had a yard sale. I have to admit I wasn’t very profitable because I’m not very good with negotiating. I ended up giving away almost everything…for nothing! But the bright spot is there’s less clutter in my house. (If only I had had the nerve to sell my husband’s stuff while he was gone. We’re newlyweds, and I just haven’t quite adjusted to his “junk,” I mean “stuff,” yet.) |  |
During the yard sale a few teachers stopped by. They were looking for board games and children’s books they could use in their classrooms. Unfortunately I didn’t have any. But it did make me wonder. Do you frequent yard sales looking for treasures for your classroom? What kinds of things do you look for? Please share! (Not only will it help fellow teachers, but it might help future yard sale hosts too!)
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Church rummage sales are another great source for all sorts of things. We had a Mother’s Day tea this year, using real tea cups I found at a couple of spring sales at local churches.
I wouldn’t survive without yard sales! I teach K and have picked up a multitude of beanie babies that correspond to our stories so that students can retell the story. They also love to read to these little stuffed animals!
I have found that the consignment stores also have amazing children’s items and will mark down 50% off once a month as well. There is also a consignment store that only opens 2 x a year and you can sell stuff or buy. As they grow. Check in your area. Amazing deals. Most items are $2! Another great find is going to workrooms that make draperies. They have bone yards full of fabrics and love donating to the classrooms!
I am known as the yard sale lady at my preschool. Remember the early bird gets the best treasures. I got a very nice wooden puppet stage for $10.00, lots of books and puzzles. My best find was a wooden tree house like a doll house for boys for $5. It retails for over $100. Since I have ten boys in my class it has been a big hit. I also got (size 12 or 14)white button down shirts at a thrift store and use them for lab coats in my home living center. I wrote doctor, dentist and vet on the pockets. Good Luck
There is a wonderful group called The Freecycle Network™. It is made up of 4,737 groups with 6,688,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them’s good people). Membership is free. Give it a try. I love it. There was a lady whose neighbor had cigar boxes, they went fast.
It’s absolutely necessary to go to yard sales if you teach Kindergarten. There’s simply not enough school money to supply your learning centers. Craft supplies, such as pony beads and yarn, are a great find at $.25. Easy games (no reading required!), containers and books, books, books are my favorite purchases! Don’t forget to buy card decks for playing games, such as Go Fish, Memory, Garbage, Go Fish Plus One (addition). I also buy stationary for the Literacy center and dinosaurs for the science center. My teaching colleagues and I compete to see who can find the greatest treasure over the summer!
I just wish I could go to yard sales EVERY weekend!
I go to yard sales looking for children’s books, blocks, puzzles, and dress-up clothes. I also look for things like mirrors for dramatic play, purses, shoes, hats, and manipulatives for infants and toddlers.
I’m a new teacher and find myself frequenting yard sales and thrift stores for books and games for my classroom. I have found that many teachers just donate their used books to stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army. In fact, Saturday I bought 20 gently used books for $3.23 and many of them from the same teacher.
Many thrift stores also have certain days where they will discount books. At one thrift store in our community, books go on sale for 10/$1.00 or $.25 each. I also look for things like colorful pillows to put in my reading corner or little kids’ meal toys for my treasure chest.
I’m a pre-service teacher and I find myself at yard sales all the time looking for materials for my future classroom. Books for my classroom library, craft supplies, plastic tubs, office supplies, teaching resources of all kids, scraps of fabric, and some DVDs/educational videos are all treasures that I look for at yard sales.
I get lots of stuff at yard sales and swap meets. Craft stuff, puzzles, little tykes stuff. I got my plug in skillet for making play dough only they saw how much I wanted it and would not come down in price. But that’s okay because when I have told other people that I am a teacher they give me good deals or just give it to me.
I love when I sell stuff at a yard sale because I know it is going to someone who wants it and not into a land fill. Thats win win.