Seller Instructions

HOME would like to thank you for your interest in our Annual Used Curriculum Sale; this is our 24th year sponsoring a Used Curriculum Sale, and it is a highlight for many homeschoolers in our state. It is also an easy way for you to support Homeschoolers of Maine. Your participation as a seller is crucial to the event’s success. Your used books and educational materials may be just what another homeschooler needs!

 

General Notes 

  • The 2020 Sale is Saturday, August 22 (CANCELLED). You must drop off your sale items on Saturday between 8:00 - 10:45am, August 22; a friend can do this for you. 
  • Try to register at least one month before the sale to ensure time to prepare your items.· The deadline to "Join the Sale" and enter materials into the program is Thursday, August 20, 2020 at midnight. You can still print tags after the deadline for entering items has passed.

     

  • Sellers don’t need to be present to sell! Registered sellers drop off their pre-labeled items the prior to the sale, and HOME does the rest!  
  • There is no registration fee, but HOME will keep 20% of your sales to help finance this event. 
  • There are a few types of items that cannot be accepted into the sale. Click here to see that list.  
  • To donate your unsold items at the end of the sale, please circle the heart in the upper right hand corner of the Seller Agreement. 
  • Please do not change each item to the Donate option; the volunteers will only need the heart circled to know that your leftover items are being donated. 
  • Please Note - Per recently enacted legislation, Maine Revenue Services is now requiring the collection and remittance of sales and use tax on all sales through "marketplace facilitators" such as HOME. A marketplace facilitator sells tangible personal property for marketplace sellers. A 5.5% sales tax will be deducted from your HOME reimbursement prior to your 20% seller's donation. Please take this into account when pricing your items. 

If you have questions, please contact Connie Overlock at connieoverlock@gmail.com. 

 

 

How the Sale Works

We use an online management system called MySalesManager for the sale. Your use of this program is FREE. Read below for detailed instructions on how to proceed.  

 

Using the Seller Software

  1. New sellers go to this link at MySalesManager.net, type in your information, choose a password and submit. You will be assigned a consignor number. Once you receive that number, you will log in using your consignor number and the password you set up.
  2. Returning sellers go to this link at MySalesManager.net. You will log in using the same consignor number you had in previous years. Your password will be the last four numbers of your primary phone number. If we don't have your primary number, then your password is "nown." As soon as you log in successfully, you can click on "edit my consignor" to change your password.
  3. If you can't remember your consignor number, click"forgot consignor number." You will be asked to enter your email address. If we have an account associated with that email address, you will receive a message that says we found your login information and that an email is being sent to the address associated with your account.
  4. Keep your consignor number and password in a safe place as you will use these to sign in to your account.
  5. From "My Home Page," you will be able to list items you have for sale. From the "Activities" drop down menu, select "work with consigned inventory." From the "Active Inventory" drop down menu, choose the option that best suits the manner in which you plan to list your items for sale. Under size, you can choose the grade level best suited for the books you are selling.

 

Preparing For the Sale

  1. Volunteering Consider committing to volunteer at least three hours in order to shop the Pre-Sale or the Discount Sale! Go here for more information on being part of the team that makes this sale a success! 
  2. Supplies Gather your used curriculum, scotch tape, rubber bands and/or plastic bags (for multiple piece items.) It will be helpful to group similar items together. 
  3. Non-Salable Items Review the list of item types that we do not accept in the sale, or as donations. As you go through your things, set these things aside. We cannot accept them. 
  4. Pricing Items For help in knowing how to price your items, often looking at other used item sites helps you get an idea what things go for. Amazon and Ebay are good places to start. 
  5. Enter your items into the system. (Remember that the deadline to input materials into the program is Thursday just before the sale, 2020 at midnight.) The title might be obscured by the tag, so making sure it is accurate on the tag is important. Use the Description section to list information that would be helpful to your buyers.  If the author is highly recognized, add the name here. Putting the grade level in this section is highly recommended; many books do not make this information clear. General grade levels would be fine: Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School. Sometimes, though, there are actual numerical grade levels. Don’t put down what grade level your child was when you used it; be sure to put what grade level the company that created it indicates it is for. Including the copyright date, and/or edition is also helpful especially if it is a popular item that has had a recent update. Often the edition matters if it will be used in a co-op setting, but individually, as long as all the components are there, or at least still available for purchase, it won’t matter.
  6. Print the tags. Once all of your items are listed, you will be able to print your tags. From your home page, choose "Activities" then "work with consigned inventory." Choose "print all tags." You can either print in html or pdf format. In order to print in pdf format, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer.  Set your printer to print in landscape rather than portrait. Print two copies of your labels. Place one of each of these barcoded tags on the top right corner of the front cover. Tape it on all four sides to secure, but not obscuring the barcoding. Tape the second copy of that item’s tag on the first page on the top right corner, or with DVDs/CDs on the inside of the cover, or on the back of games. The method and number of tags on each item are important.  There is little we can do about tags without items. We cannot sell books that have no tags; be sure they are secure. For multiple pieced items, be sure to put a copy of this item's tag on each piece in case they get separated; mark “1 of 4” and “2 of 4” etc. on the tags after they are printed. Secure multiple piece items with rubber bands, or in clear plastic wrap or bags. Be sure to print a list of the items you are selling. From the consigned inventory page, choose "Inventory Reports," then choose which option you would like for sorting the items in your list.

Sale Time

  1. Book Drop Off Plan to drop off your books at the Augusta Armory at 179 Western Avenue on Saturday, August 22 between 8:00 - 10:45am. You may bring a friend’s books, or send your books with a friend; if you do this, bring with you/send with them a printed copy of their/your Seller’s Release Form Items cannot be accepted without this form. This drop-off should be pretty quick. Go to the back door accessed from the right side of the building. Pull up and someone will be there to help unload your car. You will hand your Seller Release form to the check-in volunteers and they will make sure it’s signed. They will then go through your books to make sure you haven’t brought any items that are on the “not consignable” list. Please do not plan to park there for any longer than it takes to unload your books. It is a small spot and many sellers will need to use that area. It is an Armory requirement that no one leave their car there.
  2. Shopping Return on the same day between 1:00 - 4:00pm to shop the sale. (The HOME Inventory Clearance Sale will also open at 1:00pm. Many items are free!) Bring your list of needed items, bags or containers for purchases, and wear comfortable shoes! This will be an intensive time of shopping; you will find it easier to concentrate if you can make childcare arrangement for your little ones. You may pay with cash, checks or credit/debit cards. 
  3. Expo/Dinner Plan to spend some time visiting our exhibitors to see what they have to offer and thank them for coming! If you are staying in the area to pick up unsold items, pack a dinner or, plan to get dinner in town; there are restaurants all along Western Avenue.
  4. Unsold Item Pick-up If you do not plan to shop, but want your unsold items back, please arrive no earlier than 5:30pm and no later than 6:30pm on Saturday to pick them up. Items not picked up become the property of HOME.
  5. Sale Earnings The results of the sale may not be available in your MySalesmanager account until sometime during the week after the sale. The data from each check-out station needs to be collected and uploaded to the MySalesManager website. Often the coordinators of the sale have been working hard and long in the days and weeks before the sale, so they take the weekend off and start to finish things up on Monday. Patience is a virtue! Seller checks will be sent within three weeks directly to the seller. We will not be giving out money at the sale.