The Secondhand School Supplies Guide: What's Actually Worth Buying Used in 2026 By Chester Takau · July 2026 Verdict: Buy secondhand for anything durable — backpacks, graphing calculators, binders, storage bins, scissors, and hardback books. Skip secondhand for consumables — pencils, glue, crayons, loose-leaf paper — because Dollar Tree and Walmart already sell them for under a dollar, and used ones raise hygiene questions new ones don't. That split matters more this year: back-to-school spending is projected at $489 per child, up 11.7% from 2025, and 40% of shoppers now say they'd buy secondhand clothing while 23% would buy used school supplies outright. Not every school supply is worth thrifting, and the guides that tell you to "just buy secondhand" without saying which items skip that advice. The short version: durable goods hold their value used, consumables don't. Below is a category-by-category verdict, built around what's actually chang...