Teachers Pay Teachers is growing in leaps and bounds! Most likely you already use this site, maybe on a daily basis. But you may not know everything about it. Here are ten tips for buyers to help you get the most out of your TpT experience.

1. You can find all of any seller’s free products by going to his or her store, scrolling to PRICE on the left sidebar and clicking Free. The results be displayed with the best selling products first, but you can use  the tabs at the top of the column to search by Most Recent, Rating, or Price. Here is my store sorted by free and most recent.

1. TpT sellers love ratings and comments, but the bar is set pretty high on TpT. Most of us are doing our best work, so anything less than a 4, can be upsetting many sellers. If you have a problem with a product you have purchased, rather than leaving a low and/or negative comment, please use the Q&A section of the seller’s store to tell him or her about your concern. You can find it on the Ask a Question tab on the product page. Be sure to remember to click the “Email me when seller responds” box after you write your question. Most TpT sellers are great about answer their Q&A and you will probably be able to get the issue resolved to everyone’s satisfaction without lowering the seller’s rating.
   

1. TpT now allows you to purchase multiple licenses at half price if you want to share with your colleagues. Remember that when you buy from TpT, the money goes to real teachers, many of whom are putting it back into their classrooms or using the money just to get by since so many teachers have had their wages frozen and their benefits cut in recent years. Please resist the urge to share and purchase multiple licenses instead.

1. If you are wondering how TpT stacks up against the competition, below is an Alexa graph (a well-respected site for website analytics) showing TpT in blue against its nearest competitor in red. The big bump toward the end of September is due to recent press from the top seller, Deanna Jump crossing the one million dollar mark.
   
2. TpT’s key word search (at the top of the page) is a little wonky and often pulls up irrelevant results. If you don’t like what you get, you can also “See results by Google” by clicking on tiny link just under the search box and to the right.

1. Want to spread the word about TpT? You can get this free flyer from TpT to hang in your staff room or distribute to your colleagues. The flyer on the site won a contest that Paul (the site owner) held several years ago, this one was my entry. It did not win, but it is in color and I have updated with the current number of products if you want to use it.

1. If you like a seller, be sure and follow him or her (click the little red star by his or her name). Not only will you get notified by email when the seller posts a new product, but the seller will also appear in the SELLER UPDATES box near the top of the homepage.

1. Seller’s frequently revise products – either because they find a typo or because they want to update it with new clip art, Common Core Standards etc. You can see which products have been updated and then download the new version on your MY PURCHASES page. You can also find out what to do if a PDF you download comes out blurry on that page.

1. TpT has gift certificates! You can find the link near the bottom of the left sidebar. When parents ask you what you would like for the holidays or what you need for your classroom, consider asking for a TpT gift certificate.
   

1. If you are thinking of becoming a seller, now is a great time. TpT is growing exponentially and with a little work, you could pick up a few hundred dollars a month or even more! If you want to give it a try, please consider signing up under my referral link here. If you post quality products, I will be happy to give your store an occasional shout out on my Facebook or Pinterest.

Related posts:

$1,000 TpT Gift Card Giveaway and RAK Freebie! Teachers Pay Teachers Top Ten Sellers in the News Rachel Lynette on Inspiration for Entrepreneurs Podcast! Quick and Easy Gift Idea for Teachers Top Ten at TpT