Buying and selling of junk to save it all
- Melissa Herrera: Not Waiting for Friday
- June 11, 2023
- 1721
There’s a small difference in being a thrifter and someone who thrifts/buys to resell. Both love thrifting with a passion, but one is doing it with dogged purpose. There’s a whole conversation centered around the person doing the thrifting and how much they can make turning around and selling that item. Because of this (in spite of it?), the thrift stores are marking up items. Let’s stop for a minute and ponder.
What we fail to acknowledge is someone is reselling to turn a little profit for themselves, possibly making a living. I did this as a young mother, gathering and gleaning garage sales and thrift stores. When we had our Junk Fling sales twice a year at my mom’s house, I turned a nice, little bundle of trash into cash. We started doing that almost 25 years ago, and that number makes me a little faint.
Everyone getting mad at the resellers — saying they’re driving prices up — are not seeing the thrift stores are getting their items for free via donation. Should they mark up items they receive for free? Who’s really making bank here?
If we are to remain a country with entrepreneurial spirit, using that system to make a little cash somewhere somehow, no one should get upset. That’s how capitalism works, right? Buy a mid-century end table, polish it up a bit and sell it for profit. If a big name thrift store receives a donated item and marks it up to whatever price it deems fit, aren’t they doing the same?
Don’t blame the resellers. We’re just out here making a few dollars for our iced (hot?) coffees.
My daughter-in-law and I are throwing together a porch sale. By the time you read this, it’ll be over, but we decided to attempt it quickly, and I’ll need to lay aside all my “this-makes-a-good-porch-sale” notions — things like getting an ad in the paper, borrowing tables, having an adding machine. I seriously feel outdated at times, but the solidness of garage sale principles remain the same: make sure signs are noticeable, spill out from the porch or garage so people pull over, price accordingly for the area and products you’re selling.
This sale is a bit more vintage, not just junk. I hope we sell a lot. I’ve been gathering collections for the past several years with the intention to sell but have not gotten around to doing online sales like I wanted. I did create a new Instagram selling account, but I don’t think I have what it takes to stay noticed. Those top vintage resellers not only curate items, but also have to maintain a high-level online presence that gets views in order to sell.
Dona (my DIL) is an online seller. She started up her little business in Fort Worth and intends to continue collecting and selling here. I love her aesthetic and how she markets herself and wares. We mesh well on our love of thrifting.
But I always think I maintain a cool, trendy presence until I see one of the videos she made to advertise a new drop or collection. Then I feel like my mom looking at Windows 95 for Dummies. I see you, Mom — you were always learning.
As am I.
Together, Dona and I can bring my knowledge of physical sales with her knowledge of online marketing. She also is so knowledgeable on what items are and what they’re worth. She is sharp as a razor.
I’ll miss Selena this garage sale. Her and I have put together so many. We’re having a family sale sometime in July, and that one will be bigger and junkier.
I love a good junk sale. Maybe I just love junk.
Melissa Herrera is a columnist, published author and drinker of too many coffees based in Holmes County. You can find her book, “TOÑO LIVES,” at www.tinyurl.com/Tonolives or buy one from her in person (because all authors have boxes of their own novel). For inquiries or to purchase, email her at junkbabe68@gmail.com.