A Trip to Salvation Army

On Wednesday, The Salvation Army off of Route 1 in Saugus is the place to be.

On Wednesdays at this thrift shop almost everything is half off so you better get moving! The white board tells all. 

The first thing I did was go straight to the shoes and i especially don't mind that everything is color coordinated. 

As you browse through all of the clothing you will find that funky thing you are looking for. 

Your shopping cart should look like this. 

Now its time to try on all of the things in your cart. 

Finally! You picked out everything you want. Five articles of clothing for $10.62? I would say that is a steal. 

The Internet's Nightmare

Taxes are everyone’s worst enemy. And very shortly Internet sales tax may be added to this enemy list as well. The Internet once was a place for anyone to start their own business and not have to worry about the brick and mortar store regulations. In recent news the government wants to require online retailers to collect sales tax. This new legislation will discourage many online shoppers. The Internet creates a safe place for entrepreneurs and their new and upcoming business. The Internet is for people to build and grow businesses, but with this new tax plan it will be very difficult for new sellers. This new tax law could limit growth for new business owners.

Ebay started a campaign in March of 2013 that is against the taxing of Internet sales. Since I both buy and sell items from Ebay, I received an email from Ebay’s CEO and President, John Donahoe. After reading the email, I was appalled at what I was seeing. This legislation is going to affect the consumers and the sellers on eBay. As a frequent eBay shopper, I may start to steer away from purchasing items online because I do not want to spend the extra money that goes to taxes. And as an eBay seller, I do not want to take on this responsibility of collecting sales tax from my customers.  This tax legislation will threaten small businesses on eBay because the new tax law will treat them like big corporations. This bill is only beneficial to large retailers that already are successful and do not have to meet the challenges of a small growing company. Congress should not pass this bill partially because it would adversely effect small businesses as they struggle to grow and expand.

Amazon is one of the larger corporations that eventually got on board with the  Internet sales tax legislation. However, five years ago they were completely against taxing online sales and created a campaign in 2009 that focused their efforts on not letting it happen. But eventually Amazon gave in to the Internet sales tax bill and even started to lobby for it.

The government should not mix the buyers and sellers online with customers at standing retail shop. This is comparable to a high school football team competing with NFL teams; it just does not work. Sellers on Ebay cannot compete with established retail stores. Ebay is for independent sellers who cannot afford to open their own shop and is an outlet for individuals to sell their goods. Large corporations like Walmart or even just the local jewelry store should be taxed because they are in a different category. They are not solely online web entities. Physical stores have an advantage over solely online businesses because they combine the best of both worlds. Brick and Mortar shops and the shops website where you can purchase things. Most stores have websites where you can purchase items. However, eBay doesn’t have a store you can just “pop” into at anytime. This new tax law is not fair for the frequent consumers and sellers on eBay.

There are many disadvantages of taxing online stores. If the law passes, online retailers will have to collect taxes from every individual that purchases the items. Each state has an individual tax rate. This means that sales taxes will have to be collected from many jurisdictions. This then translates into filing many different tax reports for each state you sold to. No small business owner is going to want to spend their time crunching numbers and filing paper work. It is already difficult for small business owners to compete with the big corporations. Give them a break. Individuals and small retailers that sell online solely will never be in the same league as big corporations that sell online and in a brick and mortar store. Perhaps this could be reflected in the proposed new Internet tax law. Hopefully Congress will listen to the small independent online retailers and not pass this proposed tax legislation.

How to Convince your Parents to buy you Something at a Garage Sale (How to for kids)

Mom and Dad come running into your room early in the morning on Saturday and you know what they are up too. They are about to bring you along to a tag sale. Usually Mom and Dad focus on themselves during their garage sale journey but this time you are going to benefit from the garage sale purchases. Think of all the toys, stuffed animals, and presents that you've asked for past christmases but Santa didn't deliver. This is your chance to convince your parents why they should buy you these toys from the garage sale. You will need to put your thinking cap on and find ways for your parents to buy you things and you will also need to prove to them why they should buy you these items. Here is a list of things you will need to do to get that toy you have been eyeing for months. 

• When the family gets into the car tell your parents how much you love them and how excited you are to go to the tag sale
• When you get to the tag sale, point to to things your parents might like and suggest what they should get
• Once you see a toy that you love show your parents
• Tell the parents how excited you are about the cost of the toy
• Explain to them how it will benefit your life and theirs
• After this tell your Mom and Dad that the sellers will be happy that you like this toy
• In the end, you should come out with the toy you have been wanting 

The Ins and Outs of Lynnway Flea Market

I spent my childhood waking up at the crack of dawn every summer Sunday morning. My family and I would be the early birds at our local flea market called the Elephant’s Trunk. First in line. No excuses. After we passed the gate and had our hands stamped for paying the low fee of one dollar, all bets were off. This was the time to find everything you wanted before anyone else did. At any flea market the customer has to be aggressive. Whether bargaining with a vendor or snatching an item before anyone else, the key is to have your voice heard. At the Lynnway Flea Market, it is no different. The customers are haggling as soon as the doors open. The savvy vendors need to remember to be strong and not always lower the price. 

As I pulled into the parking lot overflowing with cars, I knew I was at the right place. Lynnway Flea Market in Lynn, Massachusetts is where the city spends Saturday and Sunday mornings. The drivers in the parking lot fight to find an open spot to park their vehicles. Twenty feet up in the air is a huge sign flashing in red, “Shop at Lynnway Flea Market.” The sign is nearly impossible to miss. The aroma in the air reeks of cigarette smoke and smoked sausages. The dust from the gravel parking lot whips around the vendors selling their used items. The smells become more potent as I walk closer to the scene. The noise of customers haggling and chatting fills the flea market. I noticed the tents set up over the tables. When the vendors call out prices, it reels the customers in to look at the items. When talking to a regular seller that comes every Saturday and Sunday, she told me that it is $35 to have a spot each weekend. She went on to say that the price will be raised to $40 in April because the flea market becomes a lot more popular as the weather becomes warmer.

Lynnway Flea Market is different from the Elephant’s Trunk, my hometown flea market. It has an indoor portion which I had never seen at any other flea market and the bargain hunters that attend are quite different. At Elephant’s Trunk, the shoppers consisted of elderly Caucasian people and families of four. The demographic of the Lynnway Flea Market is diverse. The flea market’s diversity provides a window into many cultures.

While walking through the market, I felt a little bit out of place. I come from a suburban town in Connecticut and going to Lynnway was a different experience. The diversity of the individuals and the ages had a very wide range, which contributes to the success of this flea market. On the Lynnway Flea Market website, the user is able to translate the site into any language.

There are two parts to the flea market: an indoor portion and an outdoor portion. The indoor section seemed to have the majority of Hispanic vendors. Various forms of Hispanic music come through the cheap speakers at each booth. At one booth, Daddy Yankee, a popular Hispanic musician, played through the speakers and then it transitioned into sounds of a mariachi band. It was interesting to observe the dynamic of a certain culture. It became more exciting to see what the next vendor’s song would be. The music created a cheerful element to the flea market and helped avoid any unnecessary awkward silence while shopping. It allowed the customers to feel comfortable and continue to make noise. Spanish was heard at every corner, as the young children ran around the soccer memorabilia. The items for sale were a combination of used television sets, souvenirs and used CD’s. The buyers consisted of primarily Hispanic individuals; it felt like a cultural experience while walking through the many aisles.

One of the vendors inside appeared extremely disorganized. If you’ve seen the show "Hoarding: Buried Alive"  on TLC, it was a spitting image of a participant on that show. Piles of items stacked on top of one another consumed this woman’s booth. There were suitcases on top of appliances and the whole section was overflowing with this woman’s belongings. There is always someone at the flea market that cannot leave a thing behind. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help their business, but it was fascinating to look at her pile of wares and figure out how it all got there. There are many wonders of a flea market and this was something to think about. 

The "hoarding" vendor

This Flea Market is something everyone should visit. They may not have all of the designer labels and high-end items, but you will find a diamond in the rough. Lynn, MA is a city where all are welcome. Customers will want to attend this Flea Market because of its originality and unique people. The outside flea market consists of 148 booths of vendors trying to sell their items. The outdoor part has the traditional flea market feel; whereas the inside was set up more like a retail shop. The outdoor section has a greater variety of goods. The selection is endless. From vintage books to old record players, the list goes on and on.  The place is like a maze; once you’re in, it is difficult to get out. The customers do not want to miss a thing so they take their time going up and down each aisle. When looking around, you really never know what you are going to find. One woman I met who comes with her mom every Saturday and Sunday filled me in on some details. “I bought a sterling cup, I didn’t think it was sterling but my mom and I had someone look at it and it was sterling and we made good money off of it. Sometimes people don’t know what they have,” said Brianna. One of the perks of the flea market is to find items for very little and then make a profit from it. This is exactly what Brianna has done and she told me how excited she was after that experience.

Brianna

There were a million different things going on at this flea market. The noises that emerged consisted of children running, items being excitedly purchased and carried back to the new owners cars, various types of music, the flipping of sausages, and most importantly, the sounds of haggling. Haggling and bargaining are the stars of this flea market. This is the reason people come here. There is no other place where haggling is accepted as much as it is here. It allows the consumers to develop their negotiating skills and bargaining skills because we need to utilize those in the real world. The art of bargaining teaches us to not settle for less.

On a hot day like Saturday, the vendors spend most of their time parked in a fold-out chair watching as customers sift through their items. As a customer picks up an item, the sellers will jump up and say how much it is. Many sellers would just keep shouting out numbers, “Five dollar! Ten dollar! One dollar!” to grab the attention of the consumers. They know what they are doing. This works when the sellers shout out these numbers because that means their booth has very low prices. Saying the low prices draws the consumer in.

In some instances, the collections the sellers have obtained over the years were one of a kind. Some collections consisted of vintage clothing while others had antiques and used dining sets. A few vendors have what appear to be hundreds of cords for computers, television sets, headphones, and any other electronic device that requires a cord. Someone else had a table filled with shoes that went for miles. One of the vendors just had tools - from the biggest wrench to the smallest wrench, it looks like he has every tool known to man. There is a wide variety at this flea market and something that appeals to everyone. Tables are piled with an assortment of items. There are old cameras and piles of clothing priced at one dollar per item. Everyone can walk out of there with an amazing deal by stopping in on a Sunday or Saturday morning. It becomes a great event to bring your families to as there is so much excitement going on.

            The puzzle collection at one station is tremendous. There is at least 40 puzzles spread across one woman’s booth. The puzzles were a variety of sorts containing scenes with a family and a house or just a cat and dog. I ask her, “Why are you selling so many puzzles?” She answers with a smile across her face saying, “Well, the thing is that TV shows are short and commercials are long. So when there are commercials, I do puzzles and play cards so that’s why I have such an assortment!” The best part about searching through flea markets is listening to the regular sellers that come every Saturday and Sunday rain or shine. The individuals all have stories to tell and there is history behind every item and person.

Why go to an expensive store when an item could be waiting at the flea market? When we shop at retail stores, there is a chance of buyers remorse after spending all that money. However, when it comes to flea markets, the excitement doesn’t stop. Any flea market shopper has a sense of pride after buying something for so little that means so much.

As I got back into the car there was someone already waiting for my parking spot. The person about to pull into the newly opened space is in for a treat. They will go into that flea market and sift through one of a kind items that they will get enjoyment out of. The answer to having the best flea market experience is getting there early, make sure you bring cash, and be aggressive. There are many items at Lynnway Flea Market and you will need to know which to avoid and which to purchase. The deals that you will find at this flea market are not available anywhere else. Take advantage of this local flea market and splurge while you save.

The Thrill of Cabot Street

Walking down Cabot Street in Beverly, MA is a unique experience. From the old fashion movie theater, plethora of bakeries, and up and coming businesses, to the corner coffee shops, there’s always something new to discover. But almost at the near end of Cabot Street, here lies Plum Consignment. Upon entering Plum Consignment, I was immediately struck by how different this shop was. The outside was modern with a chic logo, which later I found out was designed by the owner’s husband. The sign consisted of an all capital three-dimensional font with “PLUM” in big black letters, as the word consignment wrapped around the U and the M in banner form. The type used is just right for this shop.

The second I walked into Plum Consignment, there was something different about this consignment store. As I stand directly in the front of the store I have the best view. My eyes begin at the handbags draped in front of me in the middle of the shop, with designer labels to no names; you could tell they were all placed perfectly. The whole atmosphere to the boutique like shop is so pleasing to the eye. Parts of the walls were covered in lavender paint, as the other part was a brick wall, this design spread cohesively throughout the shop. Along the walls of the store are the clothing racks, to my left there were dresses and outerwear and to my right were skirts and bottoms. The customers in the store trying on items were smiling wide. The two women were so excited to find a beautiful dress at such a low price, they looked like they were in love. The decorations around the store consisted of a shelf wrapping around the walls with antique items. There was an old fashion clock that sat on the shelf, as well as a tin watering can and antique vases. To top it off, the racks of clothing hung on pipe racks. This gave a modern yet rustic feel to the store that makes you appreciate all the work that went into it.

The shoes. From heels to flats to lace ups, it was paradise. The racks of clothing were in tip-top shape, and the sales associates were fashionably dressed. More interestingly, there was no whiff of that classic musty thrift store smell. When applying quick observation, all of the items looked current and in style. There were no lipstick-stained blouses or ripped clothing, it all felt new. Pam Hulbert, the owner of this shop invited me into the back room to talk.

Pam was not what I expected. She had no wrinkles, no gray hairs, and no crazy eye makeup. She is a young and successful woman. She had beautiful blonde wavy locks of hair and she exuded confidence. The moment I saw her I could tell she had a fresh and fashionable style. This woman has passion. She followed her dream in opening her own consignment shop. As we walked to the back of the store, we set up the interview in the back room. This could have been a little piece of heaven. It was a consignment shoppers dream. There were piles on piles of clothes that had just been dropped off. Customers don’t always realize the hard and mundane tasks that have to be performed before the items go out onto the shelves. The behind the scenes work is so important in this business, from the tagging of items to deciding what will go in the shop, it can be a long process, and Pam informs me of this. She has worked so hard to have this store up and running. It took months after leaving her old job in January of 2012 to pull off this amazing shop. Once she signed the lease her, ideas flourished into bigger and better things everyday. All of her hard work has certainly paid off. Her business is booming and she couldn’t ask for anything better.  

Pam spent her childhood in the quaint town of Guilford, CT, where she attended Guilford High School. Pam has been thrift shopping since high school. That is where her passion of consignment all began; she then volunteered at a consignment store in her hometown called Hole in the Wall, which benefited her high schools ABC House program. She then attended Endicott College for graphic design, and graduated in 2002. Right after graduation, she worked at a small advertising agency in Salem, MA. With her background in graphic design and her work experience in previous retail stores, she had the perfect combination of work experience to open her store. Pam loves a good bargain and the way she spoke about her passions made it all the more intriguing, “Its like the thrill of the hunts. What can I find for a bargain?” The shop has its own individual style and Pam puts a lot of her own style into it as well. She spends a big portion of her time at the shop figuring out what items will work throughout her store and what will sell to the certain demographic the store appeals too which is young women ranging from college age to 35.

Some of her inspiration for the layout of the shop was from stores like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. She strongly states she did not want the typical metal rack that you see at Savers. Pam has succeeded in making her shop look distinct between all the other second hand stores that line on Cabot Street. She knew exactly how she wanted to do it, and she did it. This is the first shop she has ever owned and she is really doing quite well for herself. Pam has had help from her loving husband with the logo for the store and help with the design of the store.

           
Pam laughs when she explains how much she loves getting the first peek at the clothing individuals consign with her. “I’ll sometimes stay 15 minutes later and try on a couple things, and then Ill bring them home and my husbands like ‘really?’ [laughs]. But I have been good I haven’t bought too much but I definitely see some things where I’m like ‘hmm…I think that would be nice’ [laughs]. It is fun to have the first look."

Q. What were your reasons for opening the store?

A. All my life I’ve shopped at consignment shops and loved doing it but hated-I don’t want to say hated-but disliked the way some of them were set up. A lot of them were typically smelly and kind of just a mish mush of stuff so I kind of wanted to create a boutique feel but still have those thrift store/consignment store prices.

Q. Where did you draw inspiration from when opening the store?

A. Everywhere really. I did a lot of research, playing around on Pinterest and making notes when going into other stores, writing what I liked and what I didn’t like. I looked at places like Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, and stuff like that just to get ideas for displays. I didn’t want the typical metal rack that you see at Savers. I wanted it to be a little bit different from everywhere else. I guess, class it up a bit. Ya know? [Laughs].

Q: Why did you decide to open a consignment store in Beverly?

A: I looked at other locations but after looking at those other locations I felt that even though there’s other shops on Cabot Street mine was going to be different. Each of the shops has their own style and their own type of cliental so I didn’t think I was stepping on any toes by doing that. I wasn’t exactly the same as someone else. So, it ended up being a really great location.

Q. What do you like most about having your location in Beverly?

A. I think the amount of foot traffic I get is more than I could have hoped for. It’s easy to park, there’s parking in front, parking a little bit down the street, it’s just a good location. I was a little nervous about being at this end of Cabot because the hustle and bustle seems to be down a little bit farther. It hasn’t been a problem. I get tons of foot traffic and lots of people drive by.

Q. How would you identify the style of the store?

      A.  Umm Probably a little bit younger. My demographic is college age to probably 35 year olds, and I don’t do corporate style items. We have clothing from J Crew, Banana Republic and stuff that people can wear to work, can wear out, and can wear to class. So, I try to stay away from corporate stuff. A little bit more casual.

Q. How would you describe a typical day in the shop?

A. A typical day – I’m here typically Monday through Thursday and I just hired two new girls and they will be here Fridays and Saturdays. So I’ll come in and I’ll price stuff while taking consignments. I do between 2 and 4 consignments a day, people bring in stuff and I’ll go through their items and then I’ll get to pricing and that day I’ll put the stuff on the racks, straightening up the shop, and ringing in sales. So it’s a lot to do. I never really have any down time, which the day goes by like that [snaps]. But between processing checks and gathering items and pricing and everything, it’s a pretty busy day.

Q. What are the types of challenges that occur in the store or in this kind of business?

A. I think the most challenging part is really sticking to your style because you get styles from all different ages and all sorts of people. So just sticking to your guns when you’re accepting items.  You don’t want to accept things that aren’t good for your store or aren’t going to sell. You want to have an image and stay with it and you certainly don’t want to turn people away but you have to let them know that there is a particular style to the store.

Q. Do you have a favorite second hand shop aside from your own?

A. Umm…favorite one…Oh I don’t know. I like them all [whispers]. I’m trying to think where I buy the most stuff. I’ve gotten a lot of stuff at the Garment district in Cambridge.

Q. Anything that you distinctly remember buying that was an awesome find?

A. I got an awesome retro print dress that was seven bucks. That had to be my best find.

I don’t know if I have a favorite one. I’ve bought stuff from all the shops on Cabot Street and I go to the ones in Salem too but I don’t know that I have a favorite. I go to them all as much as I can.

Q. What do you love most about owning your own consignment store?

A. I love that it’s mine. I love that everything I do and create is my idea. My husband certainly helps me out with it, with the logo, and helped me with the design of the store. Its nice to have a vision and be able to play it out exactly how you pictured it. So I think that’s the most fun part.

Q. What types of clothes do you not take when customers bring it in?

A. Anything that is stained, or ripped or out of style certainly. I’m not particular about designers, it can be from target or it can be from Coach, as long as it is cute and in style. We don’t do wedding dresses or bathing suits or athletic wear, things like that. As long as its currently in style and in good condition, I’ll usually take it and if it fits my demographic then I’ll usually take it.

Q. Did someone inspire you at all to shop consignment or someone’s style that you thought you could find at places like this?

A. Back to one of the other questions you asked about style, I think just a lot of the stores that I love the design of. I’d go into little boutiques in Boston and some of them had the pipe racks like I have, so I made mental notes of that but certainly more of the little boutique feels vs. big box stores.

Q. What are some of the amazing finds you have encountered in all your years of consignment shopping?

A.I think I get most excited about jeans, like when I find 200 dollar jeans for 20 or 30 dollars, that’s definitely my thing which is –when I opened this I said right from the beginning that all my designer jeans will be 30 bucks. Because, granted, some are close to 200 dollars in the stores but they are used jeans. I mean a lot of people have them selling for 75 dollars but I feel like I wanted my price point to be where people don’t really have to think about it, it’s a luxury but nothing extravagant. But I didn’t want people hemming and hawing if they couldn’t afford it or if they should buy it. So I felt like things like that, 30 bucks, is a good price.