Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The Family Closet: Another Option for Cheap Fluff


Fluffy Spotlight Post with Heather with The Family Closet


How did you come up with the Name/Idea for The Family Closet?
I came up with the idea for The Family Closet first as a secret group on Facebook where friends and family could post stuff to sell in a safer community then Craigslist. I was fed up with the perverts that would contact me when I would post something to sell on Craigslist. I also was looking for a cheaper place then eBay because I have sold there too, and often all the fees made it not worth the time and effort. 


So, The Family Closet group was born in July 2011. People seem to be happy with the group, and so far there hasn't been any trouble. My business page on Facebook came into being at the end of January 2012. I wanted to be able to reach more people without compromising the security of the original group. Also, having so much stuff to sell, I didn't want to flood the group page all the time. The main purpose of the page is to sell stuff so that 
1)I can raise money for housing expenses, etc, and 
2)I need to get rid of my stuff (I simply have too much). 


We have had what was called a family closet where everyone in the house had their clothing instead of dividing it between the various bed rooms. I decided that The Family Closet had a nice ring to it. It's time to clean out the family closet you know!
 
What kind of items does The Family Closet carry? 

Just about anything. Right now I have books, craft supplies and directions, fabric, womens clothing, childrens clothing (all seasons and sizes), household decorations, shoes, sporting equipment and supplies, baby and mama gear, a wedding gown, cloth diapers, and so much more!We are the family that every one would donate to when their children outgrew their clothing. They said "Keep it, sell it, do what ever you want with it, just get it out of my house!". So I have a lot of stuff to work thru before I have to figure another way to stock my page.
 

How do you determine the price of your items?
My pricing is in keeping with the fact that this is a tough economic time. If I price stuff low, then likely I will have larger orders and repeat customers. Yes, I could charge higher prices for the name brand stuff, but really I want to give people a good deal. Occassionally I will run a sale to try and clear out the closet faster. Most of my stuff is priced in the $1 to $10 range. Makes for easy adding for me too since often I am working at my page late at night. 
 
What are your Shipping fees/costs?

Shipping is based on weight from Connecticut. I try not to make mistakes on shipping. I am not out to make money off of shipping like some companies do. I will fit as much in a flat rate box as I can to save the person shipping costs. Recently I stuffed 20 plus pieces of clothing into a large flat rate box that is destined for Canada. By shipping flat rate I was able to save the lady $10 in shipping. I may have to start charging a slight fee when someone pays with non funded paypal though, as I get hit with fees from them when a bank card or credit card is used, but that is the only pricing change I can see happening. I aim to ship as inexpensively as I can for my clients. My goal is to have happy customers that want to refer friends and family to my page, and come back again at a later date.
 
Now to the good stuff...What cloth diapering items do you have and where do they come from?

My cloth diapering items come from a few different sources. First there is my own stash (I will not divulge the size of that, lol!) Then there is the stuff that I won in lots off eBay a few years ago when I thought I would start making cloth diapers myself. Finally, there is the occassional deal I find at the second hand store that is so under priced it's not funny, and I have to buy it to resell at a slight profit. 
 

What are your long term goals for The Family Closet?
My long term goals would be that this page will allow me to not have to work outside the home while bringing in a steady income to supplement my husbands pay. I'd rather sort thru piles of stuff and post it, then have to drive to any job. I want to be with my 5 children (1 girl who will be 5 in May, and 4 boys ages 7, 9, 11, and 19). I want to declutter, and I see this as a big help in that matter. The saying "One mans trash is another mans treasure" is so true! But also, my motto (which I have posted a pic of this saying on a plaque on my page) is "All of our Hopes and Dreams are within reach, if only we Believe."  I believe that this business will be a huge benefit to my family. Eventually, I would like to donate part of my profits to other families. And if you don't see something you want, just ask me if I have it and it hasn't been posted yet, or if I don't, I may be able to find it for you. 


Wasn't this an awesome interview?? I love the concept and ideas! I just might have to pick up a few things myself!! I am headed there now!!


Heather is donating 1 lucky Stash reader a $25 gift certificate to her store! That can go along way!!!!! Be sure to enter over HERE.
 

7 comments:

  1. I love your quote about trash and treasure. It is so true. We've really started focusing on reducing and reusing, and then gifting or goodwilling used items. It is better for the pocketbook, and better for our planet!

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  2. I am glad that you have a passion to work at home and I pray that this "Family Closet" you created on FB will be a success and help you with finances. God Bless you.

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  3. What a clever and resourceful way to pass on things. So often when we are done with something, the item itself doesn't have to be 'done' either :)

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  4. This is such a neat idea! I am trying to clean out my house too and I have no idea what to do with all the stuff. My husband tells me that we should just use it all before buying more stuff so that it doesn't go to waste, but sometimes I just want it gone!

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  5. This is very creative although I must say that I have not had a bad experience selling on Craigslist before.

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  6. I love this idea! I am always getting hand-me-downs too and I am so grateful for them. Now that my son is older, they've slowed down a bit. But I love the idea of finding a better home for my things that are too good to just toss!

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  7. Awesome idea! I wouldn't have thought of it :) This a great way to sell your stuff if you don't like doing ebay or craigslist.

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