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Doug:
Welcome to the Seller Community Podcast From List Perfectly. This is season two, episode 45. We just got back from the fabulous Boss Reseller Remix 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the biggest seller event on the West Coast, and I think the biggest seller event this year, organized by our friends, Vikki and Katy, and Theresa Cox. What we’re doing this week is, while we were there, I talked to a number of attendees and got their perspective on the event, what they thought, and what they learned a little bit about their backgrounds. That’s this week’s episode. Next week we will have our full Boss Reseller 2022 Recap, featuring Clara, Trish Glenn, Teresa Cox, and myself, Snoop Dougie. Clara was one of the main sponsors and spoke. Clara tells it like it is, so you never know. Trish is from Boston, so you know, you never know what’s gonna come outta her mouth.
Doug:
Theresa Cox, 26-year eBay seller, is one of the organizers. So she’ll have her own perspective. And then there’s me, Snoop Dougie, with my perspective. But look for that next week. This week though, we’re featuring snippets from attendees at BOSS Reseller 2022, including Melanie Wrench, Retail Therapy, Starr, Bryson, Flipping Hippos, Amy and Stewart White of Franklin Hill Ventures, Robin and Joe Lett, Molly and Libby from Consignment Chats, Gina Medica, Trish Glenn, SuperSaleTrish and Sonny Sanchez, Sonny Las Vegas. All right, let’s get into my chat with attendees from Boss Reseller Remix 2022.
Doug:
Here’s my chat with Melanie Wrench, Retail Therapy. We talked about other seller events, particularly eBay Open versus Boss Reseller Remix. What’s the same, and what’s different? Melanie talked about the sense of family that BOSS brought to her and the importance of community.
Doug:
So Melanie, what brought you to the boss reseller remix 2022?
Melanie:
Well, I heard so many good things about 2021, and we are looking at other opportunities and expanding our business, so I know one of the best ways to do it is in person.
Doug:
And what stood out for you at this event?
Melanie:
Well, I’m blown away. I’ve been here for less than 24 hours, and I’ve just received so much information and so many nuggets, so many actionable nuggets. Um, I’m just blown away, you know, and the connections. And then also, um, there’s, this is your tribe, you know, there’s a comfort level with other resellers here, and you can speak a common language.
Doug:
And have you been to other reseller events?
Melanie:
I went to eBay Open 2018.
Doug:
And how does this compare to you?
Melanie:
So, I was telling my partner last night, it feels almost like a family reunion, um, with a bunch of strangers, <laugh>, you know, if that even makes sense. But it absolutely does. And it’s a, it’s a sense of community and it’s such a positive nurturing vibe.
Doug:
So what does the term community mean to you?
Melanie:
People that have your back? That, and like I said, speak, you speak a common language with them.
Doug:
What got you into online selling?
Melanie:
Oh my gosh. The dopamine hits <laugh>. So, uh, it really happened. We kind of stumbled upon it, and it happened organically over time. We’ve been doing it for five years. Um, both my partner and I, my life partner and business partner, Jill. And we just, we both love it. So we knew that we run it, we have another business, but we knew we needed to add to it, and we needed some supplemental income, and we found something that we both love, that excites us both to the same level, and which is so important. You know, we’re trying to do it as a partnership. And oh my gosh, I tell people, I get it. I get a hit when I find something new. You know, when I’m picking, I get a hit when I learn something new, and then I get a hit when I hear that cheating. So you just kind of get addicted to the business over, over time.
Doug:
And what do you sell?
Melanie:
Everything. If we can make a buck, we’ll pick it up. <laugh>. I love it when we can. We can, when we sell something and when we hear back from the customer and they say, Oh my gosh, I had this when I was a kid. Or My mom had this when we were a kid, You know, And thank you so much, and thank you for taking such good care in packaging and getting it to us. And so A, we were able to save it from the landfill, and B, we were able to provide something with memory and something that’s meaningful for them. Yeah, I’m verklempt now. <laugh>. I love that. We love doing that.
Doug:
So what advice do you have for somebody that’s just starting to resell?
Melanie:
Oh my gosh. You have to do it. You have to get involved in the community, but also understand that everybody’s business model is going to be different. What you sell is gonna work, works well for you, and sells well for you is not gonna be the same as what works well and sells well for somebody else. And also, as far as, are you gonna do a flat the fast flip, or are you gonna do the slow dime? Everybody’s business model is different. Try everything. Learn everything you can and apply it and see what works best for you. Okay? I don’t wanna overwhelm anybody, but there are a lot of moving parts to this business, and it’s, it is more work. I will tell you. It is exceedingly rewarding. It is very rewarding work, but there’s a lot more work than we thought there was gonna be. And there are a lot more moving parts. There are so many. It’s not just, Hey, I’m gonna pick up this and I’m gonna sell it. There are a lot of different steps in between those things.
Doug:
All right. Thank you so much, Melanie.
Melanie:
You’re welcome.
Doug:
Starr Bryson sat down with me and talked to me about how last year’s Boss Reseller remix was a life-changing thing for her. So she said she had to come back. So she talks about her biggest takeaways, the importance of community, and she gives us a little insight into what she’s learned and what’s next for Flipping Hippos.
Doug:
All right. I’m here at Boss Reseller Remix with our friend, my friend Starr Bryson. Starr, how’s it going?
Starr:
Hey Doug. It’s good. How are you?
Doug:
I’m doing well. So what brought you to Boss Reseller Remix this year?
Starr:
Uh, last year was amazing. It was life-changing, so I had to come back. And I’ve actually made more connections and more friends in the community since last year, and I had to see my friends. That’s good. And learn. Do you know what my biggest takeaway is, my thumbnails on YouTube are horrible and I have to fix them. So I sat down with Josh and Hailey, Hairy Tornado. They’re amazing people. They took the time to just kind of flip through ’em and give me some advice on what to do. They are bad. And that’s probably why it’s taken me five years to get to 10,000 subs, cuz my thumbnails are awful. <laugh>. Um, I like to teach a lot, so a lot of my videos, I, I have a, actually a whole playlist on List Perfectly <laugh>.
Doug:
Thank you.
Starr:
Tutorials. Um, I like to teach about what to buy, and what to avoid. I like to show my mistakes. Okay. But I do a lot of hashtag tough love, cuz a lot of people think this job is easy and you’re just gonna go thrifting and have fun and buy a Lamborghini overnight and it’s not <laugh>. So I like to tell people how it is.
Doug:
So what would you say to somebody who is hesitant to attend reseller events?
Starr:
You need to because the community is everything. We work alone. We’re inside our house all the time. That’s not good for your mental health. You need friends and you know, your friends inside the box are good too. <laugh> with Facebook friends. But when you come to these events, it’s life-changing. It’s life-affirming. You, meet people, and you learn so much. I learned that I was holding my phone the wrong way for Instagram because they want different phones to be held, um, vertical. And YouTube wants it horizontal. I didn’t know that. So just these little tidbits that you pick up.
Doug:
I think it’s interesting that your learning points and tidbits are very, very specific. So that’s kind of interesting. Most people go with the bigger concepts, but you’re very specific.
Starr:
Yeah, because I’m really trying right now to focus a lot on building my social media better. Um, and do more with it. So that’s what I’m listening for. That’s what I’m here to learn about. Yeah.
Doug:
And so what’s next for Flipping Hippos? What’s next for you in social? What’s next for you in selling?
Starr:
What’s next for me in social? I really need to get monetized on Tik Tok. Flipping Hippos guys. Follow me. Um, but once we get back up to Pittsburgh, we’re gonna scale up big time and we are aiming for like 5,000 listings. We have access to 99 cent days. Nice. Up there for clothing. And I have a couple of contacts lined up, including the blind center where we’re at to buy wholesale electronics. So we’re gonna build up to about 5,000 and probably get some employees.
Doug:
Oh, that’s amazing. Congratulations.
Starr:
I’m tired. I went to FlipCon. Then I went to Boston for eBay open and spoke at Trish n Diane’s event. Um, and here, and I’m crossing some things off my bucket list in Florida. We went to Universal. We’re going to Disney the day before we leave. I’m tired.
Doug:
All right. Well, anything to add?
Starr:
Like I always say in my videos, guys, go be productive. Go make some money.
Doug:
Yeah. That’s awesome.
Doug:
Thank you so much, Starr.
Starr:
Thank you.
Doug:
Alright.
Doug:
Stewart White, an old friend of the show, has been on a couple of times. We’re familiar with him and Franklin Hill Ventures, but we finally get to sit down with the lady behind the man, Amy White, who actually is responsible for getting Stewart into selling and supporting and helping with that growth. She’s kind of in the background, but now she’s coming to the forefront. Stewart and Amy grew Franklin Hill Ventures so much this year, starting around the same time as Boss Reseller Remix 2021. So Stewart said he had to come back and he had to bring Amy to be part of the event. So we’re gonna hear about all that and we’re gonna hear about the future plans for Franklin Hill Ventures.
Doug:
I’m Here with Amy and Stewart from Franklin Hill Ventures. So Amy and Stewart, what brings you to Boss Reseller Remix?
Stewart:
Um, well, of course, I came last year and I mean, it was a life-changing experience as far as my reselling. And so it was fortunate enough to be able to come back and bring Amy this year and, uh, so everybody could get to know her and see why I’m successful, I guess <laugh>
Doug:
How did he convince you to come Amy?
Amy:
Well, he hadn’t stopped talking about it for a year, basically. Yeah. He said you have to come, you have to experience it one time at least.
Doug:
And remind us what you do and what you sell.
Stewart:
Well, we sell a little bit of everything, but mainly under the kind of, uh, the umbrella of vintage and antique. Uh, we have three, uh, brick-and-mortar booth locations, and then we sell on all the platforms or most of the platforms that List Perfectly supports recently we’ve started on Whatnot. Then we also have our Franklin Hill Farms, uh, butters, barbecue sauces, pickles, uh, sauces. And we sell those both out of the booth. And we’ve started doing a little mail order through Whatnot.
Doug:
Oh wow. Okay. And so your first seller event Amy?
Amy:
Yes. First seller event.
Doug:
So what do you think?
Amy:
It’s been great. Um, it’s really nice to have a bunch of people here that are, um, truly supporting each other and not trying to, um, better, um, be better than each other. But everybody is just trying to help and collaborate and give each other tips and hints and help. It’s refreshing.
Doug:
So will you do more seller events?
Amy:
Probably, yeah. All
Doug:
And Stewart, what would you say to someone who is, who’s never been to a seller event, maybe is hesitant to attend one?
Stewart:
Um, I would say just do it. I mean, make the, I know it’s expensive and it can seem like money that maybe is not well spent, but, you know, sometimes it’s hard to quantify events like this. But I think just the motivation, the relationships you make at these events makes it totally worthwhile. And I, I could, you know, I would highly recommend anybody coming, especially to the BOSS Reseller Remix. But of course, any of these types of events are good.
Amy:
Yeah. And, as Stewart said, the community, because I know reselling can be kind of lonely sometimes because you’re just, you with your computer and um, you’ve just really felt a real sense of community here.
Doug:
And so you started, how’d you get Amy into the business?
Stewart:
Well, it’s really the opposite. She probably started selling kids’ clothes back in the day when our kids were little. And, uh, kind of brought me along for the ride on eBay and such. I mean, I’d done reselling in the past, uh, but really not online. So she really got me started in it. And then, I mean, we took a, we both kinds of took a break for a pretty good while when our kids, you know, just kids playing sports and going here, there and everywhere. Uh, so it was, you know, really like seven years ago that I really jumped back into it, uh, big time. And then about this time last year, right before the remix went full-time, so,
Doug:
And Amy, what’s the single biggest thing you think you’ve learned so far this week?
Amy:
The single biggest thing. Um, you know, I didn’t really understand the monetization of YouTube, so that was really interesting to hear about. Um, because you know, you hear about it and you hear that nine-year-olds, you know, make money unboxing Legos or whatever. But until you actually hear people talk about it, you’re like, Oh yeah, that, that’s how you do that. You know, that was pretty interesting to me.
Stewart:
So who knows, maybe we’ll have the Amy and Stewart YouTube show.
Doug:
He talked about it. So he’s gearing up. It was part of his plan…
Amy:
He likes the unboxings. Yeah, he likes the unboxings.
Stewart:
Yeah, I mean, I don’t know, probably kind of the same as Amy. I mean, I thought that the monetization talk on YouTube was probably one of the more interesting. Um, you know, and I mean you come to these events sometimes, it’s not so much learning new stuff, it’s just reinforcing that you’re doing things the right way or just getting that motivation. In fact, I told Amy this morning, you know, part of me can’t wait to get home to, you know, I’m fired up to go, go start listing. So…
Doug:
No, that’s great.
Amy:
I’ve got one too. I wanna buy a Masonic lodge right now. I need a lodge.
Doug:
That was super interesting.
Amy:
Yeah, I want it.
Doug:
So yeah, some of them will have to catch up on the replay, but that was definitely what I’d watch in the YouTube monetization cuz there’s so much opportunity now it’s just, you know, um, I think you just have to document. Stewart’s really good at that. And are you ready to, ready to hop into the YouTube world?
Amy:
I don’t know, as time permits. I try to do some of that stuff with my outside of this job as well, so, you know, we’ll see.
Stewart:
Well, she does a lot of this social media for her quote, real job. So…
Amy:
It is a real job. It’s not a quote, real job.
Stewart:
<laugh>. Well, I guess mine’s my quote, I guess mine’s the quote, Real job. <laugh>.
Doug:
What’s next for Franklin Hill Ventures?
Amy:
I’d say one of the things that’s next is looking at more festivals and things like that, which we’ve started dabbling in a little bit with our jams and jellies. So as this season progresses, we’ll probably do more of that.
Stewart:
And, really along the same lines of the Franklin Hill Farm stuff, probably more mail order cuz we’ve really started to get a big demand on whatnot and whatnot. The shipping’s outrageous on those things, but Steve, people still seem to want to buy ’em. In fact, I had somebody just messaged me this morning who’d bought some on whatnot, you know, how do I get more? So, uh, probably a big focus on that product line over the next year
Amy:
And it’s easier to source that for sure.
Stewart:
Yeah, I mean, it’s really the one consumable type thing that we sell. Everything else is kind of a one-off. So that’s definitely a consumable that we can replenish and, uh, you know, just motor along selling it.
Doug:
And so having those two, so you’ve got the online, the offline, what’s the biggest challenge from your perspective?
Amy:
Storage.
Stewart:
Yeah, absolutely.
Amy:
Storage.
Stewart:
That’s probably the other thing we’ve gotta figure out in the next year. You know, The whole talk on scalability, you know, how do we scale our business to the next level? I mean, we’ve been fortunate and we’ve grown the business average of about 40% year over year every year for the past, you know, three to four years. But I think we’re getting to that point. Obviously, it gets harder to do that growth as sure revenue increases and, you know, I think we’re gonna have to probably make some systematic changes and, you know, storage, sourcing, just all those things, uh, over the next year to be able to maintain that growth. So that’s probably one of our big challenges.
Amy:
Definitely.
Doug:
You’ve really evolved in the year that I’ve known you and like exceeding all of your goals, right?
Stewart:
Yeah. Oh yeah. I mean it’s, you know, it’s like every year you go in and it’s like there’s no way we can continue to do that growth. And, you know, every year so far anyway, we have, you know, it’s either through just, you know, organically selling more of what we already do or adding a new product line or, uh, you know, this last year probably what’s been the biggest driver of the growth.
Amy:
And I think, um, uh, on my side, the one thing I can say about Stewart for sure is it’s grown way more than I expected because, you know, you’ll admit you drugged me kicking and screaming last year because we still had two kids in college, you know? Yeah. For people that don’t know us, we have four kids in five years. So we had everybody in college at the same time. Everybody is doing everything. And it’s, it was expensive. Yeah. And when he said, when we still had two kids left in college, Hey, I’m gonna quit my job. He’s always been the main breadwinner. I was like, Wait, no, you need to wait. And he said, Nope, I’m doing it. <laugh>.
Stewart:
She was supportive of the idea, but not excited I guess.
Amy:
Exactly.
Stewart:
So, but, uh, I mean, and I still have a long way to go to get to where I need to, you know, eventually be. Uh, but yeah, it’s definitely exceeded my expectations from a growth standpoint over the past year.
Amy:
And, honestly, one of the things I said I would like to go on vacation every now and again, so he brought me here. This is my vacation <laugh>. Right? Working vacation. Yeah. Okay. I don’t think it counts, but…
Stewart:
<laugh> Hey, we can write this one off…
Amy:
That’s right.
Doug:
There you go. There you go. Alright. Anything to add?
Stewart:
I don’t think so.
Amy:
Yeah, no…
Stewart:
It’s just, uh, I’m already looking forward to next year and, uh, see where our journey takes us between now and then as well. And look forward to talking to you again sometime, so. Yeah…
Amy:
Yeah. Yeah. No, it’s been great to put names to faces. Yeah. Or put faces to names that I’ve heard for the last year or so. So yeah, it’s been good. Awesome.
Doug:
All right. Well, thanks very much. And, uh, Amy and Stewart from Franklin Hill Ventures and we’ll hear from ’em again.
Stewart:
All right. Thanks for having us.
Amy:
Thank you.
Doug:
Robin and Joe Lett joined me as well. I met them way back when I was with eBay at Miami UpFront. And we took a picture together and we remember that and talked about how they couldn’t make it to last year’s BOSS Reseller Remix because they had just planned a vacation, but they wanted to make sure and make it to BOSS Reseller Remix 2022. So they started planning right away. So we talk about that. We talk about what they learned, and what stood out for ’em, and we talk about how excited they are about Listing Party.
Doug:
All right. I’m here at BOSS Reseller Remix 2022 with my friend Robin Lett from Florida. We met years ago at, uh, an eBay UpFront in Miami.
Robin:
The original one.
Doug:
The original.
Robin:
We were the Guinea pigs.
Doug:
That’s right. That was the one that we didn’t realize was valet parking only.
Robin:
<laugh>. Yes. Yes. That would be it. But we were the Guinea pigs. It was the very first one that eBay did of those little tiny events.
Doug:
And so you’re no stranger to seller events.
Robin:
That was the only seller event I’ve done before this one.
Doug:
Oh really?
Robin:
Yeah.
Doug:
I didn’t realize that. So what, why did you come to Boston?
Robin:
We wanted to come last year, but our vacation was already planned and we were getting home the day before it started. Okay. And Vikki was like, Oh, just fly straight here. But he had to go back to work, so we were really upset that we missed last year. So we’ve been saving up and getting ready for this one. And honestly, we just wanted to meet everybody because you talk to these people online and you post things and it’s nice to put faces and, you know, personalities and everything with the little texts that you see. Yeah, exactly. Online and I mean, we’ve just been having a blast. We’re learning a lot too, so it’s great.
Doug:
So, what have you learned this week?
Speaker 9:
Things that stick out to me are like the, I don’t wanna say self-help, but, uh, take care of yourself. Yeah. Um, you take care of yourself, then you can take care of your business better. Uh, the Haul Sale, uh, the thing that they did was great because I signed up with Haul Sale, like when they were in beta. So when they first started, I had one listing on there, but they gave some good information, um, while they were down there. The YouTube stuff was great to listen to cuz I don’t do YouTube, but you know, we’ve thought about it. Yeah. It’s like, do you wanna do YouTube? I don’t know if I wanna show ’em my face <laugh>. Um, so it’s just a lot of little tidbits, you know, you’re picking up these little pieces here and there.
Doug:
And so what would you say to somebody who says, Why should I attend reseller events?
Robin:
If you’re looking for motivation, if you’re looking for that little umph that you might need, um, even if you’re not just the, uh, what’s the word? The camaraderie? Is that a word? Camaraderie? Yeah. Yeah. Just that alone is worth it. Because I work by myself. He has a full-time job. So I work by myself now. I babysit my granddaughter four days a week, so she’s like my coworker. But you know, it’s, the conversations are only one way. Uh, before her it was the cats. So it gets lonely. Yeah. You know, and for a lot of people, a big thing I’ve noticed here is so many people have the same, I don’t wanna say issues, but go through the same things that I’m going through. Like the loneliness that you get depressed, you can, your anxiety, and we’re all just a bunch of crazy people. And it’s like your tribe here. It’s like you find your people here, you’re Yeah. You see that you’re not the only one going through those things. So it’s very helpful to know that.
Doug:
And I hear that a lot. And, uh, what is your biggest piece of motivational advice and how to deal with that um, I guess that solitude?
Robin:
Two of the girls last night, we set up a little group for the three of us, a little chat group, and we’re gonna use that for like, accountability and, and motivation. So maybe something like that would be good. Um, this way you have dedicated people that you reach out to and kind of keep each other going.
Doug:
Well, I don’t wanna do a commercial, but you can do that in Listing Party now.
Robin:
Yes. Yes. That’s true. <laugh>, that was a lot of, I mean, listing List Perfectly. Uh, you know, they were like the bomb up there with all their new information and their Listing Party. Yeah. Um, so yeah, we’re definitely, I’m gonna have to look into all that when, when I get home, you know, look into it a little more and read about it and all that. So yeah. That look, That looks pretty cool.
Doug:
And so remind us what you’re selling, what your store name is. Your selling name, and what you sell.
Robin:
Um, I, we have multiple stores. Uh, we have three on eBay. It’s uh, Redd Robin’s Room. Two D’s in Red. Then we have Let’s Shop. That’s the oldest store. That one’s been around for like 20 years. Um, and then we have, Let’s Shop Movies. So that’s like a media store. So we have those three. Um, on Instagram. I’m Redd Robin Reseller. Um, I’m trying to get a little more active and a little more social, online, Whatnot. We’re Shop, so you’ll usually find us with Let Shop or Redd Robin’s Room.
Doug:
And so what’s next for your business?
Robin:
For me personally, Um, coming here, what it’s like to help get that fire under my butt that I lost. Yeah. Um, so I am hoping to get more consistent. Yeah. And, um, I want to at least double what I’m making now by this time next year.
Doug:
That’s awesome.
Robin:
That’s my long-term goal.
Doug:
You can do it.
Robin:
Woot, woot!
Doug:
Now my friends Molly and Libby from Consignment Chats join us. We go a little deep, we get a little emotional. Uh, Molly tells us how she got over her fear of flying to come to Boss Reseller Remix. We talk about the importance of community. We talk about Listing Party and how excited they are to participate and they’re gonna be early users of Listing Party. We talk about how all sellers should be consignors and much more.
Doug:
I’m here with my good friends, Molly and Libby from Consignment Chats. The Consignment Chats. Ladies, what’s up? Nice to see you here.
Libby:
To see you, Doug. How’s it going?
Doug:
Good, good.
Molly:
So good to see you and finally meet you in person.
Doug:
That is right.
Libby:
I forgot we never met in person.
Doug:
Just on, just on the screens.
Libby:
Yeah, That’s funny.
Doug:
So what brought you out to BOSS Reseller Remix?
Molly:
Well, you.
Doug:
Well, I know, I’ve heard that.
Libby:
Yeah. Doug’s going. Yeah, a no- brainer.
Molly:
You know, um, I think a lot of it was last year watching everything that went on. We had already committed to another conference before we found out about BOSS and we had such fun, not that we didn’t enjoy the other conference, but the whole time we kept looking at everybody’s posts and all the community building and which is what we’re about. And we were just like, oh, those are our people. And we have FOMO so bad.
Libby:
It was painful to miss it last year, so we weren’t gonna miss it this year. Molly overcame a huge fear of flying. This is a girl who takes the train cross country from North North Carolina to Washington State to avoid…
Molly:
But I flew for the bosses.
Doug:
You did it.
Molly:
I did it.
Libby:
She doesn’t fly for family, but she flew for a BOSS Reseller Remix.
Doug:
Tell us a little bit more about that.
Molly:
About my flight issue? I got it from my mother. God rest her soul. She left me with that. Um, I used to fly all the time because I love to travel, but about nine years ago, we flew out to Washington to see my in-laws. And I just was a mess on the plane. I got some Xanax. And then what happened was, literally 24 hours before the flight home, I started panicking and I’m like, I can’t do it. You gotta get me a train or a car. And my husband’s like, Uh, no, you’re getting on the plane. So I did, and I’ve never flown since. Wow. But this time I thought, you know what, I’m going to the BOSS Reseller Remix. And Libby said, Every time you get scared, you just say, I hope I can say this here. I’m a BOSS Bitch.
Doug:
Yeah. You can say that. Worse things have been said by my wife.
Molly:
<laugh>. So that was my mantra. And I literally just got on, I never took a Xanax. I got on that plane and I said, I’m a BOSS. Yeah. And I’m going to be with BOSS people. And that’s what I did.
Libby:
Because you are all about community. I mean, you are all about community. And she did it for the community, for herself and to be part of it. So how cool is that?
Doug:
That is awesome. So remind our listeners who you are.
Libby:
Yes. I’m Libby. I’m from Pennsylvania. I’ve run a consignment store for 10 years now, Conshy Consignment. And, uh, we formed, uh, the community of Consignment Chats to work with other resellers.
Molly:
I’m Molly and I am from North Carolina now. Used to be in Philadelphia, which is where I met Libby. Um, and I have been her sidekick ever since. I just can’t, we just can’t part, She’s my work wife. Um, she and my husband. I think if I did genetic testing they are actually related, so I actually have to deal with two on both sides of my life. But yeah, we just really get along wonderfully. We complement each other. Yeah, I think so. I’m the foolish, crazy one. She’s the level-headed, you know, Professional one. <laugh>.
Libby:
Aww, thanks. <laugh>.
Doug:
You’ve said this and obviously, you know, it shows, but community’s important to you. So what does the term community mean to each of you and how does it tie into an event like Boss Reseller Remix?
Molly:
Um, community to me means having like-minded people that are supportive and not competitive and really want to lift each other up. And not having come last year, I felt through looking at all the images with my FOMO, that was what was going on. I knew some of you ahead of time from coming onto our shows, and going onto your shows. I felt like I knew y’all. I truly in my heart knew some of you were our people. But when I got here, the first day was just mind-blowing of how many I can’t tell you how many people I’ve said to in the last 24 hours. You’re my people. And they’re gonna be friends for life because everybody here truly wants everybody to succeed and wants to help them succeed.
Libby:
Well, consignment is a very community-based thing. You have designers and you have this whole circular economy going on. Um, but a lot of us work alone. So we have, we are part of this big community, but we work alone. So just being able to get together and um, in person is awesome. But, you know, to build it online is wonderful because we do work alone, but we’re all very invested in the community. So, yeah.
Doug:
So what’s one thing each of you has learned so far this week?
Libby:
All right. So I’m really excited about the community building going on with, um, Listing Party and the announcement with that. Because I think it ties into so much of what we do in the community. So I’m really just excited to see where that goes and be an active participant in that. The people are amazing. The people are amazing. Awesome. I mean, so nice to connect with people that are so into collaboration and not competition. Yeah. Yeah. It’s definitely a unique, unique industry for resellers. There’s no need to compete.
Molly:
No need to compete. It’s not necessary. I think one thing that’s really hit me on this particular event is how different we all are yet the same. We run our businesses differently. We list different things and sell different things. Our backgrounds may be different, yet we’re all the same, in the core. Like when I’m talking to somebody, it’s just an immediate mesh connection. So I just think that’s pretty phenomenal.
Libby:
And all the different ways people do the same thing. Like we all are resellers, but, you can learn something from every single person because we all do it so differently. Yeah.
Molly:
Absolutely.
Doug:
All right. What’s next for Consignment Chats?
Molly:
Libby?
Libby:
We have, we are just continuing to build like a really resourceful community and provide, um, our community members and grow our, get the word out there, right? Yeah. I’m always surprised when we speak or when we when we do an appearance or something like that, people say, I’ve been looking for something like that. So, um, I think we need to get a little bit better at marketing and getting the word out there. So we’re really gonna focus on that. And we have a lot of awesome tools already. Yeah. But we’re gonna build on that too. Yeah.
Molly:
Yep. Yeah, what she said. I mean, ditto, we’re gonna get, I mean, I already have in my mind, well, I have had <laugh> Libby’s like, can you just get the to-do list done? Um, you know, just more resources out there to put out there for everybody. But you do learn, I mean, we had somebody this morning come up to us and say, Oh my gosh, my, my friend’s husband wants to start doing consignment, and I just found out what you do. Can you please help? And, you know, we told her, we have tons of resources on our website, Here’s our information. And it just is that reassuring thing of, you know, we do need to be out there and we do need to give that information. So of course,, as she left, I’m starting to think, okay, what else can we fill-in? Like, what other information is needed to put out there for people to have what they need to be successful?
Libby:
And our mission is to make sure that every single reseller is consignment ready. Because if you are a reseller and you tell anyone, they are gonna say, Oh, I have stuff too, you wanna sell it for me? And we wanna make sure you guys are ready. That’s awesome. That’s our mission. Yeah.
Doug:
Anything to add?
Molly:
I just want to add, and I know you’re not asking for this in this interview, but I was tearful at the Listing Party yesterday and really through this whole event with you guys of how, again, you’re our people, how community-based you are and how truly you all, every one of you in the List Perfectly family, want to truly know who we are and wants to hear from us and wants to do what you can to support our businesses. And I’m getting goosebumps right now.
Libby:
Oh my gosh. She does.
Molly:
I know. Because I just…
Doug:
She’s tearing up!
Molly:
I don’t cry, y’all. There’s no crying in consignment and reselling.
Libby:
I can’t believe you’re crying.
Molly:
I know!
Libby:
You never cry.
Molly:
But it’s just, I don’t know. I mean, Clara, Amanda, you, I mean, there’s just you guys, everybody over there. It’s, and what you brought as a sponsor to this event, I mean, not just the amazing swag, but just your presence and your support and the cheering and the emotion and the, it’s been amazing. And I’m proud that y’all are one of our sponsors and that’s not why I’m saying this <laugh>. It just really connected me even more to y’all.
Doug:
Thank you very much. Consignment Chats, Molly and Libby, Two of my favorite sellers. Two of my favorite ladies.
Molly and Libby:
Aww.
Doug:
I’ll put it out there.
Molly:
Should I put a crown on?
Doug:
There you go.
Molly:
Says it “Doug.”
Doug:
Snoop Dougie, Snoop, Snoop Dougie.
Molly:
Snoop Dougie. The Snoop. That’s right. The Snoop!
Doug:
All right. Thank you.
Libby:
Thanks Doug.
Molly:
Thanks for having us.
Doug:
Of course.
Doug:
Big List Perfectly user Gina Medica joins as well. She’s always on the lives. Always one of those usual suspects as we call them. And she talks about her thrifting background, how that helped her get into online selling. She really focuses on consistency and being consistent. And she talks about the importance of seller events.
Doug:
I’m here with Gina Medica at BOSS Reseller Remix. Gina, what brought you out to the conference?
Gina:
All the talk, everyone talking. How exciting and how fun. And I need fun in my life, you know? Um, I’ve gone through a lot in my life and I’ve always loved thrifting and picking up things. And they’re treasures to me. They’re treasures. And now, unfortunately, when I was younger, I couldn’t do eBay as much because I always had to have a full-time job. I was a single parent, and so I needed that. I couldn’t take a risk. But I’ve always had a side hustle, always. And, um, I just, I’m always doing something, whether it was making, um, baskets for Christmas for people, you know, and they’d buy ’em from me. I’m very detailed and I’m very picky. And I go thrifting now. And some people, sell it as this. I can’t sell something that’s dirty. I wash everything. I make sure it’s nice and sparkles. I wash all the clothes, and everything smells good. So that’s just me. That’s, I take longer, but that’s my, um, my enjoyment. I don’t know, I’m just picky. I don’t wanna send something that’s dirt. I mean, I’ve heard, I’ve, I’ve read reviews. Oh, this thing stunk like cigarettes. Or you can go to eBay and look at all my feedback. My packing is great because I had a packing and shipping business. Okay. So I take pride in what I do.
Doug:
Where are you from and what do you sell?
Gina:
I was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in the center of Los Angeles, California. And 17 years ago I said, I can’t take this rat race anymore. I worked for attorneys for over 15 years. And so I went on the internet and looked up the best places to live in the United States. And it asks me all kinds of random questions. And then I got, um, Georgia, North Carolina, I think Pennsylvania, whatever. And then Walla Walla, Washington. And that’s only four hours from my sister, cuz she lives in Portland. So I’m like Walla Walla it is. Yeah. And if you haven’t had a Walla Walla Sweet Onion, you’ve gotta try one <laugh>.
Doug:
And so what got you into online selling?
Gina:
Well, I’ve been doing eBay since either 2005 or 2006, off and on. My late husband loved coins. So we would, um, sell silver coins, you know, um, the ounces or I sold a quarter, the very first quarter, I think 1925 for like a hundred bucks. And so that, you know, it’s, it’s that excitement of seeing an auction or, um, recently I sold a, it looked like a soccer ball, but it was from La Cruz and it was made in France for the, I think 1998, um, World Cup with Brazil and France and France won. So they did this and I bought it at a yard sale for a dollar. And so I research, I research everything, and then I’m like, I wanna start it at like a hundred bucks. It ended at $215. Wow. So I’m like, Wow, that’s pretty good for a dollar.
Gina:
My other big one that I sold was a glassybaby. I found just, I go, What’s this? Oh. And I put it on again, a hundred bucks, and it ended at $501. I mean, my kids are like, Oh my god, mom, you know, I, you guys have to do this. You can make some good money. And, and um, last year I was curious. I’m like, I haven’t even checked, uh, between shipping and what I sold for $10,000. And I’m like, I’m a little peanut just doing this like two listings a day. Yeah. And I was like, that has blown my mind. That’s what it’s like, Wow. And then, um, I can’t even remember how I bumped into List Perfectly, but I really thought, you know, I gotta do this. And, um, because I am retired and get social security and I have income from other places, but I thought, how can I make this where I can do it? So I don’t really watch tv. So I told my dog, Hey, I’m turning off the cable. Sure. That justified the $69 because that pro plan is amazing.
Doug:
And you’re a big, I mean, you’re a big List Perfectly user. We see your name a lot in all our lives. What’s your favorite List Perfectly feature?
Gina:
I just love the way it all comes out. And it looks on your, on your platforms. It’s, it’s easy. It’s very, I’m not really computer savvy, but it’s really easy. And if you come across anything, you can ask the technical department and they get right back to you. And so I was very impressed with that.
Doug:
We have great, great support, and thank you so much for being such a big List Perfectly user and advocate. What have you learned this week at BOSS?
Gina:
Well, you really gotta stick to it. You have to be consistent. And that’s what sometimes I don’t do because I get distracted very easily. A fly goes by and I’m like, Where is it? Or my cat, you know? And, um, I just gotta, doing two isn’t enough. I’ve gotta do more. And, um, believe me, I have so much inventory that I gotta just say, You know what, Get up and just do it.
Doug:
So what would you say to somebody who needs to be convinced to come to a reseller event?
Gina:
I don’t know. You just have to just, you know, take the plunge and, and do it. And not be afraid. Because there are people that will talk to you. Just go up to anybody. And that’s what I was doing. I mean, I used to be really shy, but I just go right up to them. And Dani Ackerman, The Niche Lady, really has motivated me. And, um, I’m actually a moderator on one of her channels. And it’s, it’s great. And that, you know, I mean, when you’re by yourself, I mean, I’m a single person. Again, it’s like a community. You become family. What I did notice is from me being Latino, there were, there’s not that many. Okay. And it’s like, I’m fluent and I would love to see maybe there are Latinos out there, but you know, bring them in. You know, everybody can really work. It’s, it’s easy. It’s not difficult. And sometimes when I see people, um, Oh, I can’t do this. I’m so scared. Oh my God, packing, oh my God, it’s so easy. If I can do it, anybody can do it
Doug:
Once you get started. Yeah. That’s the thing. Yeah. And it goes, what you said too, is like, be consistent. Be regular.
Gina:
That is the main thing. Be consistent. And as you go, you learn. You’re not gonna learn everything in one day. I’ve learned a lot, but throughout all the years, I never knew that the first five words, you know, in your title are very important. And I see so many people putting the at on, you don’t need all that, that kind of stuff. So yes, I’ve learned, you know, how to do things. And I’m excited to get back because I’m gonna make myself. How do you say I’m gonna compete with myself? There you go. Now with anybody else, but with myself, if I used to do two, let’s bump it up to five a day and we’ll see.
Doug:
All right. Well, thank you, Gina. And I’m sure we will, uh, talk again.
Gina:
All right. Thank you so much.
Doug:
Trish Glenn Super Sale Trish recently joined the List Perfectly team full-time helping us with a lot of things, but helping us with events. So she gives us her perspective, what brought her to BOSS. And she talks a lot about friendship and how friendship is important in the seller community.
Doug:
Trish, what brings you to the BOSS Reseller Remix?
Trish:
Well, lots of things. First would be that my friends are here, <laugh> <laugh>, and it’s in Vegas. Okay. Which is, you know, another good selling point. Um, but really what brings me here is it is an opportunity to learn, and grow your business. Um, it is an opportunity to find out about new products, new things. And, um, it’s only a few times in the year that you get to actually be in a room with other people who do what you do. Because what we do is usually a solitary kind of endeavor.
Doug:
And what’s been the best part about, uh, Boss Reseller 2022?
Trish:
I think that so far the best thing about Boss Remix 2022 is, I know it’s gonna sound ridiculous, but it is seeing all my friends really, um, being able to, we all work online, so you see people, but you don’t see them in person very often, um, from Boston. So coming to Las Vegas is a big endeavor and fun, and it’s been great.
Doug:
What does the term community mean to you?
Trish:
I’m very lucky because we have a pretty strong, uh, local meetup. Diane Lassonde and I run the local meetup outside of Boston. We have a, um, Facebook page. It’s a pretty active group. I joined that and then Di said to me, Come on, let’s go to eBay open. I didn’t even know what an eBay Open was. Never heard of an eBay Open. But I know this will come as a shock to anyone who knows me. But when you ask me if I wanna do something, I always say, Yes, <laugh>, no matter what it’s, yes. So she said, Do you wanna go to Vegas? And I said, Yes. So we went to eBay Open, and it was the first time that I realized how big this community was and how diverse it was, and how you can make money from everything from selling a car part to selling, you know, I sell used clothing to selling a widget or to sell whatever.
Trish:
And I thought, Holy crap, look at all this. I mean, it was just awesome. And so community to me really is that kind of experience that you just get to learn and see so much. It’s just because what we do is so solitary that being able to connect with others is really huge. Yeah. So we help new sellers. We participate in all the things. So every month we’ll have a different topic or a different platform or a different topic, you know, and maybe if there’s been an update, we’ll talk about that. So it’s good. I owned a brick-and-mortar consignment store and it was an unmitigated disaster. Okay. It was a complete and utter failure. I sucked at it so badly, <laugh> that you can’t even understand how bad it was. And I couldn’t pay my rent, I couldn’t pay the electric bill.
Trish:
And I would always pay for the consignments. And I don’t know what you know about consignment, but you bring me five charts, I sell three, I give you the money for the three, and then you have the opportunity to come back and get those two. Well, most people don’t ever come back and get those two. So after so long they revert to the store. And most consignment stores then donate those. Well, I got to the point where I started selling those items to make money so that I could keep the store open. Okay. And in a very short time, those things were outpacing my store sales by a lot. And I got to the point where it made no sense to have a store anymore. So when I closed the store, I ended up with three 10 by 20-storage units full of clothing. Wow. And I thought, when I am finished with these blanking clothes, I’m never touching clothes again. I actually said to my husband, We’re moving to a nudist camp because I hate clothing. And he, you know, so, but by the end of the third storage unit, I was looking for somewhere to get clothes from because I had found processes and I had found a way to make it work. And I was doing well, and I could see that it could be successful, where I never saw that with the brick-and-mortar consignment store.
Doug:
What’s next for Super Sale Trish?
Trish:
So I am now, um, my daughter works for me full time. I have two other people who work for me part-time, and I’m just looking to grow. I wanna get bigger.
Doug:
Thank you. Super Sale Trish.
Trish:
You’re welcome. Snoop Dougie.
Doug:
Sonny Sanchez, Sonny Las Vegas. Sonny and I went really deeper than I expected. Uh, Sonny talked about not only his reselling background and where he came from, and his support system, but he talked a lot about his personal struggles with depression and anxiety after his military deployments and how his wife is his support system and has been there for him. He also talks about the importance to him of being selfless instead of selfish, what he learned and future plans he has for Sonny Las Vegas.
Sonny:
I’m here at BOSS Reseller Remix with Sonny Las Vegas. What’s up?
Doug:
How’s it going?
Sonny:
We had a lot of fun down on, uh, Fremont Street and in the Container Park.
Doug:
But you live here?
Sonny:
I do live here, yeah. It’s, uh, my new home. I moved here, uh, after being deployed or stationed in the military. Okay. For two and a half years. I ended up in Hawaii meeting my wife. Nice. And one day she was like, Where do you, we need to move. We’re not making enough. Four days later I ended up in Vegas and figured it out.
Doug:
And how long have you been here?
Sonny:
Since 2015.
Doug:
Okay. And so you don’t go to Fremont Street every night?
Sonny:
No, because I used to work security. Oh wow. So I’ve seen it all. And I hate to say seen it all because give it 10 seconds and you see something else and you’re like, Stop saying that to yourself, you know? So I stay away from trouble and I focus on reselling because I just now, uh, in about two weeks, I made full time for one year. But I’ve been reselling since 2016.
Doug:
That’s amazing. Congratulations. Thank you. And so, what, what do you sell?
Sonny:
I started in apparel, but after meeting Dani, The Niche Lady, we became really good friends. Uh, her and Tiffany Thrifting Vegas, I’ve been getting into hard goods. Okay. And it’s a lot smaller, but they’re breakable compared to a t-shirt. You can’t break it. That’s fine. So, um, I’m learning and I want to grow and I want my success to carry over to get my wife to do what she wants. Okay. And she loves her job, but I know she could do much more. And she talks about it and she’s always been my motivation. Plus she scares me.
Doug:
<laugh>. Yeah, I know what you’re saying. But that, I mean, that’s, it’s awesome to be your own boss.
Sonny:
It is. It’s, uh, for me, I’ve struggled a lot after the military, especially to deployments, depression, uh, anxiety, even being in crowds. So it’s a good way for me now that I’ve come here and before I couldn’t go into crowds. I would run from it. Wow. My chest was gonna blow up. I thought I was gonna lose it, and I just wanted to go home in my little shell and get away. And now I’m able to just be out here and share my hardships and say, Hey, I want you to struggle less. You know, just pay attention to what I’m doing and I hope it could help you. And if not, find somebody that does. And that’s part of networking for me. It’s not just taking from people. It’s creating a community and building off of it. And hopefully, you could assist other people as well.
Doug:
And, and that’s interesting that you say that because I’ve seen you, you know, we’ve been here three, four days and I’ve, we’ve bumped into each other a bunch and you’re always smiling, which is great, but you never know what’s going on inside people’s heads or what they’re dealing with. And a lot of, uh, sellers have talked about having anxiety and depression.
Sonny:
That’s also a thing I think about in the military. I used to be an equal opportunity leader. So it’s never, I’ve never been a selfish person. I’ve always been selfless. So when people train me to do certain things, I put myself in other people’s shoes. Like return requests. You know, when Covid hit immediately I thought, people are gonna want the money back and they might get fired. How did they get their money back? You know, that they don’t have, I went on eBay, I need my return back. Yeah, fine. I immediately stopped listening as much because I didn’t want people investing in things they didn’t need right now. You know, So any return requests I just thought about, I don’t want them to struggle. I have a job and some people don’t have jobs and have lost their jobs completely. So accept that, Hey, keep it a refund. I could afford to do that. And that’s another thing with reselling is not just reselling, it’s saving, you know, it’s fine selling stuff, but what are you doing on a side for yourself if something happens? Like a return request. You know?
Doug:
Well that’s awesome. That’s amazing. Um, so what, uh, attracted you to come to BOSS Reseller remix?
Sonny:
I missed it last year. Okay. Uh, about three or four days. And I, I was working full-time and the hours I was working, I probably only had 30 minutes before my shift to go to, uh, Goodwill before it would, um, my shift would start. So it’s about a mile down the road and I got 30 minutes and I’m hoping there’s not a long line <laugh>. And, um, I’ll do 30 minutes of that. And I was probably making around. And then I’ll get home to list the stuff at night, trying to make the best lighting, which is not the best cuz there’s no natural light. Sure. Um, so I, I was making around, I think the highest I got was like 10,000 in cells in three months. Okay. And I said if I could do 30 minutes of thrifting and make this much, imagine if I went full time.
Sonny:
Yeah. So I told my wife and she said, Well if you could make this much, try making this much for six months and we’ll see how you do and maybe I’ll let you go full time <laugh>. So I did it, I did it for six months and I doubled it and she said, Well if you could make that, give it another year and do that. So I did that and I’m like, I could do this full time. She said, Well if you do that. And I was like, Babe, are you ever gonna stop doing this? Like I, and it’s good because she’s pushed, she’s a hard worker and she’s pushed me to not just, Oh, you got a big sell and you give up everything else. And she’s more of the security part and I’m more of the free spirit because of how I’ve come along in my own life where I just, I just wanna spend, have fun and I want other people to have fun, and not struggle, but she’s put me in place to see the future of like, what
Doug:
Well, it’s good to have that balance though.
Sonny:
Yeah. We are definitely Yin and Yang. She’s amazing. She’s been my rock, my anchor. She’s been to wings holding me up and when she struggles, I don’t even bother to think of like, why are you acting this way? I just think you were there for me when I didn’t want to be there for myself. And you know, if she’s earned it and she has my complete respect, I trust her. You know? With anything.
Doug:
What are a couple of things you’ve learned this week? What stood out?
Sonny:
One of the biggest things for me right now is getting organized. And I know the process of what people here have, have done just by a simple thing of being organized. It may not be simple for some people, but don’t let it take over you to where it’s keeping you from a smoother process. And I think that’s one of my little hurdles. By January, I’m gonna focus on just listing the stuff that I have. Okay. But networking, I feel like I’m on the right path, but I have a lot to learn and I think what the numbers that I’m hearing people say that they’ve had and the success that makes me excited. I don’t hate on it because even on YouTube, the big subscribers and accounts, if they could get there, then I got a lot to grow, which it’s an opportunity for myself. I don’t look at it as why do you have this? And I don’t. I look at it as like, I could do that too, but I have to do that myself. And that’s what I like about reselling. You are your own boss. If you wanna make a lot of money and you want your happiness, you gotta work for it. The more you want, the more you gotta work for it. And then maintain. Once you get there. Maintaining the best part.
Doug:
Kind of touched on this, but what’s next for your business?
Sonny:
I want to get into merchandise and, uh, I want to start moving into the content. Creating, uh, balancing it out. I don’t think I would ever, I told my wife tand his, she said, What if you won the lottery? And I said, Well, I’m gonna pay off all the bills. I was like, And you do you I was like, but for me, if I won, I don’t see myself not reselling. Yeah. And I wish when I was in the military traveling, I wish I knew about reselling cause I would be traveling the world looking for treasures. You know, like, I don’t know what, you know, until you do. But I just want to grow, I want to help build a community as well. On Thursdays I do lives and I try to bring people in and um, this is part of why I’m here. It’s, uh, something that I believe in. Getting to know people, saying hello, spotting somebody, somebody who’s a little shy cuz I’ve been there. And you, you just try to make ’em feel comfortable and, and just get to know one another goes a long way.
Doug:
Anything to add?
Sonny:
I think the only thing to add is to yourself. Uh, Jimmy Old School flips, he’s a really good friend. He’s staying with me. Nice. And he said, you know, uh, there’s some people, they had these, uh, they’re they’re big and I don’t know if you know, like, I don’t wanna bother ’em. And I said, Jimmy, you’re in your head too much. Yeah. Now think about this. If you don’t go say hello to this person, you could be taking away something that’s valuable to them. Yeah. You’re taking away, you’re preventing them from being friends with you and getting to know ’em. And he’s like, Sonny, what are you always gonna be? Right. <laugh>. And I said, I’m only right when my wife’s not here. Cause then if she’s here, I’m always wrong. That’s right. There you go. Just opportunities. You know, these little things are not always about numbers, it’s friendships and making, just just being family. Yeah. And that’s a big thing. I think it’s not just networking. It really is a family.
Doug:
All right. Well thanks, man. I appreciate it.
Sonny:
You’re very welcome.
Doug:
Thanks everybody for listening to our BOSS Reseller 2022 attendees focus episode. This is episode 45 of the Seller Community Podcast From List Perfectly, thanks for listening in on my chats with Melanie, Starr, Amy and Stewart White, Robin and Joe Lett, Molly and Libby from Consignment Chats, Gina, Trish, and Sonny. We’ll see you next time. See you next week for that deeper dive, our full recap of the Boss Reseller Remix with Clara, Trish, Theresa, and myself. You never know what you might hear about…