Happy Monday! Or is it Sunday?! This shelter at home deal has got me all off schedule! I’m sure I’m not the only one, so I guess I feel better knowing I’m not alone. It’s been hard switching gears back to stay-at-home mom, with the kiddos out of school. They do their homework and mostly hide in their rooms. I do drag them out for fresh air and make them do yard work. I stay busy cleaning out every closet, purging toys, and filling 8 bags of stuffed animals. The pantry is organized and every piece of clothing and linens have been washed and folded and some are off to donate. My garage looks less like a dumping ground of random items and is now a storage unit for my supplies and my car.
I am running out of ways to organize my house. I may have to move to my parents’ house to organize their lives!
Ok, that’s not happening, they have their own system that seems to work for them. Who am I to judge? Maybe some of you have taken the time to go through old clothes, linens, or garage randomness. It’s really a good feeling to purge and donate to help others.
But you didn’t come here to hear about my isolation, we have business to deal with!
First, I want thank all my amazing shoppers and clients who made our first year in business quite a success! March 29th was the date of our very first sale. Many of you may not remember, as you came along throughout the year, but it was the start of a very special business. We did 17 sales in our first year, and I was just hoping for 3! I didn’t know what to expect actually, but as the sales kept coming, I knew I found my passion. I do have to give some credit to my father, Tom Bassett. His connection with the community and his vast knowledge of antiques and collectibles brought many of my clients. Word spreads, shoppers come, and the excitement grows. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Speaking of the future…we are on hold as we stay home during this unprecedented time. I have two sales holding tight and waiting for the green light. I’m just itching to get moving! We’re working on lining up a few more sales, but again, with the present situation, we can’t solidify any dates. So I’m not going to tease you with timing, but once we’re ready you’ll know it.
We have been looking back at our first year and realized that our business primarily came from estate sales. We did offer the service of “Downsizing”, but didn’t get many calls. Honestly, I wouldn’t have had the time! Therefore, we are not going to be offering that service so we can focus solely on estate sales. I have had the best time of my life setting up sales, helping my clients, and connecting with all my shoppers, I just see estate sales as the sole purpose of my business. Some clients will reach out to me and have items they need to sell, whether it’s from a family member that has passed away or they have moved to a smaller space and couldn’t take everything with them. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough to hold a sale. So what do they do? We offer an “Estate Sale Add-On” service to help these clients. The items can be moved to a future sale that has room. We will have the information added to our website to outline the details for future clients. Those clients that have the estate sale for these add-ons are always aware of the possibility to have extra items added to their sale and it is solely with their permission. We’re just excited to be able to help all our clients. Big sale or not, we’re going to get the job done.
As I mentioned, our first sale was at the end of March last year, and we didn’t hold our next sale until August. Then we didn’t stop the rest of the year. I see a pattern forming here…I do hope (honestly I expect) sales to resume before August, but I know once we get back to business it will not stop. I just can’t wait to see all my regular shoppers again and meet many more. I really miss you all!
Take care of yourselves, wash your hands, keep your distance, and follow the guidelines. That way we can get back to walking through estate sales and finding those special treasures!
