UPDATE: Here's the bear, refreshed.
Mr Furniture took my photo at work yesterday, on my request--I wanted to show how I got covered in sticky, old, plastic-pellet, stuffed-animal stuffing--can you see the little white spots all over me?
You can see my working conditions too--this is the donations area at work--note the uninsulated rafters.
I was de-stuffing this 1960s bear, which had been donated by its original owner--she was practically weeping when she handed him to me. I asked her if she was sure she wanted to give him away, but she said yes.
I put him out for $1.99, and he didn't sell within a couple weeks--the time during which a desirable item is almost sure to sell. Since he'd been entrusted to me, I couldn't throw him out, so I'll see what I can do.
First thing, get rid of the deteriorated, clumped stuffing that made him not nice to hug.
Yesterday three of my coworkers and I went on a field trip (my idea) to the new incarnation of Steeple People Thrift Store, where I used to volunteer. Its old building had been sold out from under it, and it took the opportunity to re-tool and re-fresh.
The first thing I noticed was CLEAN FLOORS.
Our store is a pit. I knew that, but seeing the contrast...
OMG.
One of our volunteers is a guy who is a flight attendant. He visits thrift stores everywhere he goes and ours, he told me, is the dirtiest.
My coworkers on the fieldtrip were blown away. One of them went back to the store and immediately redesigned our underwear section.
It had been an unsorted mix of men's and women's underwear, with socks, bras, boxer shorts, panties, even swimming suits all in one huge jumble.
And I went back and made a plea to my boss that we adopt the book-pricing system SP and most thrift stores use:
one price for paperbacks, one for hardbacks, and call it a day.
I said it would free me up to work on other things, like vintage.
As it is, I price each book individually, which is a waste of time.
Big Boss has always said he doesn't like uniform pricing, but for some reason, yesterday he said, OK, let's try it.
Then he repeated a suggestion he's made before--that I train other staff in to help me.
And I said again, I don't see WHO I could train.
Many people have told me they don't read (including Big Boss), and even that they hate to read, and I suspect some barely can read.
I truly don't see what I could train nonreaders to do that would free up much time. Also, I don't like asking people to do things they have said they don't like.
I think cutting out price tags will free up enough of my time.
Mr Furniture took my photo at work yesterday, on my request--I wanted to show how I got covered in sticky, old, plastic-pellet, stuffed-animal stuffing--can you see the little white spots all over me?
You can see my working conditions too--this is the donations area at work--note the uninsulated rafters.
I was de-stuffing this 1960s bear, which had been donated by its original owner--she was practically weeping when she handed him to me. I asked her if she was sure she wanted to give him away, but she said yes.
I put him out for $1.99, and he didn't sell within a couple weeks--the time during which a desirable item is almost sure to sell. Since he'd been entrusted to me, I couldn't throw him out, so I'll see what I can do.
First thing, get rid of the deteriorated, clumped stuffing that made him not nice to hug.
Yesterday three of my coworkers and I went on a field trip (my idea) to the new incarnation of Steeple People Thrift Store, where I used to volunteer. Its old building had been sold out from under it, and it took the opportunity to re-tool and re-fresh.
The first thing I noticed was CLEAN FLOORS.
Our store is a pit. I knew that, but seeing the contrast...
OMG.
One of our volunteers is a guy who is a flight attendant. He visits thrift stores everywhere he goes and ours, he told me, is the dirtiest.
My coworkers on the fieldtrip were blown away. One of them went back to the store and immediately redesigned our underwear section.
It had been an unsorted mix of men's and women's underwear, with socks, bras, boxer shorts, panties, even swimming suits all in one huge jumble.
And I went back and made a plea to my boss that we adopt the book-pricing system SP and most thrift stores use:
one price for paperbacks, one for hardbacks, and call it a day.
I said it would free me up to work on other things, like vintage.
As it is, I price each book individually, which is a waste of time.
Big Boss has always said he doesn't like uniform pricing, but for some reason, yesterday he said, OK, let's try it.
Then he repeated a suggestion he's made before--that I train other staff in to help me.
And I said again, I don't see WHO I could train.
Many people have told me they don't read (including Big Boss), and even that they hate to read, and I suspect some barely can read.
I truly don't see what I could train nonreaders to do that would free up much time. Also, I don't like asking people to do things they have said they don't like.
I think cutting out price tags will free up enough of my time.