So You Want to Sell Your Stuff.

Katie Surritt
May 15, 2020
3 min read

So you want to sell your stuff.

But there’s a catch: you don’t actually want to sell your stuff.

Cue: me! I can and will sell your items for you!

Before you rush out to your tack room and start filling tubs with items to rake in that cash, let me explain some things about myself first, you know, so we can be old pals before we become partners.

When I officially started A-List Tack as a service in January 2020, I wasn’t actually expecting it to take off.

Seriously.

I actually thought, “this is going to be a dud, but let’s give it a shot!” and it turns out that I was kind of wrong. When I started with my first three clients, I felt a lot of pressure. This is normal, I feel pressure to be the best and exceed expectations in everything I do. But it’s different when you begin to take on clients who depend on you and trust you.

When my inbox started filling up and my postal clerk began rolling her eyes when I carried in laundry bins of packages, I knew that maybe there was something to this side hustle of mine. So, I ordered business cards and started advertising what I do in addition to my full-time passion of teaching.

I began to really see – for the first time – that my knowledge, experience, connections, and abilities might actually help my family and others who can’t or don’t want to go through the process of selling items.

So how does this selling thing work?

It’s simple. You give me the items you want me to sell, and I handle the rest from start to finish. When your items have sold, you get a check for the money and I take a small fee for my work.

You’re probably thinking “That sounds easy! I can sell my own things!”. You’re right, it can be easy, and you can sell your own things.

But just to give you a little perspective, here’s a rough outline of how consigning one item goes:

1. Schedule a time to meet/pick-up item from client.

2. Meet client, sign contract and agree to the terms of consignment.

3. Take item home and catalog it: describe it in detail, research item if unfamiliar, price according to condition and market price (includes market research).

4. Photograph item.

5. Write and post advertisement.

6. Market item according to season, product group, target audience (buyers).

7. Answer questions, photograph, and measure for interested buyers.

8. Possibly negotiate.

9. Provide shipping quotes.

10. Exchange payment information.

11. Confirm payment.

12. Log sale of item and calculate commission rate based on price sold.

13. Make shipping label, send to buyer.

14. Package item (possibly order shipping supplies for items)

15. Schedule pick up or drop off to ship.

16. Confirm shipment with buyer.

This is for one item.

This is why people don’t want to sell their stuff.

But this…this is what I excel at. This is why I want to sell your stuff.

I am organized.

I like communication.

I love research and learning more about our industry and products.

I enjoy meeting new people.

I like processes and systems to make efficiency greater.

I like helping people. And that’s pretty much what I’m doing.

I’m helping you generate your horse show entry fees. Maybe I’m helping you make that new trailer payment. I might even help you be paying a vet bill or top off your savings for your dream home (with a pasture, barn, riding arena…you know, the works).

And that’s why I like selling your stuff. It brings me a really big sense of accomplishment and gratefulness when a client tells me the money I helped them earn made a difference in their life, or I helped them get past a difficult loss in their horse-life. It makes me proud to know I am serving my horse community – far and wide – by using my talents.

And who am I, to sell your things?

Well, I’m Katie.