Stash Destashing
Last week I had a chance at long last to visit NCPat’s delightful new blog, Stash Destashing. It’s such a great idea and wonderful resource that I wanted to learn more about it and share it with all of you.
Here’s an interview with Pat, so we can all learn about it
1. What gave you the idea to do this as a blog? It’s so great, I feel as if there is so much more information there.
There is a group of us that stitch together almost every weekend. We were talking one day about cleaning out our stashes and decided that our relatives should not have to try to figure out what to do with it. We always redistribute when we can amongst ourselves, but everyone still always has things they no longer want. EBay charges fees and you have to do the listing including photos, and since I already write my stitching blog, it dawned on me I could do the same thing without fees for us.
2. How do I let you know if I want to buy something?
At the top of the blog, I have a note that explains what I am doing. If a person is interested in an item, they email me with the item number and mailing choice. i.e., snail mail, priority mail, or UPS. The item number is very important as that is how I know what is whose. I remove the item from the blog listing at this point. I then go online and get that cost to send the item and send them back a note to let them know a total for their “shopping”.
I go by a UPS and Post Office every day for my job, so I am not inconvienced in doing the sending as well.
3. Is it just your stuff or is other people’s stuff there?
LOL! No, it is not all mine — it is temporarily, but I have quite the pile of goodies to photograph, type a description, and then list. Each person has to put the pricing information on the items so I don’t have extra time researching items. I feel that the picture is the best description. Also, some of us are not “twenty-one” and have purchased books, patterns, kits at sale prices etc. We are not trying to get rich, but to re-distribute our stash to those that will utilize it. I am trying to do it in batches of around twenty items at a time. Hopefully, before it avalanches on me! It will take me a while to get through what I have to list. When I get ready to upload another batch, the blog will only be down for a little while. People can subscribe to one of the feeds available to keep an eye out for updates. I post a note on the Needlepoint Etc and Cyberstitchers Garage sale Yahoo groups to let people know when I update. There will probably be another soon.
4.How do I get my stuff listed?
Right now, I am just doing this for our little group. It already takes up a great deal of space in the office, but DH is pretty patient with my “mess” so far.
5. Anything else about it you want people to know?
I guess that would have to be that I work full time, and am trying to be responsive, so I asked for the email requests so I would have time/date information in case two people want the same thing, it would first come, first served. I am trying to make sure we are reasonable in our pricing, and will not hesitate to take reasonable offers to each of the owners. Since this is the first batch of items , I am pleased with the responses so far, and hope that everyone finds their “I was looking for that!”
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great idea! I’m looking forward to reading the blog. I would love to trade and share not just threads but yarns, supplies, books, etc.