First Stop
Do you have a donation chair? You know the one--it's typically covered with last year's trends that either didn't fit or just weren't a good idea in the first place. Maybe it's a box for you, one filled with odds and ends that you just can't find a good use for and Marie Kondo says they have to go. Have you ever wondered what happened to those things after they hit 'the pile'? We asked the Assistance League of Kansas City to show of the timeline of a donation to their ReSale Shop, located at 6601 N. Oak Trafficway in Gladstone.
Donations to the ReSale Shop are processed and merchandised onto the selling floor. Their inventory changes at least once every 90 days, so there's always something new to find. Proceeds from the shop benefit any one of the ten programs that the Assistance League supports including Operation School Bell, Operation Hug, Best Foot Forward, Senior Outreach Services, and the Assault Survivor Kit, among others.
Once a donation is dropped off at the ReSale Shop, a buzzer rings and a small army of volunteers springs into action.
What they accept
- Clothing: men's, women's, children's, jewelry and accessories
- Housewares: dishes, home decor, kitchenware, linens,
- Toys, both vintage and modern
- Holiday: Decorations, apparel, ephemera
- Furniture, lamps, collectibles, art, and books
Second Stop
Although the ReSale Shop functions the same way that any thrift store does, they take particular care with the items. Everything is inspected in a different department and checked for breakage, tears in clothing, stains, etc. If items are in good condition but dirty, one of the volunteers will take it home and launder the item. Clean items are steamed or wiped down with cleaner before going to pricing. Toys are tested to make sure they are in good working order. Grime doesn't last long at the ReSale Shop.
After being inspected and cleaned, items are priced and moved to a staging area while they await their turn on the floor. A color coding system allows workers to keep track of how long an item has been in-store. After 90 days, if an item hasn't sold, it is added to 'fill a bag' promotions to refresh the inventory.
Who They Benefit
- Operation Schoolbell
- Operation Hug
- Operation Celebration
- Senior Outreach Service
- Outreach
- Best Foot Forward
- I'm In Charge
- Scholarships
- Waste Not
- Operation Child In Need
- Assault Survivor Kit
Final Stop
It's showtime! Instead of haphazardly placing all items on shelves, items are merchandised into appealing displays. Many of the volunteers that come to work at the ReSale Shop have years of experience in retail and merchandising at higher level stores such as Hall's. This attention to detail shows as displays are arranged. Clothing is displayed on mannequins and dishes arrayed to catch the eye.
Once an item has caught the shopper's eye, it makes its way to the cash register, once again, run by a volunteer. The ReSale Shop and the Assistance League is entirely staffed by volunteers.
If items are in good condition but dirty, one of the volunteers will take it home and launder the item. Clean items are steamed or wiped down with cleaner before going to pricing. Toys are tested to make sure they are in good working order. Grime doesn't last long at the ReSale Shop.