One thing we all like is getting stuff. The problem comes when all of that stuff starts piling up to the point where you don't know what to do with it. Another problem comes when inheriting the property of a dearly departed loved one.
What does one do when looking to rid themselves of some things. This week, we're going to look at three options.
Use a southern touch
One popular option to get rid of a lot of things fast while making some money is estate sales. Estate sales can be held for the dead or living when the desire is to clear out things quickly.
Shanna Caldwell of Southern Touch Estate Sales is an expert when it comes to this option and is ready to, as she says, "find your family treasures a new home with a 'Southern Touch.'"
Shanna started her business three and a half years ago but she's been selling antiques and vintage items for over 25 years. The Warren County native who grew up in Rock Island saw a local need for estate sales and turned it into a full-time business.
"I really enjoy helping families transition. Not only do I do estate sales where someone is deceased but we also do living estate sales to help people transition in life. It's hard for families to know where to turn and a lot of real estate companies won't just do an estate sale without selling the property. And sometimes people aren't ready to get rid of their house, so I can get rid of the stuff for them," Shanna said.
Shanna gets the word out about her sales through social media and through the Southern Standard and has been pleased with her results.
"Local people really support me. It's been a blessing. I not only do Warren County but I've done sales in Coffee and Van Buren counties."
Shanna is assisted by Tootie King and she sometimes hires extra help. To contact Southern Touch Estate Sales, call (931) 235-0377.
Turn to the Shoppe
If you're not ready to go the estate sale route, or if you have and have some items left over, thrift stores are an excellent place to turn. Thrift stores are an excellent place to dispose of things that you may no longer have use for but still are in good shape for someone else. It's also a way to not only help someone else get further life out of your items at a bargain, but the proceeds from the sale can help the organizations running the thrift store.
Homeless of McMinnville Effort (HOME) has recently opened its own thrift shop called, simply enough, The Shoppe. Located at 605 Beersheba Hwy, The Shoppe opened this weekend.
HOME is devoted to supporting the homeless and unsheltered. The group helps in any way they can, providing tents, blankets, food as well as offering lodging at The Haven, a shelter for women and children at 121 Bybee Branch Rd. HOME also has Prosperity Point, a community of tiny homes on Sunset Point.
By opening the store, HOME hopes to supplement monetary donations the group receives with a more steady source of funds which will be used in the group's efforts. Nancy McNeal, secretary of the HOME board, is excited about what The Shoppe will allow the group to do.
"In order to generate funds, we had talked for several months about the possibility of opening a thrift store. Sheila Fann, Connie Fox, Bill Davis and I are on the board and we all agreed this was the time to do it. We let people know about our plans and then the donations really started coming in," Nancy said.
The group and the building's owners did a lot of work on the property to get it ready. The Shoppe offers clothing in good condition, home goods, dishes, small appliances, shoes, decorative items, furniture, art and many other items.
HOME is composed primarily of volunteers and depends on volunteers and donors. The Shoppe will be staffed by volunteers and, after paying for rent and the electricity, 100% of the proceeds goes to HOME's efforts to help the unsheltered.
Connie Fox, co-director of HOME, said the group is hopeful the store will eventually allow them to open a men's shelter. "We definitely feel like if we could generate more funding, we would be able to help more men," Connie said.
For shoppers, the store provides a place to pick up a bargain while supporting a worthy cause. The Shoppe's hours are Wednesday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Donations of items are welcomed at The Haven at 121 Bybee Branch Rd. Monday - Saturday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
If all else fails ...
After either trying to sell or donate your unwanted items you find you still have junk you want to get rid of, it may be time to call T&Z Trailer Rental LLC.
Started by Zach Colton and Tyler Brady, the business started as solely a trailer rental business in April 2022 but the duo quickly saw a demand for using their trailers for helping people rid themselves of unwanted items and garbage.
"We first just car haulers and utility trailers, but then some people without a truck would ask us to haul things for them. After that happened a couple of times, we decided there might be something to this. We took on a huge job that lasted maybe a month over the weekends. That kind of cut our teeth on it," Zach said.
Zach told me he and Tyler are just trying to get the word out that junk removal is something they offer and the duo is trying to build a good reputation so customers can trust the job will be done right.
"When I say I'm going to be here at this time, or this is the price, I want people to know they can count on that and we won't change it on them," Zach said.
I can personally attest to my satisfaction with the job T&Z Trailer Rental did for me. In preparation for my annual Fourth of July party, I needed some help cleaning out my basement so I could accommodate everybody. I had a non-working full-size refrigerator, a big and extremely heavy wooden desk and a large amount of assorted items and boxes I was ready to get out of there.
Zach and his wife Salem Fulton came over last Saturday morning at 8 a.m. and worked till about noon on a very hot day. They did an excellent job getting everything moved out, and they even cleaned up afterwards. And they did it all for what I thought was a reasonable price. And now I can walk across my basement again without dodging junk. That's worth a lot to me.
T&Z Trailer Rental can be contacted at (931) 224-8593 or (931) 743-9079.
Until next week,
same biz day,
same biz page
I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. Thanks for reading and thanks to Ben Lomand Connect for sponsoring this page. If you have an idea for a business for me to feature, please let me know at editor@southernstandard.com. I can't promise I can always get to all of the suggestions, but I certainly appreciate all of the ideas I receive.
