Luty's Liquidation

07/19/2022

Hello! I hope you are enjoying your summer, as chaotic and crazy as things have been. I am checking in with you because you have been a big supporter of my efforts to get my economic life back in order by getting my store going. I am getting there.

My goal for 2022 is to reach $5000 in monthly sales by December. At that point I am earning a very reasonable living and can expand and grow (hiring and buying stock) entirely from current revenue, without asking anybody for any help.

(Currently I'm averaging about $1500 per month.)

I am making one last request for financial assistance. I have to put together a modest pot of cash for acquisitions above and beyond what kind folks have donated from their garage sales and suchlike.

This is the last time I am going to ask for help, because at around this point I should be paying my own bills - and I am, by the skin of my teeth. It's just that it doesn't leave that extra bit for expansion and growth.

I'm incredibly grateful for the open hands and open hearts that have received my previous requests. I'd be incredibly grateful if you can help again. A little helps a lot, and if you aren't in a position to do so, no worries at all - I'm already deep in your debt. If you can, I appreciate it and I think you will see continued progress and good results from your support.

Thank you!

Help support Luty's Liquidation by donating or sharing with your friends.

06/19/2022

This is an important roll of tape.

A few years ago I sold on Ebay. I've moved to a different platform, Mercari, but when I was selling on Ebay I bought a case of Ebay shipping tape. It's crappy tape but it was cheap, and I've had it ever since.

This is the last roll of it. All of the rest has been used on shipping from Luty's Liquidation.

I'm going to use this one up, and then buy some good tape. More on that anon.

06/03/2022

Slightly belated May sales update: $1977 for the month, up $814 from April. Infinite thanks to friends, donors, supporters, and the community at large. A big jump and an important one; at $2000 a month I'm viable as a one-man business, and at $3000 a month it becomes genuinely realistic to bring on help.

Now, bedtime :)

05/13/2022

AC woes and an editorial commitment slowed the store down a bit (but we're still ahead of last month's sales pace, yay!) but just this morning we hit a crucial milestone - I fired a customer.

This is always tricky because I am a people pleaser (shut up, you do NOT want to know how big of an ass I would be if I wasn't striving to make people happy) but this guy just veered straight into "I'm a Dick" City, population Him, and after the tenth or twentieth hostile and hugely entitled question I realized that not only had he not indicated an interest in buying anything, literally every question or statement he was making was one expressing an inability to buy something or expecting me to automatically offer to make good whatever the problem was. He wants this $20 item but has only $15, I'll have to settle for that. He can't drive, so I have to meet him. Oh, he might have a ride later today - will I be there at 9? At 11? What's my personal cell # so he can make sure? And so on.

Who needs the frustration? Come in and drop a Franklin on glass and housewares, I'll answer your questions cheerfully all day. Just starting in at 7 am with presumption, not going to work.

05/04/2022

I finally found a tool that works well enough at migrating listings from one sales platform to another. Starting the process of crossposting our Mercari listings to Facebook Marketplace. Going to take a day or two - hopefully worth it!

05/02/2022

Sales report for April 2022 -

45 sold listings on Mercari and FB marketplace. Revenue net of shipping, platform fees, and sales tax was $1139.

That doesn't look much, does it? However - this is the slowest time of year for this business, and we're really only now ramping up into having a meaningful inventory level. Plus, $1000 or so happens to be the minimum monthly income where all my basic expenses are met and there's even a bit left to put back into the business.

And it's up $350 from the month before - at the worst and most downturny time of year for resellers. The omens are good.

Long story short, we're kicking names and taking ass. I'm going to keep up the good work - I hope you guys will too! I couldn't and can't do this alone.

04/28/2022

Getting there, getting there.

04/26/2022

Profound thanks to Liz Hanke for the bags, clothes, and jewelry.

04/25/2022

The inimitable Dean St. Onge contributed these lovely volumes to the tiny-but-growing book depository here at LL. Many thanks to Dean for his generosity!

04/25/2022

For the first time, the storeroom/warehouse/inventory area is 100% organized. There's nothing in there that isn't either for sale or a shelf. 552 items in inventory right now, thanks to you good people.

04/21/2022

A shoutout to Move USA Express, my go-to mover in the Springs for the last two years. Professional, experienced, and fantastic customer service. They went out of their way to give us a good rate at the last minute for this garage gig. Small jobs or big jobs, they have the tools, the skills, and the men. Five stars, two thumbs up.

“Fast, reliable, on-demand delivery for large items bought on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and small furniture stores that don’t deliver.”