Anyone can come into the Iola Senior Center Thrift store and scavenge through the large collection of coffee mugs and find one for just 25 cents.
But what would you be willing to pay for just the right mug, the one with a clever saying that’s “just so you”?
Posted in an online auction, that perfect coffee mug might sell for 10 times as much: $2.50 or more.
Dimity Lowell has seen it happen. She’s a volunteer and board member for the thrift store, where she’s been running an online auction on social media for about three months now.
Once, an M&M-themed coffee mug that featured a green M&M candy character sold for $4. Most mugs are sold for $2 or $2.50 online; in the store, those same mugs might sit unclaimed for months.
The thrift store began its online auctions as a way to reach more community members and raise more money to donate to other local charitable organizations, Lowell explained.
“We’re trying a few new things to try to help the community,” she said.
Since the auctions began, they’ve collected an average of $200 per week. That’s often more profit than the store makes in a typical week from walk-in sales.
The thrift store remains open for walk-in sales, with a second building that offers more space for shopping.
“We started getting nicer things — sometimes we get really nice things – and wondered how we can get this out to a wider audience in the community,” she said.
The auction began about three months ago, after thrift store volunteers attempted to offer a live auction as a fundraiser. The event didn’t attract much attention, so Lowell considered alternative ways to sell the merchandise. She created a Facebook page that now has 973 members.
Lowell and other volunteers sort through donated items at the thrift store each week. Whenever they see something that looks like a good prospect for auction, they set it aside, take photos and post it online.
Any member can bid on the item in the comments section until 11:59 a.m. the following Saturday. Then, the high bidder is notified of their auction win. They can stop by the thrift store during its regular business hours to pay and pick up the product, or can call to make arrangements.
Lowell will agree to limited delivery within the Iola area. She will consider shipping an item to someone outside the area but has not yet done so.
Auction results can be unpredictable and surprising. Lowell said she’s seen items sell for much higher than expected, while other results were disappointing. Typically, sports memorabilia such as Chiefs items sell well.
