Sometimes the most innovative ideas are also the simplest, or the most overlooked. That’s what Ben Weissenstein latched onto in his idea to begin a business that took advantage of an ordinary neighborhood phenomenon – the garage sale. When he was just 14, Ben was helping his mom get ready for a garage sale, and he thought about how this could be expanded into a bigger business. Five years later, Grand Slam Garage Sales is the result of much hard labor on the part of Ben and a few of his hand-chosen friends.
The Business
Other services provided by GSGS include actual service to set up garage sales and clean up afterwards, as well as a business kit that the company sells to people who want to start their own local garage sale businesses. Ben and his team have considered selling franchises to the business since they are a licensed LLC company, but after considering logistics, they decided that selling the business kits would be a more efficient way of expansion.Today, Grand Slam Garage Sale (GSGS) offers several game-changing services for how to revamp the garage-sale industry. For twenty dollars, anyone can have their garage sale listed on an online database so that people can find them when looking for local garage sales to attend. GSGS also keeps an email list of people who sign up to be notified of new garages sales in their area.
Mission
Ben’s website states a simple goal: “Help lots of people throughout the country who want to clean up the clutter around their homes while making a little extra money at the same time.” An average GSGS-hosted garage sale makes over $800 in the few hours that it functions. It truly does allow busy people to make some money while also engaging the problem that many people have of overabundance of things that add disorganization to everyday life.
Grand Slam Garage Sales has been featured on Dr. Phil, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Ben is an example of a millennial entrepreneur who looked at his available resources and created a business idea out of a common neighborhood practice.
Sounds to me like a fantastic idea! Personally I can’t stand those “GARAGE SALE” signs that people stick in the ground all over the place. The website advertisement option is so nice–not to mention the set and clean-up service.
I think this business is very innovative. I know that garage sales can be such a pain to set and clean up. You would definitely have to target the right kind of community to make this business work. It’s cool that he started the business at such a young age and is still doing well.
I think that the most inviting aspect of this company for me would be that they provide more than a sign. They provide clean up and set up services. Those stresses on a garage sale day could be eliminated by hiring this company. I would use a company like this for a garage sale so that I could spend my time looking for more things to get rid of and sell, rather than figure out where things should be placed on a table.
this is such an interesting take on such a simple thing! i know for a fact that when my family has garage sales it is very stressful and we dont really know where to begin, so it would definitely help to have some guidance and some professional people there to help you. the fact that the kits arent super expensive keep along with the garage sale feel, not being excessive.