Garage sales can be a great way to get rid of unwanted possessions that one has accumulated over the years, but they take much time and preparation and can be less than profitable. This was an issue that young entrepreneur Ben Weissenstein looked to solve. In 2004, in Houston, Texas, while just in high school, Ben began what would come to be known as Grand Slam Garage Sales.
Starting out with a brief run as Matt and Ben’s Garage Sale Relief, the company provided the service of running garage sales for other people. In 2006, the company was restarted. Over several years and a couple name changes, Grand Slam Garage Sales eventually added two store locations to sell items. This however proved to require more upkeep and was not as profitable for the company as had originally been anticipated. So again, Grand Slam Garage Sales shifted their vision to online resale.
Grand Slam Garage Sales offers several packages to customer who wish to get rid of no longer needed possessions. The company will come to your house, catalog your items you wish to sell, and then sell them via internet sites. They create a hassle free way for the customer to find relief from unwanted possessions. They allow customers to exchange their items for a little extra cash without the long toil of the traditional garage sale.
Ben Weissenstein’s Grand Slam Garage Sales is a great example of innovation and pivoting. The company displayed innovation by coming up with a new way for people to sell unwanted items than the typical garage sale allowed. Pivoting was also put on display as the company changed directions several times, going from running other people’s garage sales, to having a store, to online resale. When they came to something that didn’t work they changed direction, keeping the company evolving and up to date in an ever changing world.
To read more about Grand Slam Garage Sales follow the link bellow.
This story is a great example of hard work and dedication, something that all entrepreneurs need to have. These two young entrepreneurs didn’t always know what was best for their company or if they had made the right choice, but they kept on trying. A great read and an inspiration, thanks for sharing!
This post makes me think of Spring cleaning. Every year our town has what is called “junk day”, everyone is allowed to haul all of their old junk and trash to the curb and the next day the trash would be picked up and taken for no extra charge. Almost every year, my family and many other people in town tend to just throw out everything because they don’t have the time to organize a garage sale. This idea is really good but I also think that selling the items through various websites is too costly since most ecommerce sites charge fees on each item sold. I think if they sold the goods on their own website that would be cheaper for both the client and Grand Slam Garage Sale. Not sure if that is plausible, just a thought.
It was very interesting to read about how this company transformed as it grew and learned more about how to be most efficient in this unique industry. Recognizing needed changes and pivoting accordingly is an attribute to be admired!
This is a very neat company. Our neighborhood doesn’t have garage sales so for our family this company would be a perfect fit. I also like Turners thought on possibly creating a website to make it cheaper for both parties but I still think its a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
This is a great example of taking a commonplace occurrence (garage sales) and turning it around to find a new place for it in the market. Most often, young entrepreneurs want to dream of new and exciting ventures and miss out on the opportunities right in front of their faces. Ben was able to take something common and flip it to fit today’s on-line marketplace. Thanks for sharing, Olivia.