Photograph courtesy of Kelly Gunn
At a time when most individuals are sitting comfortably of their careers, Kelly Gunn started a complete new enterprise at age fifty-four, impressed by desirous to spend extra time along with her household and a fascination with antiques.
Gunn by no means thought-about that she may revenue from her love of classic, however now, because the proprietor of Part-Time Pickers, she has remodeled her interest right into a thriving on-line resale enterprise.
“I’ve all the time been satisfied I used to be born within the flawed decade. For so long as I can bear in mind, I’ve been fascinated with antiques—all the time making a story in my head in regards to the journey a selected merchandise may need taken to get to me,” says Gunn. “Professionally, I had no connection, however personally, my favourite pastime was to frequent flea markets, property gross sales, and vintage shops. I by no means dreamed I’d be capable to make a dwelling within the business.”
However she did leverage that keenness, and now she shares how.
BREAKING FREE OF GOLDEN HANDCUFFS
Earlier than turning Half-Time Pickers right into a full-time resale enterprise in 2019, Gunn, a United States Air Drive veteran of Powhatan, Virginia, had spent the earlier twenty-five years within the wholesale reward business as a profitable and high-achieving gross sales and advertising and marketing government. However after her employer did some restructuring, her journey necessities jumped to 80 p.c. Along with her youngest daughter pregnant on the time with Gunn’s first granddaughter, she wished to be there for each of them—a busy schedule made that tough.
“I had these golden handcuffs that so many individuals have. I used to be depressed and depressing—and I knew I needed to take management of my scenario,” Gunn says.
Having created Half-Time Pickers just a few years earlier to promote enjoyable issues she and her husband, Kevin, periodically discovered on their weekend hunts, she was already making a bit more money via a interest she loved. She started to marvel if she may make a dwelling.
“Roughly 5 years in the past, I requested myself the all-important query: What if I devoted my experience, time, and expertise to rising Half-Time Pickers? What if I handled it like a job as an alternative of a interest?” Gunn says. “Might I probably substitute my six-figure earnings whereas on the identical time creating an surroundings for me to spend extra time with my household? The reply to the query was, I don’t know! However I used to be so sad that I used to be determined to strive.”
Photograph courtesy of Kelly Gunn
A WINNING GAME PLAN
Leaving the safety of that job, she went all in on rising her resale enterprise. Gunn was bolstered by the indispensable advertising and marketing expertise she discovered at her earlier job as a vice chairman of gross sales for a know-how firm that helps impartial retailers develop their companies utilizing social media. She knew what it took to develop a web-based enterprise. Although she says there was nonetheless so much to study, she had a strong basis to launch Half-Time Pickers full-time.
She shares that one of the vital necessary classes she discovered early on was deciding what she wished her firm to appear to be in 5 years and planning accordingly.
“Branding was important to success, so each resolution I made thought-about branding above all else,” Gunn says.
Delivering merchandise her prospects liked additionally served her nicely and created quick gross sales. However that additionally rapidly depleted her stock, which led to a pivotal a-ha second.
“I made a decision to alter the way in which I used to be sourcing. I had a psychological shift. If my job is to persistently carry my prospects thrilling classic, why am I limiting myself to sourcing in thrift shops and property gross sales? Why not faucet into the 1000’s of vintage distributors already on the market in search of superior merchandise?” Gunn recollects asking herself. “Making that shift gave me the required portions to make the cash I wanted. By the tip of 2020, I had crossed the six-figure-income threshold, so I suppose that’s the yr I thought-about it a full-time gig.”
One other efficient technique has been to give attention to constructing normal experience and never field herself into particular classes.
“I attribute a few of my success to intentionally not pigeonholing myself. I don’t need to give attention to anyone area of interest as a result of classic, like anything, has tendencies, Gunn says. “I all the time need to be ready for what’s coming. I should be referred to as the classic knowledgeable—not outlined because the Pyrex knowledgeable or the glass knowledgeable.”
CULTIVATING A COMMUNITY
Over the previous 5 years, Gunn has grown an enormous platform of devoted social media followers worldwide who’re simply as obsessed with antiques and collectibles. They’re additionally gung-ho about buying the premium classic treasures she and Kevin discover. Sharing them along with her 93K Facebook and almost 61K Instagram followers, it’s no shock that objects promote quick and livid.
“Oh my gosh—I’m so grateful! Someplace alongside the way in which, a way of urgency was created. People really really feel like they’re profitable a contest by being first to say an merchandise,” Gunn says. “With 154K followers, there are a whole lot of eyes taking a look at each submit, so I believe part of it’s basic math, but it surely’s tremendous thrilling for me each time I promote an merchandise.”
SHARING HER KNOWLEDGE
In a aggressive business the place not everyone seems to be prepared to spill commerce secrets and techniques, Gunn graciously helps others construct classic ventures.
“After I began this journey, I might’ve given something to join a category instructing me the fundamentals. As a result of that didn’t exist, I launched my very own grasp class final December, ‘How I Turned My Hobby into a Six-Figure Business.’ The 2½-hour pre-recorded class shares my suggestions, secrets and techniques, and methods for rising my profitable on-line classic enterprise,” says Gunn.
When Lisbeth Lyons Black of Washington, DC, wished to return to reselling, she researched on-line resellers with massive followings and located Gunn. After checking her profile on LinkedIn.com, Gunn’s company gross sales and advertising and marketing background for a serious retailer satisfied Black to hunt her as a mentor.
“Since beginning That Pickin’ Pixie in January of this yr, I’ve grown to over 2,600 followers on Instagram and over 2.3K on Facebook and have bought 1000’s of {dollars} of premium classic to a beautiful group of consumers from New York to California and dozens of states in between,” says Black.
She credit Gunn with serving to her keep away from pricey rookie errors in all the pieces from sourcing and advertising and marketing to achievement.
“However crucial factor I discovered from Kelly was how to not be afraid to worth and value each the premium classic that I choose and resell and my time and sunk prices so as to make a revenue,” says Black. “Kelly picks and resells high-quality objects and gives a superb buyer expertise that backs up her value factors. She’s given me the boldness to do the identical.”
Photograph courtesy of Kelly Gunn
A STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM
Gunn’s household has supported and inspired her on this journey and is actively concerned.
“My household is my motivation for all the pieces. My husband is my largest cheerleader and continuously jogs my memory that I’ve bought this. He hits the street with me on all our main picks—we journey throughout the nation—offering me with assist and muscle!” Gunn says.
She and Kevin are a profitable group and have a knack for selecting. They have been solid in Discovery Channel’s aggressive selecting present Picked Off in 2011. 4 years later, they have been referred to as on once more to compete in HGTV’s Endless Yard Sale Showdown in 2015.
Gunn additionally notes that her daughter, Taylor, a gifted seamstress, has sewn Pyrex equipment for her prospects. Her different daughter, Sydney, focuses on sourcing and can often hit the selecting path along with her. Even her granddaughters take part.
“My four-year-old granddaughter Lucy can spot Pyrex throughout a retailer, and one-year-old Lola might be following in her footsteps quickly,” she says.
What’s subsequent for her? These tv appearances planted a seed:
“I knew then that I wished to be the ‘knowledgeable,’” says Gunn. “That’s my subsequent aim … I need to be a classic knowledgeable on a tv present!”
Adina Ok. Francis has been a author and editor within the antiques and collectibles discipline for greater than 20 years. She has a little bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that canine are one in all life’s biggest items.
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