Imperfect Merchandise

There were a number of items listed on the October 7th meeting agenda that centered upon an expansion of the “goods and services” that SEEC provides for members.  Two of those items focused on clothing, including gloves, caps, coats, and winter clothes.

An idea dawned on me- does anyone know what a textiles manufacturer does with imperfect or defective clothing merchandise?  I know I’ve seen some imperfect clothing for sale at discounted prices in stores, but do any manufacturers donate to charities?

Comments welcome.

Makin’ money off junk

Two thoughts recently passed my mind that, when merged together, create an awesome opportunity.  The first thought involves craigslist.com and the second involves space at the SEEC office.

It dawned on me that there are lots of items on craigslist that people are GIVING away (read: free).  These free giveaways range from furniture and electronics to books and games.  Some are in need of repair whereas others are in good condition.  My thought is that what if we could pick up these pieces and use them.  I see a couple of “uses”.  For those that are broken, if we had the expertise, we could teach the laborers how to fix them.  Then, we could either stop there, content that someone has picked up a new skill or has kept from a state of idlehood.  Or, we could sell the fixed-up piece to raise money.

The keys to this puzzle involve 1) the availability of transportation to pick up these items (especiallyy those items such as furniture that could potentially be large); 2) the availability of space to store and work on items (I seem to recall that the SEEC office has extra space out in back); 3) the expertise and will to instruct others how to fix up items; 4) a market for the finished items (perhaps a website for online sale, a flea market).

:Let me know yout thoughts.