Just the other day, took my polka-dot PT to the printers and brought home the 20th Anniversary edition of Too Good to be Threw, The Complete Operations Manual for Resale & Consignment Shops.
Hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since I crawled on my hands and knees across my living-room floor for months, organizing colored index cards into the first edition of my Manual. Never before had there been such a book. How to organize all that information? How to present it in a way that maybe, some folks might find helpful?
I had written operations manuals before. The most elaborate (and I never even kept a copy!) was about 90 pages for the chain of 159 junior sportswear shops that I had been Asst VP Operations for when I was 25 or 26. That opus took me months and I never even got a pat on the back for all the extra work. Which was probably one of the reasons One More Time, my consignment shop, came into being shortly thereafter: I wanted my hard work to mean something to someone.
Well, the Manual, I think, has fulfilled that yearning of mine to make my mark on the world. Or at least the continent plus lots of Europeans and Australians and even several people in Hong Kong. I have sold close to 10,000 copies of the 8 or 9 editions of TGtbT over 20 years. I like to hope that at least a few thousand of those readers went on, with the help of the Manual and my other Products for the Professional Resaler, to have rewarding careers.
And I hope that I helped, directly through my shop and indirectly through those who heeded TGtbT, many many folks to Turn their Cluttered Closets into CashTM!
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
[…] other milestones I’ve marked in this incredible industry. Oh, and I killed off a friend of my consignment shop […]
Congratulations Kate! I know your manual was a true blessing to me over the years
Congratulations Kate & THANK YOU VERY, VERY Much! Finding you and your mannual are what gave me the base knowledge and continuing education to run my shop.
When ever someone starts talking to me about wanting to run a similar business I give them your name and tell them “Start with this mannual. When you are done with that you will know if you are really ready and want to do this”. Those that come back and have bought your mannual, I will help. The rest I don’t believe are serious enough.
CONGRATULATIONS KATE! And, bless you! Without you, your generous sharing of your knowledge and your manual and products. we would never have grown and survived to last ’til out own 20th anniversary. You are the best!
WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!! C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S! I sincerely congratulate you on this awesome anniversary. You’ve touched many, including me and I’m a much better person who views things from a different perspective than I did only a minuscule 10 years back.
Here’s to the next 20 years, Kate!