Admission Shopping: A Cash and Carry Option

If you haven’t heard the term “admission shopping,” you’re not alone. It’s a newly minted concept in thrifting, invented by North Carolina entrepreneur Bill Guyther. Guyther has always had a marketing mindset and has used that entrepreneurial spirit to open and run several businesses. His latest efforts center on estate cleanouts, reselling, and helping others downsize and get rid of what he calls “un-wantables.”

Guyther talked to WorthPoint about his new business model, how he arrived at the concept, and what he thinks it provides for buyers, resellers, and anyone who likes the “thrill of the hunt.”

How It Began

WorthPoint: Thank you for talking with us. Can you give us a little history of your business and how it came about?

Bill Guyther: You’re welcome; I love telling people about the concept of admission shopping. I coined the term and went so far as to trademark it with the US Patent Office. I started the business out of need, not greed. Several years ago, my mother-in-law moved in with us, so we had to get rid of some of her furniture and other items. We donated most of it, but we still had to pay someone to dump some unwanted items. I’m passionate about keeping used items out of the landfill; it was just a shame.

How Does It Work?

WP: Can you give us the basics of how it works? Locations, protocols, etc?

BG: We are only open 2-3 days per week for three hours a day. It creates a sense of urgency, and people sometimes travel long distances to a warehouse. We have three locations and are always looking for more. We divide our warehouse merchandise into Free, Premium, and Admission. Each person who comes into the warehouse pays $20 for their admission, which means they can take as much as they can carry for the same $20 price of admission. We sometimes help customers with larger items, like couches or furniture from our premium area, but most are cash and carry. Our goals are pretty simple: we want to keep good, usable items out of the landfill, we want customers who need items to be able to access them affordably, we want to move as much merchandise as possible out of the warehouse, and we want to pay our bills and make a little money.

We encourage customers to bring friends, but we do not allow anyone under 16 in the warehouse for safety reasons. People leave with all kinds of items; we never know when something one person didn’t want will be just the thing someone else is looking to have. We also create buzz on social media. We might tease out a few items we will have that day, and then we love to show off the hauls that some of our shoppers walk out with and the clever ways they carry their merchandise. Our rules are right up front on our website, and everyone who comes to shop gets a quick course at the door on how it works. I like to educate our visitors because this way of shopping isn’t like most thrift stores or antique malls; it’s a whole new concept. We have gotten some press about the business and love talking about it and getting the word out.

What is a Mystery Box?

WP: You use another term, “Mystery Box Warehouse.” Can you tell our readers about that?

BG: Well, unlike a regular store, we don’t always have the same inventory. It’s one of the first things we tell our customers at the door, “This ain’t Walmart, you didn’t come here for that.” One day, we could have dishes and artwork; another day, we could have an entire area of couches, chairs, and tables. There are stores that sell returned items, sometimes from Amazon distribution centers or Walmarts. Buyers don’t get to pick and choose in those stores; the boxes are a mystery. We put our merchandise out to see, but our customers love a good hunt and will dig through piles to find their treasures, so that element of surprise is still there. Our whole store is one big mystery box.

WP: Where do you source your inventory?

BG: I do estate cleanouts and often go to estate and yard sales. I never know what I am going to find, and it’s the same for our customers. They might show up looking for a new kitchen table or some pots and pans and walk out with a computer, a television, and some bookcases. It’s that way on both ends of the business: the items I am trying to source and what our customers want.

WP: Have you ever found something valuable or collectible, and how did you handle pricing?

BG: We will sometimes have individual pricing for some items in our premium area, and anything we find that is a higher-end item goes in our premium area. We try to sort the items, but we can’t check them all. Customers like picking over the merchandise and opening up purses or drawers to see if there are any surprises, and we like to see that.

Advice for Admission Shoppers

WP: Do you have any advice for potential customers regarding what to expect at your store? What about resellers? What would you tell them?

BG: Well, we’re very straightforward about the rules, but beyond that, the customers have to have an open mind because they could come across just about anything during one of our shops. For resellers, they usually know what they are looking for and what they can flip. With the flat rate admission price, the potential for profit for resellers is good. We put everything we suggest or want our customers to know about on social media. We use it to connect to the community, drive interest in warehouse sales, and let people know what we do and how we do it. The best advice I have is to come see for yourself.

The Mystery Box Store Facebook page for the flagship store in Gastonia can be found here. Have you been shopping at any of the locations?

The WorthPoint Price Guide has over 880 million items, with new additions added every day. The Price Guide serves as a great resource to determine the value of your finds. To see WorthPoint CEO Will Seippel go through the treasures in his warehouse, check out these episodes of “Will in the Warehouse.”

Brenda Kelley Kim lives in the Boston area. She is the author of Sink or Swim: Tales From the Deep End of Everywhere and writes a weekly syndicated column for The Marblehead Weekly News/Essex Media Group. When not writing or walking her snorty pug, Penny, she enjoys yard sales, flea markets, and badminton.

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