Paige is a woman who had a flash of inspiration and enough motivation to actually follow through. Not long ago, she was struck by the thought that she could create a web site where people who had closets full of out-grown children's clothing could trade with people who could use the items. It's a cashless transaction, the "sellers" get points to go off and "purchase" someone else's goods. What could be better in our current economic fix? Since Paige has spent months turning her idea into reality, I thought her story might inspire all of you to take a second look at your own dreams.
AWB: Hi Paige, just how did you come up with this idea?
Paige: I overheard a friend asking around at my daughter's lacrosse game if she could borrow a boy's blazer for 2 hours for her son's First Communion the following month. I thought about all the dress clothes my kids had but didn't wear anymore...because they had outgrown them or didn't want to wear the same dress again (!!)...yet were in perfect condition. I have always been one to "gift" our outgrown dress clothes to friends, but the age differences makes that difficult. Having an online trading community where I could share our clothes while being able to outfit my kids in something new-ish seemed like a good idea.
AWB: How much online experience did you have when you started?
Paige: None...absolutely none!! After sharing the idea with a few friends...who agreed that it was a viable idea... I moved forward.
AWB: How did you go about finding someone to build a site for you?
Paige: I am extremely fortunate to have met the woman who designed the websites for our local high school and middle school at a PTA meeting. She and I had similar ideas about how this should look. The side of a website that users don't see is a crazy complicated mechanism. Her sites are user friendly...easy to navigate and understand.
AWB: What obstacles have you faced and how have you overcome them?
Paige: The first obstacle I had to deal with was how much seed money this was going to take. I am in no way a gambler and spending this amount of money was hard for me to even imagine spending. My wonderful husband said that he looked at this as an investment. I pointed out to him that it really was a huge gamble he stated that he would bet on me anytime.
Next, I had to learn about starting a business in Maryland. It is not as simple as thinking up a name and creating letterhead on the computer! With the right guidance, it wasn't as hard as I had envisioned.
Right now I am learning that I can bring people in to look at and become a member of the site, but getting those members to upload items is proving to be more challenging.
AWB: To clarify the concept, can you walk me through a swap? Let's say my son needs dress shoes for a family event, how do I find them on PriorAttire?
Paige: Here's an example of how this works:
For a Buyer:
You need size 11 boys/men's shoes (25 Trading Points)
Browse the inventory and find the shoes.
Click “initiate trade.” This will send an email request to the seller.
The seller accepts your request and mails you the shoes.
25 Trading Points and 1 Swap Credit ($1.50) are deducted from your account.
The total cost to you is $1.50, the cost of a Swap Credit.
If you need to purchase Trading Points, you can for $0.25 per Trading Point.
When you have received the shoes, complete the transaction by providing feedback about your experience and you will be gifted Trading Points.
For a seller:
You have some size 11 boys/men's shoes that your child wore once and has now outgrown.
Take a picture or two of the shoes, and add them to your Prior Attire “closet.”
Remember to mark the item as “Active” so that it shows up when people browse our inventory.
When a potential buyer wants your shoes, you will receive an email request. You can accept or reject the trade. If you accept the trade, you agree to mail the shoes to the buyer (at your expense) within the time frame specified.
When the buyer receives the shoes, you are credited with the Trading Points for the trade. If the buyer leaves positive feedback about the trade, you are gifted with additional Trading Points.
AWB: What are your hopes for the future of PriorAttire?
Paige: I hope that PA can ease the burden of families from having to purchase new dress clothing that will only be worn once or twice. In this economic environment it will be a relief to know that there are a few less things to have to purchase. A side benefit is that their closets won't need to be filled with outgrown clothing! I hope that in a year, checking the PA closets will become a habit. That when your kids need a special outfit to wear to a family celebration you have a dependable place to find what they need.
You can visit PriorAttire by clicking here. Since this is a brand new venture, Paige could use some help filling PriorAttire.com with gently used clothing for kids and adults. If you have clothes that look terrific but are never worn, why not put them in PriorAttire's online closet instead? And since you'll have all extra room...you can go shopping at PriorAttire too!
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