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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask your opinions on a potential business idea part 1

14 replies

rebeccachoc · 08/10/2020 13:42

I really hope this and my other post are allowed, even though I'm being a bit cheeky I just wanted to have the opinions of mums, especially stay at home mums, using the vote options.

So I'm thinking of starting a business or 2 and these are more aimed at mums/SAHMs. So I'll post one here and one on another post so I get 2 clear votes if they are good ideas or not.

So first one, I don't know how many of you know about the store CEX, but basically it's second hand video games, DVDs and tech. So you trade in an old dvd you've already watched and you can either get cash or credit towards other stuff in store (stick with me I'm getting to the point honest!).

So would you parents use a store (probably online with free postage) for the same principle but with baby clothes & equipment? So there would be a variety of brands of baby grows for example. If you sent me a Tesco brand one you'd get 50p credit to spend on anything in stock. But if you sent in say a Gap baby grow you'd get £1.25 credit. And there would be brand new and used items to use your credit against and there would be equipment like bottle sterilisers etc. Obviously only clean and working stuff.

This is something that sprang into my head the other day when I think of all the cost involved in raising babies and toddlers and hence I thought you would be the best people to ask if anyone would actually be interested in such a thing.

Any views/votes would mean the world to me.
YABU Stupid idea don't do it!
YANBU I may use this kind of thing.

Thank you all in advance

OP posts:
WantANewHome · 08/10/2020 13:58

There is a service like this called loopster. You get 8-10% of rrp but the postage cost comes off. They deal only in higher end brands so no supermarkets.
How much would people have to send you to get free postage bearing in mind that a small parcel is about £3 to send which then goes up hugely with weight?

WantANewHome · 08/10/2020 14:07

I have used cex for dvds and even taking in fairly recent stuff they shake their heads and offer me two pence each. It's quite depressing.

rebeccachoc · 08/10/2020 15:04

Hi wantanewhome, thanks so much for your reply.

I use cex a lot too and it can be a bit soul destroying with some of the prices you get but I like the business model hence me nicking the idea!

I haven't ironed out any details yet, apart from I will cover all postage as I wanted to see if there would potentially be a market for it before going into detailed financial analysis. I think it would be quite a low minimum though to be honest, maybe 5 pieces of clothing like 5 baby grows, or tops or bibs as they wouldn't weigh much and with business postage it would be cheaper than £3 anyway. But I don't really know if people would be prepared to bother packing up and posting clothes and equipment and that's my main concern to start with really.

By the way thank you so much for taking me about loopster I will have a study of that now to see how they work etc.

OP posts:
lljkk · 08/10/2020 15:09

You'd get loads of rubbish not right & disputes raised if done by mail, OP.
Then there are the disputes you'd get from buyers (not as described...)

Even if you ran such a shop in person there would still be a thin profit margin.

WantANewHome · 08/10/2020 15:21

I would definitely be prepared to pack and post old bibs etc but I don't know how much profit you would make from such items.

Cocomarine · 08/10/2020 16:13

I would choose you over selling them myself on eBay, because for the amounts you get for low end baby stuff on EBay, I can’t be arsed with photographing, dealing with sellers, going to post office, etc.

But if I had to photograph for you, basically any level of hassle, I’d donate to charity shop instead.

I can see this maybe working for high end - but I can’t imagine you’d make any decent margin on Tesco / Gap babygrows. Check out ebay prices for big bundles. I would start with small specialised range - like trading in baby related electronics, maybe.

rebeccachoc · 08/10/2020 16:28

Thank you all so much for your thoughts, it's given me things to ponder on for sure.

OP posts:
VeggieSausageRoll · 08/10/2020 16:33

There's someone who does this near me but it's a side part of an established business already

AdoptAdaptImprove · 08/10/2020 16:37

The doing it all by mail plan doesn’t seem to be a sensible business model - nobody will send you stuff unless you’ve paid them for it, but you wouldn’t want to pay them until you’ve seen it’s inappropriate condition. So you’ll never get any stock.

There are strict regulations about selling second hand electrical items, and you might struggle to meet these from a financial point of view, or to the satisfaction of buyers.

“Sellers of second-hand electrical goods are responsible for ensuring the goods meet legal safety requirements and sellers may be liable to pay compensation if they sell unsafe goods, which then cause injury or damage. If the equipment you are selling complies with an acceptable standard it will normally meet safety requirements.

Distributors and retailers, including second-hand dealers and auctions, must only sell appliances that are correctly fitted with an approved plug, with sleeved neutral and live pins, and the correct fuse. Electric fires for use in the home must have a fireguard that meets British standards, or the European equivalent.

Your responsibilities
If you are in the business of selling any second-hand electrical goods, you should be aware of the following:

the goods must meet legal safety requirements
if you sell unsafe goods, and the goods cause injury or damage, you may have to pay compensation
If you are unsure whether the goods are safe, it is recommended that a competent person examines them for access to live parts, the adequacy of the insulation, and creepage and clearance distances. The items tested should be clearly identified in a report describing the test(s) carried out and the results. The tester should also label each item to show it has passed and include the date and their initials. All failed equipment should be destroyed if it cannot be safely repaired.

You should also check whether the electrical appliances are subject to a recall. The product recall section of the GOV.UK website contains links to various providers of product recall information, including recalls of electrical products.

It is good practice to advise all staff that no electrical goods are to be sold unless they have a CE mark and a dated PAT test label is attached. Keep all test reports for your own reference and for the purpose of showing to enforcement officers if requested.”

I also think that so many baby things are at the affordable or cheap end of the market that unless you are very savvy in what you buy, the margins are likely to be very narrow.

AdoptAdaptImprove · 08/10/2020 16:40

And to add: the CEX business model looks attractive, but it only works for them due to the very large volumes of goods they deal in, and by having shops in areas of deprivation, where people are desperate for cash and are forced to take the derisory offers they make.

mindutopia · 08/10/2020 16:42

I think you would probably be better off just trying to source this stuff cheap online yourself (without the business model you've described here) and then become an ebay or Facebook seller. In my personal experience, by the time I'm ready to package up old baby/kids stuff, I'm definitely not needing anymore. Also, I'm happy to get rid of stuff, but I don't buy secondhand, so wouldn't be interested in using the credit.

Marisishidinginmyattic · 08/10/2020 16:44

CEX is also known for how incredibly filthy and dirty some of the stuff they sell is. Nicotine stained consoles, filthy game disks etc. I think you’d get a lot of filthy baby stuff sent out.

Standrewsschool · 08/10/2020 16:45

I think people will send them to you - I’ve sent stuff to music magpie, especially if it’s guaranteed money (and free postage).

However, what are you going to do with the clothes once you have them? Ebay probably has the market for second hand clothes and even that doesn’t sell well nowadays. Car boot sales? You would have to sell them very cheaply to attract people away from. Ebay and charity shops.

In music magpies, you don’t get the money until you’ve sent it in and they have checked it over. What if the goods are in poor condition, stained etc. Do you return them to the original owner, at whose cost?

I like the concept but there’s a lot to think out regarding your business model.

slashlover · 08/10/2020 16:53

If you're paying 50p for a Tesco babygrow, how much would you be selling them for?

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