Our store specializes in antique and estate jewelry, which we almost exclusively acquire from customers off the street. We recently had a customer stop in after she had made the rounds to other stores in the area. She was trying to sell some pieces of jewelry she had so she wouldn’t lose her family farm. Her husband had come down with throat cancer, and they had used up all of their savings on medical bills, and they were within a month or so of losing everything they had worked for their entire marriage
She said that they were in the process of turning the farm into a camp for underprivileged kids in the area so youngsters would be able to experience a faith-based camp where they could ride horses, camp, fish and experience other fun activities.
After she explained that, we said we would be more than happy to try to sell the jewelry for her on consignment. She said she was going to step out in faith that we would be able to sell her jewelry for the price she needed in the time she needed it.
Talk about pressure! But as a faith-based small business, we were going to try our hardest, with His help, to make it happen.
After we agreed on prices and our fee (which we reduced), she left her jewelry for us to sell.
After refurbishing her jewelry in record time, we took pictures, posted them on our website, sent an email blast, told her story on our Facebook page and displayed her pieces in the case.
About three weeks later, with time running out and her calling almost daily, one of our good customers came in wanting to see the jewelry. She had been out of town and had just seen it and felt moved to come in.
Long story short, she wanted to help, loved the pieces, and decided to buy all of them, with no discount!
You can imagine the call I made right after she left! Words can’t explain the emotion on the other end of the line, and when she stopped by to pick up her money, we didn’t have enough tissues in the store.
A few weeks later she called back to thank us again, she was able to save her farm for at least another year, her husband was recovering nicely, and they were in the process of getting approved for a grant from a local church to start the camp.
This is why we’re here, to help and be a blessing to others. My business partner and I love what we do, and we love this business. We’re not getting rich by any means, but that’s not what’s most important. — Brian Stubblefield, Hendersonville Jewelers, Hendersonville TN
This article originally appeared in the February 2014 edition of INSTORE.