Amy and John Bauer in the Got Stuff? headquarters, Gahanna, Ohio.
For Amy Bauer ‘06 (New Albany, Ohio), the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is more than a cliché, it’s a business plan. In January, she and her brother, Jon, opened Got Stuff?, an operation that serves as a next-generation middle-man for customers who want to unload their possessions on eBay, but don’t want to go through the hassle themselves. Located in the Columbus suburb of Gahanna, Got Stuff? services go well beyond simply photographing and posting an item. In addition to ensuring a top-notch presentation, they rely on two types of computer software to monitor the selling prices of similar items as well as how people performed searches to find a given item. This way customers can be assured that their “stuff” goes to the most interested and highest paying customer. Once the item has sold, Amy and Jon take a cut that ranges anywhere from five to 30 percent depending on the selling price.
Amy is studying in Florence, Italy, this semester but that has not completely hindered her involvement in the business. She monitors items and can manage online banking while traveling in Europe. Next semester she will make the 30-minute commute from Granville several days a week while doing most of the work from her computer on campus. The Bauers are giving themselves some time before they begin considering how far they want to take the Got Stuff? name. “We are closely evaluating if franchising is the right alternative for growth,” Amy said. “We have spoken to several potential investors but first we need to solidify our business model.”