M&C Resales has bargains galore

M & C Resales at 222 E. Coolbaugh St. is just beginning to hit its stride.
The discount store, owned by Sheryl Porter, opened at the end of February. Porter, who works for Fres-co, said she was inspired to open the store in Red Oak after seeing successful operations in other communities.
“We went to a couple of sales in another town in Southwest Iowa, and when we got home and talked about it, we asked ourselves why couldn’t we do this? Red Oak has lost Shopko and Kmart and while it still has Dollar General and the new Family Dollar, it seemed to us that people were getting tired of the same stuff,” Porter said. “After we saw what the other operator had, we decided to give it a try for ourselves.”
The first step was to build up some inventory. Porter said they reached a deal with a shop owner in Carroll to buy some pallets from him.
“We got to looking at some of the stuff that was in the pallet. It had toys, and some small appliances and electronics, and it seemed more and more like we could do this,” Porter commented.
Initially, Porter said they planned to operate out of a house, but eventually decided to expand to a full business.
“The more we thought about it, the more we felt we needed a storefront.  We called Audie Rainey, and he showed us a couple of places, including the one we’re in. We liked the location of this one. Everyone has to stop at that stop sign outside the building, and they can look right through the window and see our inventory. Before we knew it, we were set up and ready to go,” Porter explained.
Stock is made up of returned items. Porter said they get their stock from a company from Lincoln, Neb., Sometimes, the inventory can be a bit of a surprise.
“The company buys the pallets, and we’re contacted by them every week letting us know what they have for pallets this week. We try to go out at least once a month to keep merchandise changing. Their only stipulation is that you can’t touch anything, but you can look into it. You can kind of get a gauge of what’s in there, and based on what they’re charging you can determine what you can sell from the pallet and for how much. From there, you can determine if you’re going to get your money back out of the pallet or if you need to move on,” advised Porter.
Also, Porter said the stock of the pallets had some variance depending on the seasons.
“You’re always behind on the seasons. As an example, we bought an Ace Hardware pallet that was full of UV stuff that was probably a big hit during COVID-19, but not so much now. It had a lot of smoke alarms on it however, and they’re selling well, so that helped us out. I’d say probably since we’ve been here, we’ve been through eight to 10 pallets so far.”
In addition to selling items at a retail bargain, customers can also buy retail boxes. The biggest task, Porter said, is making sure they have the right stock at the right time.
“The guy in Lincoln told us to be prepared. We’ve bought a couple of toy pallets, and we were told those will begin to dwindle off in September and October, so to build up for Christmas, we had to buy them now. We’ve got a couple of storerooms in the back so we’ve got some overstock to be ready. They’re very nice out there in Lincoln, and they give us a lot of tips,” Porter said.
Porter said she’s also gotten assistance and guidance from Jeremy and Melinda Snipes, the former owners of Jeremy’s This ‘N That.
“They’ve been really helpful. I went to school at the same time as Melinda, so they’ve given us a lot of tips they used when they were running their own store and places they dealt with when they were in operation. She put us on to the place in Lincoln, and a place in Springfield, Mo., She’s also been able to give us guidance on the items we should stay away from.
Porter said owning and operating the store has come with an exciting learning curve.
“We joined the Chamber, and they’ve been great. It’s been fun, as well as a learning experience, that’s for sure. I’ve never run my own business before, and I’m enjoying getting to meet all the people. They’ve been very appreciative and just make your day. They get so excited over an item and the low price and they’re excited to be able to get it for a bargain. Then they tell their friends, and that brings in more people, which is really great. I’m very social, so getting to meet new people day after day has been great,” stated Porter.
Currently, the hours are 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every other Saturday. Porter said unfortunately, her time is a bit limited.
“I’ve had people comment on Facebook that they wished we were open more. I would love to be open every day, but with my other job, that’s just not possible. However, if they see something they want, they can ask for my phone number and call me and I’ll come and open the store pretty much any time they want within reason,” explained Porter. “We had a woman that wanted a baby backpack carrier and we met her at 8:30 one night. I have no problem with that. Business is business, and I’ll do what I can to accommodate. If she goes back to Omaha and tells her friends, it’s well worth it.”
Porter keeps her hours updated on the store’s Facebook page, facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090027812740. Various payment options are accepted.
“We take cash and credit cards. We’re not doing checks, but we’re set up to accept cards. We didn’t have it at first, but we felt it was a good idea to have a credit card option. We do charge the service fee, but I tell the customers up front, and nobody has had a problem with paying it.”
Porter urged anyone who hasn’t been in yet to do so and check them out. All of the merchandise is new, though there might be slight damage to the packaging.
“We check all of the merchandise before we send it out the door. If you get something home that doesn’t work, bring it back. Our return policy is very liberal. So check in and see what we’ve got, and stop in frequently, we’re always trying to put new stuff in the store,” Porter said.