Founder Pam Stone on an antique carved Chinese bed. Photographs courtesy The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc.
This is the first full day of spring, a reminder that the time for spring cleaning is at hand.
Whether you are prepping for a move, downsizing or just redecorating, one local organization said it has an easy solution to take the hassle, time and effort out of spring cleaning. The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc. in Mount Kisco, a 10-year-old nonprofit, conducts local auctions livestreamed around the globe, selling more than 2,000 items a month to support other local philanthropies. At last count, the foundation has presented checks to nearly 40 organizations as well as clients”™ favorite charities.
Last year, Martha Stewart, who must have a master”™s degree in spring cleaning, partnered with the foundation, following a marathon three-day tag sale at her Bedford estate, to sell the remaining items ”“ raising additional funds for her charity of choice, the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
“We are a resource for the community on multiple levels,” says Benefit Shop founder Pam Stone. “We will take your objects, from the Tiffany floor lamp to your paintings and collectibles, and find them new homes while freeing up your home and helping our community partners. It”™s a win-win for all. Not only do we buy but because we are a nonprofit, we accept items for donation and consignment. We have an established online audience totaling into the tens of thousands so we can truly monetize people”™s items.
“Best of all, we take out all the stress, hassle and time for people as we do all the work. We come and pack their goods up and take them away so they are not spending time researching items, taking photos, placing listings for items, answering questions from potential buyers and shipping items. In the words of an auctioneer, we make it ”˜going, going, gone.”™”
Many auctioneers cherry-pick an estate, taking only the high-end items and leaving the owner to deal with everything else. The foundation will take nearly everything from the attic to the basement and homeowners get to sit back while the work is done for them and enjoy the tax deductions.
“We are a charity so that is good for the seller for a couple reasons,” Stone added. “A portion of our commissions and fees are tax deductible so if they donate to us, the value of the items ”“ as determined by them, not us ”“ is tax deductible,” Stone said. “And if we buy items, there”™s the benefit of both tax deductions and an outright check. Our clients love that not only do their items live on in new homes, but they are helping us give back to the community. Our mission is to support our local community so our profits go back into the area to enable other organizations to do their valuable work.”
The auction gallery is at 185 Kisco Ave., Suite 201. For more, visit thebenefitshop.org or call 914-864-0707.
