When a donation of Italian vintage china arrived at the nonprofit Kitchens for Good, retail manager Mary listed a few pieces on eBay, and they sold immediately. That’s when she saw an opportunity: They could give quirky kitchenware a new life on eBay, from Japanese teapots to midcentury cookie jars, and find a new source of funding for their nonprofit and job-training mission.
Today, Kitchens for Good’s eBay store and San Diego retail store help fund the nonprofit’s culinary apprenticeship program; their aim is to give disadvantaged people the training to start new careers and new lives in the kitchen. Along the way, Mary and Kitchens for Good have built a loyal following that loves not just the thrill of her unexpected finds, but the difference they make in the community.
We sat down with Mary, retail manager of Kitchens for Good, to learn how she launched the eBay store and grew the business.
Mary’s story, in her own words:
When I first came to Kitchens for Good in 2019, I was amazed by how this work changes lives. We’re a culinary apprenticeship program for people overcoming incarceration, homelessness, and substance-use challenges. Our training helps them find jobs as prep cooks and line cooks in restaurants throughout San Diego, hopefully working their way up to be head chefs one day.
We opened our eBay store during the pandemic when someone donated three pallets of beautiful, high-end Italian china. Honestly we had no idea what to do with it until someone said, “Why not sell it on eBay?” We gave it a shot, and it took off. Now we’ve got 3,000 kitchenware items listed on the platform and a brick and mortar store.
All of our items are donated. On any given day we receive 500-1,000 items to resell. You can find all of your vintage china, crystal, pots and pans, appliances, and gadgets in our San Diego store. The most unique items go on eBay, and the sales help fund our apprenticeship program.
Uncovering culinary finds for collectors
We get a lot of nice donations, but the strangest ones sell the fastest. Our motto is “ugly sells,” because people are often looking for that one unexpected piece to complete their collection. One funny item that we get often and sells really well is a hot dog toaster—it holds two dogs and two buns and cooks them in one go.
Not long ago, we sold a collection of Italian cookbooks from the mid ‘70s with hand-painted covers and artwork throughout. Most of them were first editions, so we ended up auctioning them on eBay, and they sold for around $3,500. It was very exciting to watch the bids go higher and higher.
Then there was the time someone gave us their entire corn collection. We had corn tea pots, corn pot holders, cups, plates, you name it. Eventually it all sold, piece by piece, and for a high price! I love that we can give Grandma’s china a new life and keep it out of the landfill.
Building community through delight – both online and off
You never really know what to expect when you shop with us, and I think the unexpected is what people like. The San Diego community loves coming into our store to see what interesting things they can find. They also like that they can shop us on eBay from their couch, and then come pick up the item in-person.
The store is full of surprises. At checkout, everyone gets a cookie; my favorite is oatmeal with coconut, pineapple, and almonds. We also have all kinds of fun machines for popping popcorn, toasting s’mores, and making cotton candy and snow cones, and we put them to good use.
Turning donations into eBay deliveries, one careful step at a time
When it comes to pricing, eBay is our best tool. We look up every item in Product Research to see not just what people are asking for, but what it actually sold for. That’s the number that matters. Anyone can list an item for any price, but the sold listings tell the real story.
A good system behind the scenes is just as important. Every item we list has a catalog number and a specific location so it’s easy to find. There’s nothing worse than digging through ten boxes trying to track down one teacup!
Once an item sells, it’s all hands on deck. Our team and volunteers pitch in to pack each order carefully. We wrap each piece in bubble wrap, cardboard, and tape so it arrives in perfect shape, and walk the boxes over to the post office in our little red wagon. It’s a simple routine, but we enjoy it and it reflects the care behind every order.
Giving people and their things a second chance
Our sales have doubled year over year, both on eBay and in our shop, and the response from the community has been incredible. Right now, eBay drives about 25% of our revenue, and my goal is to double that.
Beyond the numbers, seeing how this work changes people’s lives has been deeply rewarding. Honestly, I’d probably do it even if I weren’t getting paid. I love knowing that we’re giving people, and their things, a second chance.
