With more flips and flops going into the Texas Twins Treasures Inventory this year, a notification for a sold set of Bombay trunks came through my email last week while I was already juggling too many plates.
Furniture sales are not free delivery items. In fact, local pick up continues to be confused with free delivery to such an extent that I published a blog to clarify the variation. Here’s the link- Wendy Wortham Explains Local Pick Up Versus Free Delivery.
Scheduling appraisal appointments with Pawning Planners prospects for the past three years has been far more difficult due to the number of Prison wedding bookings. Why? In years past, weekdays were our off time.
Since 2009, Cindy and I had used our off season hours refurbishing, listing and selling Texas Twins Treasures items as well as delivering certain items that were too large to ship via USPS mail locally for a nominal fee. This has changed. Prison weddings now compromise our weekdays and we no longer have “free time” on our schedules. Finding time to refurbish trades has become so difficult that we are no longer taking furniture items that require extensive refurbishing. We focus instead on quick flip trades.
Scheduling and timelines also prevent us from creating custom floral designs. Cindy and I stopped creating custom bouquets two years ago. Unsold bouquets were moved to our rolling inventory of photo props.
Since I’m always asked why we loan bouquets, centerpieces, ring pillows, flower baskets, bouteniers and other items from our inventory including tiaras, veils and furs, these items are loaned to our BOOKED CLIENTS as a courtesy. Why? So our clients don’t need to buy items they will only use once.
Loaning items from our inventory surprises our competition but so does bartering and prison weddings. Cindy and I weren’t trying to be like other vendors. We set out to change the wedding and events industry one family or barter at a time instead and we did. LBGT friendly from the start, we welcomed diversity too. For a few years now, production companies have been messaging me on social media rather than through email or my sites. My direct email is wendy@texastwinsevents.com and the best way to reach me. Cindy has over 60k emails so if you want to get a response, it’s best to email me.
Cindy never checks her email and after years of not checking it prefers text or phone calls because her overburdened email is now too staggering for her to weed through. It’s an ongoing joke between us since I check my email 20-30 times a day. I’m OCD. Cindy isn’t. Lol. Cindy and email are a real escapade. If you want to reach Cindy, email Wendy or call Cindy. Problem solved.
I’m going to once again go over contacting us via messenger, DM or Instagram messaging to explain that email or phone or even any Wendy Wortham website is the best way to reach me or Cindy.
A few days ago, an interesting proposal came through regarding a game show that I happened to notice on Instagram. Someone new had followed me so I followed back. Instagram unblocked their message because I was following them. Blocked messages prevent me from seeing your message. Please use a contact us link on my sites or email to prevent me from missing your message.
Cindy is now authorized and approved to perform prison weddings in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. I can’t address the sheer numbers of bookings for inmate weddings on my own anymore. We prefer to travel together but business is business.
While in New York filming at CBS, Mel Robbins had asked me about coming back to her show to discuss prison weddings. However, I have numerous others asking us to interview and film about prison weddings.
Our journey is fascinating, funny, inspiring and unique. Even WE could never have predicted going from low cost services to bartering to prodon weddings and beyond. Who could? Life is often full of surprises.
Due to many of the contract terms that can and often do prevent you from discussing the same topic twice, I’m being selective really selective about booking a show that discusses how we went from Texas Twins Treasures to Texas Twins Events to The Pawning Planners to Prison Weddings.
“How did you both learn to appraise and flip items?” The answer is easy. Cindy and I left home at 15. With no money, no car and nowhere to go, we lived at Women’s Haven. A shelter for homeless teens, women and children. Poverty can define you or empower you. Poverty was why and how we learned to flip at a very young age. Cindy and I worked as waitresses after leaving the shelter to keep from starving AND bartered to furnish our first apartment. We also flipped items found at yard sales, thrift stores and junk shops to pay our own way through college. Cindy and I are scrappy, resourceful and resilient because we have never had family or anyone other than each other to lean on.
My idea and concept to make life events affordable and our product knowledge from years in the sales industry are why and how we managed to stay in business while addressing any economic level. Rich or poor, Texas Twins Events and The Pawning Planners solved the problems low to middle income families faced before the Texas Twins hit the events industry.
From bartering to prison weddings, our diverse client bases raise eyebrows but everyone deserves a memorable event. All of my businesses were LBGT friendly from the get go. We welcome anyone.
“People Who Are Crazy Enough To Think They Can Change The World, Are The Ones Who Do.” – Rob Siltanen
Cindy and I have waited to sign with a new production company. Why? It has to be the right production company that won’t paint us or our clients in a controversial light. We are picky because experience is a great teacher.
Over the years Cindy and I have signed with several production companies who wanted “to tie us down and expected us to buy the rope.” Others wanted to fabricate or glamorize our journey. Still others wanted us to leave our clients and travel to them at our own expense? Heads up on travel expenses… if a production company “can’t afford to pay travel and accommodations” we can’t afford to waste our time talking to you.
Have a great weekend and as usual, Cindy and I can’t wait to dig through your trash in the hopes of finding a treasure….
Comments by Wendy Wortham