We're looking for some great people to join The Rusty Trunk LLC team for the upcoming season!
If you've ever said, "Wow, this looks like such a fun job - I'd love to do what you're doing!" then we'd love to have you applyonce you hear the realities of what we do.
If you've worked for an estate sale company before, then definitely pop us a line immediately! Our preference is to hire people who have either worked for an estate sale company or who are knowledgeable about the current values of antiques and collectibles, but we will entertain training people with the right work ethic and no experience in the field. If you have not done this before, then read on, and see if you would be interested.
We are looking for:
SET UP CREW:
We need fast, efficient people who can focus and handle physical work.
We're known for our lovely sale set-ups; our sales look almost like retail stores with everything arranged neatly on shelves and tables and grouped by category - we don't just pile things on the furniture. But this does not happen by magic. Set-ups involve a lot of hard work lifting, carrying, unpacking dusty boxes (along with the associated mouse nests and dead spiders), and general labor. It can also be like Christmas every day as we open each box and (hopefully) find lots of treasures! We wash dishes, clean silver, and do lots of folding and hanging of clothes. You need to be very quick and efficient - time is literally money in this business, and somewhat knowledgeable about collectibles and antiques. You need to be able to focus and stay on a task, even if it seems monotonous (and it will be). You need to be able to lift at least 40 lbs. Above all, you need to be able to work with a team - we are almost like family and want to keep it that way. Perfect for retirees, students or teachers as long as you have a strong work ethic (and boy do we mean strong work ethic!). Hours will vary, but are generally 10-4 from Monday - Wednesday, with some Thursdays thrown in. We work year around and tend to slowdown in the winter months. You need to have a working vehicle - we do not pay a gas allowance but as a 1099 contracted employee, you can save your gas receipts and work with your tax advisor on what can be reported.
SALES CREW:
We need FRIENDLY, reliable sales staff!
We are definitely known for having friendly, active sales people. Our customers love us and we have amassed a huge following based on how we treat our buyers - everyone gets greeted with a smile and we are as helpful as we can be. This position definitely involves being on your feet all day (we do not get to sit down on the job), some lifting, dealing with sometimes cranky buyers with a smile and kind words no matter how difficult it may be, and having a knowledge of antiques and collectibles. Perfect for retirees or as a summer job for a student or teacher as long as you have a strong work ethic. Punctuality and reliability are also important for this one - two strikes and you are out, no exceptions, since we staff each sale very precisely. If you've worked with demanding customers before, then you'll be fine. We especially love former wait staff, teachers, and people who have worked in retail. Hours for this are generally Friday and Saturday from 9-4 (you must have Friday availability), and Sunday 9-5. Hours may be more/less depending on the sale and expectations. You need to have a working vehicle - we do not pay a gas allowance.
We are a relaxed, pretty laid back crew. We can't offer benefits (other than a home-made lunch every once in while), but if you need time off we work with your schedule. We give everyone a one-week trial so we can both see if we are right for each other; no hard feelings if you decide we are not.
Some of our people just work set-ups or sales and some work both sales and set-ups - it's your choice.
FOR ALL OF THESE:
1. Pay will be based on experience. There are no benefits and it is very much a "work when jobs are available" situation; your hours may vary each week although during the summer it can be almost full time with no problem.
2. You cannot buy from our sales for the first hour.
If you are interested, send a resume or just a nice letter detailing your experience to [email protected] with estate sale job in the subject line. If you send an email without estate sale job in the subject line, or just a note saying "hey I want to work for you" with no detailing of experience or resume, I'm going to assume you can't follow directions. :-)
We’ve been blunt about the hard parts - we'll also end by saying that this can be a ton of fun and a job with a lot of flexibility. We do this because we love what we do, love how much we are helping the families we are doing sales for, and just plain love the treasure hunt. Hopefully you will too!