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Where reminders are recycled

By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Published December 11, 2006

TAMPA - Just weeks before her wedding, the jilted bride walked in carrying a sleeveless silk wedding gown, a bustier and a men's gold wedding band.

Sell 'em, she instructed Dori Williams, owner of Source Storz, a high-end consignment shop in New Tampa. Williams listened intently as the ex-bride explained that her former fiance, a lawyer in town, decided he wanted to date other people. She was a law student and had already paid for everything.

Williams started the process of listing the items on eBay, something she has done for seven years for consignors with name-brand merchandise. She uses the story behind the items to market them, often becoming a crusader for her customers.

Williams gets so engrossed in the story, exudes so much empathy, and has such a "you go, girlfriend" attitude, that you'd almost think that she was the one who was stood up at the altar.

"New in box Men's 14K Gold Diamond Cut Wedding Ring ... Jerk-Attorney backed out ... Never worn by a 'man' with honor ... "

Williams started the item at $49.99.

"The best part is hearing the story, and watching people make their money," she said. "Let's put this girl through law school!"

Williams, 37, is a fun, animated and soon-to-be-single mother of two who lives in Live Oak Preserve. A former buyer's representative for Saks and Neiman Marcus, she started selling on eBay when customers asked her to sell their designer purses.

Before she knew it, she was operating a business out of a warehouse filled with high-priced items from customers and overstock from big department stores.

Williams opened Source Storz in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center two months ago. Half of the 5,000 square feet of space is used as a storefront. The rest is where eBay items are photographed, packed and shipped. She sells under the Ebay ID "sourcestorz."

She takes in about 500 items a day, everything from designer Seven jeans to ceramic snowmen. It's a 50-50 split.

In the middle of the store is a four-poster bed, complete with sheets, pillows, shams and curtains - the entire contents of a master bedroom brought in by a newly divorced woman hoping to sell off reminders of that part of her life forever.

And twice a year, a box arrives with shoes and clothing made by designers like Fendi, Prada and Gucci.

A soap actor, whom Williams will not name but descibes as "tall, dark and handsome and speaks with an accent," buys designer clothing for his girlfriends. When the relationship ends, usually about every six months, he makes the ex return the items and ships them from his Newport Beach, Calif., home to Williams to sell.

After seven years, his taste has remained consistent: All of his exes wear either a size 7 or 8 shoe and size 0 to 2 clothing.

Williams has a loyal list of customers to be notified whenever another box from the actor arrives.

"He's a sweetheart," she said, laughing. "But he will never settle down."

If the person dropping off an antique or a relic doesn't have a story to tell, Williams and her staff pore through books at the library to find one.

They continue to be surprised.

Recently, a 90-year-old Tampa Palms woman brought in a 6-inch pot that had been in her family for at least a century. It was made in 1897 by Royal Worcester. After doing the standard research, Williams thought the item would fetch about $50 on eBay. She started the bidding at $30. The winning bid: $711.

Another item, a 40-inch tribal walking cane with pearl inlay from the Pacific Rim, was discovered to have been carved in the late 1890s.

"We get stuff all the time that is fun," Williams said. "But these little old people who bring their stuff in, we do the homework and we learn so much from them. It's endlessly crazy."

Dong-Phuong Nguyen can be reached at nguyen@sptimes.com or 813 269-5312.

[Last modified December 10, 2006, 23:58:36]