Elizabeth Sherwood, a student at North Central Michigan College, created a niche website to showcase and sell antique, vintage, collectible and other specialty items donated to the Gold Mine Resale Shops. Pictured reviewing the newly-designed Gold Mine Boutique website are (from left) Sherwood and Jan Mancinelli, Gail Kloss and Deb Smith of the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM). Gold Mine store and online proceeds help support WRCNM programs and services.

Gold Mine Resale Shops in Petoskey, a project of the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan, have been a place to bring gently-used donations since the first store opened on the corner of Emmet and Washington streets in 1981. Store employees have seen just about every type of donation imaginable from the common article of clothing to rare and antique maps and even a Revolutionary-era bedpan. It’s these vintage, antique and collectible items that will be available for purchase on a new online store called Gold Mine Boutique, accessed at www.goldmineboutique.org.

Prior to the launch of the Gold Mine Boutique website, rare and unusual donations would have been researched, priced and offered for sale at the two Gold Mine stores. However, employees found that shoppers were looking for more basic necessities – a pair of jeans, interview clothes, everyday dishes, a couch or baby items – at very affordable prices. It was clear a different approach was needed to market everything from a diamond-studded Rolex watch to vintage hats and toys. The Gold Mine Boutique website was one of several recommendations to help market these specialty goods, given to the WRCNM by North Central Michigan College marketing students.

“Immersing North Central marketing and management students in exciting projects with local business and not-for-profits provides a valuable opportunity for applied learning; the Women’s Resource Center and Gold Mine stores provided two such opportunities this year,” said Chet Jessick, an Occupational Programs professor at North Central.

“During the fall semester, the entire Ecommerce, Retailing, and Services Management class researched and developed an overall retail strategy for the unique, vintage, antique and high end donations that come into the Gold Mine Resale Shops,” Jessick said. “This semester Elizabeth Sherwood, a marketing student involved in a Directed Study, was charged with developing an implementation plan to launch the Gold Mine’s alternate retail strategy—an online store.”

WRCNM representatives agreed the entire project was helpful in moving them forward with a plan of action. They were impressed with the thoughtful recommendations of Jessick’s students and Sherwood’s level of professionalism and expertise in bringing the website to fruition. Sherwood is also grateful to have had the chance to learn-by-doing.

“Building the Gold Mine e-commerce site has been a great experience, allowing me the opportunity to put classroom learning into action,” said Sherwood. “This experience has given me the opportunity as a student to be a part of each element of its development with the help of some amazing women at WRCNM. The purpose of Gold Mine is to benefit the community and that community focus has been a motivator for me throughout this time,” Sherwood said.

Sales generated from Gold Mine Resale Shops and the Gold Mine Boutique website help support programs and services of the WRCMN such as counseling, free community playgroups, domestic abuse and sexual assault services, educational and employment services and childcare service. For more information on the Gold Mine Boutique or WRCNM services, contact the administrative office at (231) 347-0067. Visit the newly launched website at www.goldmineboutique.org.