I’ve noticed that at some tourist places, the organization tries to capitalize on the passion of their visitors to sell them items that would normally be discarded. Zoos and animal parks sell chewed-up toys that appear to be trash but are in the gift shop for $5. Warm Springs Farm where the Clydesdales are raised sells used horseshoes for $125. Baseball stadiums offer used balls at a premium, other places sell flags flown on significant dates, and institutions offer bricks or building remnants when tearing down a space that engenders loyalty.
All these things have had a useful life and have fulfilled their purpose for the organization, yet they are promoted as desirable and unique treasures in a second-hand state.
My mother always said: “someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure.” Before you toss things you consider worthless, give it a second look through an entrepreneurial eye. Maybe someone else not only wants — but is willing to pay for — the opportunity to own it.
