I worked in Manufacture for 25 years. Cost and profit is very important. So many things to consider. Quality comes up high, due to, my experience. What you did is research and development for a manufacture company. No failure at all! Great results. To me, the data says, : Black paint, Eclectic pairs, great quality. Buy paint in bigger bulk and buy hardware in bigger bulk. Now put on your purchasing hat and find a supplier that sells bulk to you at a better price. Thank you for all your hard work. I enjoyed watching your videos. 🙂
Good suggestions. I try to buy in the largest quantities I can use before it goes off, whether that be food, household products or paint and varnish. Sometimes, especially with some glues, I find it more efficient to buy multiple small products over a larger container.
yuh woman don't wanna have babies anymore so they are like "what? you can rent a garage and do this stuff for big bucks?" LOL LOL LOL look out men, we are taking your jobs
In my area nobody is asking $45 for an old dated nightstand from 40-50 years ago. I saw a bunch of similar bedroom furniture today at a thrift store for around $7.99 ea, including an entire dresser.
Would love to see another assembly line series but having learned from your "mistakes" - 6-8 nightstands only, black and white only, etc - and see what profit you got second time around
I was thinking that exact same thing! Once she recovers of course 😜 then her numbers would be more accurate and then she will see she’s a rockstar no doubt! Wtg! Thanks for sharing!!
You mentioned that the sets being mis-matched was one reason you listed them at a lower price than the matching sets. I would suggest that the mis-matched sets are far more interesting. You could think of them as complementing each other--like a married couple. It's the differences between them that make them work so well together. 🙂
I agree! Especially when they're mismatched in functionality - one has two drawers while one has a drawer and a cabinet for example. Each person in that couple may have different uses for their bedside table.
Completely agree! Many people like that eclectic look, so these are perfect. And I love your comparison of a married couple. One compliments the other.😊
The mismatched sets are the right kind of mismatch. They’re the same height and color, and the legs and hardware are the same. I’d prefer that over an exactly matched set any day. They all look great!
Totally agree with this! I think the fancy white one with the scroll stuff in the middle would actually look even better with some of the distressing like the black one had.
As a small business teacher I have so much respect and admiration for your craftsmanship, your tracking of your costs and time and your willingness to share this with others. You are gifted, hardworking and kind. You should be so proud of yourself.
You are very sweet girl and good example to other young generation what you can do to make money ! Good job baby ! Don’t give up ! You will be millionaire at one day !
Getting a "ridiculous" amount of nightstands to test your assembly line efficiency is what earned you a new subscriber. I really enjoyed the mini series and learning things like "When in doubt, roll it out!"😂👍
Yes i subscribed because of this series. I am recently forced into retirement and need to find something to occupy my time and brain. I am doing my own furniture first for the experience then will branch out from there. See if I like it and where it takes me.
Please please do not get discouraged 😢. You were pretty perfect un your product and design was spot on. You have a vision and think of the happy customers! New Mt nightstands were $350 each 20 years ago! Not to mention you are teaching us. Your time is precious and I don't want you to be sad. I love your content and personality and you keep it real! Hey you never know the series could hit 1M view or gain new viewer and I see that you tube paid one of my peeps $7000 when their video got 1 M views!! Have you factored that in? The patience in that process is what it is but if you are not confident.... no one wants to see that. Please believe in yourself and your standards are meticulous! I enjoyed this so much! Perhaps do 3 at a time and not 18! You aren't an assembly line. You are a one person go getter! I love that! Be encouraged! ❤
I’m happy about everything I learned!! I just really wanted to encourage people 😆 I’m so thankful for the way this whole series has performed on UA-cam 😭 I never could have expected it to be this great. I didn’t factor that income into the video because I know not everyone has a social media platform, but it has paid more than the nightstands themselves
@Bluegrassprincess I second all she wrote! @flippedbyabby AND, more spinning the wheel game show style. It was just fun. I think it might bring another batch of people to your channel. Do it with a set of tables, desks, dressers... Include all your learning in the new process, like bot having too much underfoot. And maybe consideration for length of challenge like a break in the middle that you can talk about or even document. Although maybe that would make it a working vacation so maybe not. Lol ❤
@@DontUBaDivaI think she was wise to do this experiment with night stands because they are small, plentiful, and most people have a use for at least one set, possibly even more than one set. Anything larger like a dresser will require more paint/time and the potential buyer pool will be smaller. Many people don't have space for a desk, and most people only have one table. Painting chairs is surprisingly time-consuming. Bookcases are often easy due to very few details, but they take a LOT of paint. I painted two tall ones and ended up having to order a second tub of Fusion Mineral Paint, which isn't cheap. I'm not saying she can't turn a profit with other furniture flips, just that the results will definitely be different.
The UA-cam algorithm showed me the first video in this experiment, and I immediately binged the series. I was very excited to see this video was up! Loved all the details and numbers.
Re:mixing wood tones. Maybe you can stage those next with other wood tones (like wooden decor, a bowls, a chair) to subconsciously send a message to buyers that actually dif tones of wood do look fabulous together
Abby, don’t you know that mismatched furniture is THE thing to do right now. We are avoiding “matchy matchy” like the plague. I think you did a terrific job on all of them!
Exactly! I like mismatched stuff, every piece adds character to your place and no house will ever look the same that way. Plus, you don't need to limit yourself to one style, which is perfect way to avoid having to restyle your home. You just have to rearrange furniture to get a completely new look
I came for that. what she is doing (by accident) is genius. Because she creates sets that are not the same, yet clearly sets. Carbon cooy nightstand sets are awful. Like sleeping in a hotel. This is a nice compromise where cover and handles match yet they are different enough to please the eye.
@@HollyMarieF69 Yup, there is even studies done that show that too much “marchioness” tires the brain and eyes! Look at nature; there is sameness and harmony and yet an abundance of variety as well!
@HollyMarieF69 I totally agree except the trend where they're putting 2 to 3 of the same side by side to use as large TV/entertainment storage in living rooms.
Regardless of the actual numbers, I (some random woman you don’t know), am so proud of you! You had an idea, you set a high goal, and you did it! Amazing! Congratulations!! And, I know you gained more followers. Super!!
I saw discouragement on your face and I yelled at my tv. “You’re a machine!” You did something that no one’s tried so OF COURSE you’ve learned from it. It was outstanding!!! Please don’t get burned out like that again though. I could feel it myself. Great job. Awesome flips and profits. Thank you for sharing this. 🎉
@@flippedbyabbywhen trying anything new, mistakes and learning are happening. If you made zero mistakes and everything went perfectly, what would you have learned? That would be mastery, which averages about 10,000 hours, on average, right?
I did a rough recalculation of the numbers given, for only the twelve black and white nightstands. Somewhere 30-35 dollars per hour would be the rate then. Interesting series nonetheless! I never saw the channel before, but came across it all the last couple of days.
I was going to suggest doing this again but with an amount that WOULD BE efficient and the color that sells best to see what hourly rate it would be at max efficiency and style! Thanks for doing the math!
I would love to see you try out this project again implementing the lessons you learned - sticking with white and black and maybe off white - having sets that will fit in your garage/work space etc. you did a fabulous job! Thanks for sharing.
An Independent Trucker here. I have no idea why this video showed up in my feed but I'm so glad it did! I watched the whole thing! You did a wonderful job on the furniture AND the video... it was a great topic! I'm a self-employed "numbers" man and really enjoyed this video. I read your Channel Description and am impressed with it's short and concise point. Keep going and you'll achieve your goal of a house on the river. 👊🤙 Terrific Job!!
That set 7, the very open set with only 1 drawer each: might be a good idea and pivot and sell them as end tables for living rooms instead of night stands. That open design is more like end tables.
You did a great job! Mismatched is more popular now than matchy-matchy. Bleached wood looks seem to sell well too. 7 was my favorite, but so many cool sets that I'd love to have in my home. I was thinking display 7 with a photo of them with baskets in the open area, and yes list as occasional, end table, or nightstands.
The only thing with sofa tables is that oftentimes those tables may not be against a wall, therefore the backs will show. I don't think the backs of these were finished. But maybe she could add a backing and trim it out to look finished before painting.
As someone who always urges people to think about the hours they're going to spend working out their business idea I really like how you did a profit by hour breakdown for any future entrepreneurs who watch this.
I have a small SUV so can’t haul much. Due to this video series, I plan to find random pieces and bring them home one by one and make mismatched sets. Painted the same so they coordinate and let the buyers pick them up with a bigger vehicle.
Abby… Please do not get discouraged, this was your first attempt at the assembly line… how would you have expected to be perfect if you didn’t know everything you learned from it by actually doing it?? Science experiments to develop a drug to treat an illness take years of trial and erroneous until perfected. I’ll tell you what is so admirable about you (besides being so pretty of course! 😊) You are the first one doing this experiment and posting this super interesting series, as many have said, you should make it your signature and keep doing the series applying what you learned from the previous. You do this by yourself… of all of the furniture flippers I follow (many of them) you are the only one that does not have a husband or boyfriend helping when stuff gets tricky, it is hard work and you figure it out by yourself and that right there is admirable and inspiring for other flippers at home that don’t have any help. Please keep going, you just rock!!!
Thank you so much!! I may have gotten myself into a pickle here 😂 it’s SO much work! But I definitely think doing big projects like this in a series are the move! I have an exciting project coming up that is also sort of a furniture selling experiment!
You made an AWESOME video series! Thank you! I do a faux wood finish just using my regular furniture paint and glaze, no specialty finish. I’ve sold MANY pieces using this technique. I use different brushes and recently incorporated using a whisk broom after watching Black Sheep House demonstrating her technique. Your pieces ended up being SO beautiful after you worked your magic! ❤️
I agree! I really enjoyed this video series too. I've only done an ugly metal fireproof man door to make it look like an expensive oak entrance door. It turned out great. I just used paint and stain and a cheap wood grain tool. I might try it on furniture after reading your comment. 😊
This was the first time you ever did something like this! I think that fact that you were willing to even try something like this to show us it is possible… that is amazing! I sure most of us here truly appreciate all of your efforts!
I wouldn't get too down on yourself about your efficiency. You know what you're doing, and you did a good job. The first time anyone attempts an assembly line isn't going to be as efficient the first time. The first time you do an assembly line shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a learning experience on where to make adjustments.
Thank you for sharing all the numbers and lessons. Chin up Love, you did us all a huge service. We learn from your lessons. You made a profit, the experience/ experiment paid off. Thank you again! :)
@@flippedbyabby practice will make it more efficient, and please consider the filming counts in the hours, so what you made off of sharing these on UA-cam should count as part of the profit. I became a follower because of this series.
15:42 I”m truly not surprised by the ones that sold first. You did a great job with all the sets especially having them the same height! It’s like the women in a wedding party same color of dress but a different style. I absolutely LOVED this series ❤😘🇨🇦
I think this right here is the correct answer. Just cutting out the wood colored pieces, and doing some very rough math, that should bring her hourly rate above $30 an hour.
@@Selena9999I paused the video halfway through and then came and watched the second half later. Forgetting that she said she was painting some of them black, I thought for sure those first several sets she said she sold were a dark grey-blue.😮
First of all, though I have no interest in doing any furniture refinishing myself, I found this a pleasure to watch. You have a pleasantly straightforward manner. Second, the pieces all turned into swans. Couldn’t have imagined any of it from the ugly duckling stage. Third, I guess I just enjoy watching someone else work hard. Thanks for some very enjoyable quiet time.
So, you learned a lot about the work and your strengths and challenges. That is time well spent, IMO. I’d rather spend the money restoring real wood than making a fake wood, but that’s just me. I really prefer the painted pieces. You are one individual and not an actual factory so perhaps trying to do a factory line situation wasn’t the appropriate thing for one person to do. Since you’re efficiency was impacted by your amount of space then probably keeping it to one set of bedroom furniture or maybe three sets of nightstands would work better because efficiency is just about getting the most done. It’s about getting the most done in the space that you have. You did a great job. I think that the mismatched selling is largely impacted by the fact that we have been taught to laugh at matchy matchy since we were born. Eclectic works in most aesthetics. People buying used furniture are probably more predisposed to appreciate or accept a more creative approach .
Thank you so much!! I totally agree with everything you said. Probably going to stick with restoration and solid painted pieces from now on unless specific faux wood techniques is requested by a customer! I think where the product really shines is when it’s not real wood, which even a lot of quality furniture isn’t solid wood. I just hate seeing things go to the landfill!
I think the best way to do this to max profits is to do all of them the same color. Do one round all black. Next time you can do all white. But not having the change out the paint sprayer and buying 5gallons of paint instead of 1 gallon paints would save money as well.
If you had not done the faux wood and done those three as black, you would have reduced your hour count by around 20 hours, expenses by about $100 and increased net revenue by $300-400 (based on the selling price for the black sets). That would put you at $36/hr. If you increase listing price across the board by 20% and wait for full value over longer time you can close in on $50 an hour. The series was excellent to watch, and given the value of the knowledge you gained, probably well worth it even at the $24/hr mark.
I love the way you analyzed every step of your operation. Another thing to consider is how much you enjoy what you’re doing. It’s obvious that you put your heart and soul into your work. Thank you for all of the tips on furniture flipping. Also, I love your dog!
UA-cam shared your first video of this series and I have enjoyed watching the whole series and getting to know you. Your styling wall, tool organization, approach to seeing mismatched furniture pieces, transparency about the truth of how you felt each day and overall can-do spirit really inspired me! You are awesome!!!! 🎉🎉🎉 Love hearing that you are experiencing success in your chosen field. I love seeing experiments...the results apply to many things beyond the actual experiment. Joy in the moment is something many people don't talk about and it seems to be an ineffable quality, yet it is so important. So glad you experimented and learned so much about flipping and yourself and you generously shared with all of us! Thank you! Your videos are very very good! Always fun to see the surprises! Best to you. Keep shining bright! 💖💖💖
some other things to note....you have to also include the fact that you WILL make profit off of the videos being posted here for this project. Granted, then you have to include time spent for editing and uploading and the likes, and that, in theory, could be a whole other side hustle profit margin. I would take this information and combine it onto one budget sheet, where this hustle is it's own set of #s and the UA-cam is another. Any other sponsorships and the likes as well to be included. You are a business. Don't get discouraged. The worth of this project is larger than you think ;)
Don't get too discouraged, you were efficient for doing this assembly line process the first time. You got lots of good data and ideas for improvement that will make the next assembly line better. Those of us who have filmed themselves working do not underestimate the time and effort it takes to set up the shot and reset again and again. This was a great series. I appreciate the time and effort you invested to bring it to us.
As a serial entrepreneur I can say this: the fact that you went over break even on a first run is a very good sign. Keeping track of the numbers is needed for survival. As a general rule of thumb, when self-employed, at least half your hourly is taken by taxes and insurance. So, you made $14/hour. So you definitely want to refine quite a bit more to get the numbers higher.
For sure, people use search terms like boho, MCM, farmhouse etc to search marketplace for their style. The algorithm also likely knows that Abby usually sells sleek, classic or traditional pieces and shows her stuff more often to people who usually click into those types of listings
I loved this. I would love to see you do this again but swap out the faux wood for more colorful paints. It would be faster (and cheaper) and would be fun to see if weird colors would sell. Thank you!
I agree with this. It seems like gen z really likes bold pops of color! Just looking at what is being sold at furniture stores these days it’s natural woods, oak finishes, or bright colors. For me, if I’m gonna have painted furniture, I would like to have a nice dark green or bold blue mixed with natural wood accents. I think I would like that over faux painted wood(plus the faux wood seems like so much extra work/time).
I’ve recently started doing some bolder colors because someone mentioned my grays and whites were “boring.” Lol. Some have sold, others still waiting. I’d love to see how colors do in your area.
@@flippedbyabby Gray is very popular right now too. Not dark gray but just gray. Not light and not dark, just gray. You could try a gray set or a few gray sets
@@julien2912 I know that cars are different, but I just bought a new gray Honda recently and now I'm seeing like 1000 gray cars in all makes.... gray is definitely in when it comes to cars!
Honestly, I think you're underestimating how much time filming yourself added to your work. Most furniture UA-camrs say they that filming more than doubles the amount of time it takes them. If true, that would double your hourly rate!
Excellent series and a clear, honest and analytical evaluation on what worked and what you would do differently. I think you did extremely well. You didn’t have a perfect physical work space for that volume, and you had to push through fatigue to get things finished. I’m guessing you might have sacrificed some of the creative enjoyment because of the time pressures and amount of work. Don’t be hard on yourself! You inspired me to go out and find two pieces to refinish and I think everyone who sees this will admire your dedication and the lessons you’ve taught us. Great work, great videos and looking forward to the next ones after you take a well earned rest 👍
Set #7 would probably benefit from adding a shelf in each, that is a big space, especially with the drawer at the bottom. As someone else suggested, they may do better staged as end tables instead of night stands - fill that big space with books or records.
I think you did a great job!!! You learned a lot, and taught your audience at the same time. I can’t imagine stopping to film and move the camera several times, then editing and all that entails. Thank you so much for this experience that you included us on. I hope you are able to sell the rest of the night stands quickly and for a good price! God Bless You!! ❤
I'm a new follower because of this series! So, I hope your subscribers increased as part of your wages. It sounds like you learned a lot. I can't believe the amount of time it took you to just move them in and out of your garage so anytime you thought u save in an assembly line was consumed by moving. I'm going to advocate for you and say don't do this again "for us." Keep with your gut on not being pressured to find specific pieces or what really shocked me was your disappointment in colors when you spun the wheel. You're the artist, stay with your gut on what sells. What I appreciated the most out of this was seeing you take 2 mismatched nightstands and making them a set. As a viewer of hundreds of furniture refinishing and this series being the first ones of your I watched. It is what made you stand out to me. Good luck, take some time off and I'm excited to go back and see some of your previous videos!
Only if you have the luxury of having a mother source of income available to dip into to pay all your bills on time, and this income is not needed to meet your monthly obligations to keep a roof over your head....!
Since you were averaging 6 night stands per quart of paint, I'd say stick with 6 instead of 8 (so that you don't need a 2nd quart of paint to finish the project). Kind of aligning the scale of the task to the unit size the materials come in. ;) 3 sets per quart. LOL
This series was fantastic. It was basically a dissertation project in Furniture Flipping University! I would enjoy you doing a series on creative pieces with colors or redesigns. Also it might be interesting to do a comparison episode with a full bedroom set with bed, dresser and nightstands since there were people who worried about "matching" wood tones (example, compare a black mismatched set with a faux wood set.) Furniture stores sell entire matching sets all the time. The furniture set wouldn't have to be all from the same line, it might be fun to pick a bed from one manufacturer, and nightstands from a different one, and dresser from a third that are similar. Lastly, the faux wood look can be achieved without the name brand in your video for much less, but it is still a time sucker.
You might want to add additional time to your total hours for all of the time involved with selling the pieces. Dealing with people on FB is time consuming. Whether its responding to messages to setting aside time in your day to meet with people. Especially when some people setup a specific time to come over and then cancel or reschedule an appointment. 😉
That is a great point!! Luckily they all pretty much sold right from the garage really fast. I’m pretty cut and dry on marketplace 😂😅 so it maybe could add on a couple extra hours to the total for sure
We learn from our failures faster than all most anything else, so my takeaway is you learned several things not to do and will get better at the things that did work.
This was amazingly informative! Thank you. I think you should repeat the experiment with the below amendments. 1. Source product from 1-2 bulk locations. 2. Select items that have less appliqué features, even if not solid wood 3. Only do 12 items. 4. Do black, white, block colour in trend colours of season. 5. Only film selection, couple of fixed location setting shots of refurbish in fast forward, with music and voice over telling about what you're doing, and reveal. Breakdown and learnings from exp 1 and exp 2.
I use a old-fashioned sturdy putty knife when I’m removing trim, it’s thin it doesn’t damage veneer because it goes close to the veneer and you won’t need to pry it off. You tap it with a hammer and just keep going switching sides gently tapping until you break through the glue.
@@flippedbyabby Yes. And have always a look of what others do. Even design companys with expensive stuff. With special coats, colours and patterns you can create and unique and more worthy look for a higher profit. Maybe you can talk or cooperate with some design students for contemporary ideas. If you make nightstands for example, you can integrate smart USP connections or lamps inside. Stuff like this. :-)
When the algorithm showed me this video, I had no plans and no interest on flipping or buying new furniture since I already have too many in the house. However I ended up watching this til the end as it was very interesting
It’s not my style, but I actually like the more ornate white ones. But you are 100% correct that it will take a specific kind of person to buy those. They just don’t seem as modern. Mismatch sells as long as the mismatch isn’t wildly off. Consistent design elements, plus matching paint and hardware, go a long way.
I would be interested in another series where you redo this challenge using the information you gained. I believe could more then double your profit margin.
Invest in Making or buying several sets of flat rolling dollies the fit the approx size of the nightstands. Then all you need to do us roll them out. You can paint right on the dollies somehow Im sure. The mental and physical fatigue of hauling them out daily is a huge drain in efficiency it seems. I dread dragging stuff in and out of my shop. Rolling them is so quick and easy and kills the dread. I agree less dressers or at least splitting the batches up would cut down that nagging feeling in the back of your mind of having sooo many to do. Good job though. A good solid 3 in 1 scraper, thin pry bar and rubber mallet causes far less damage to fix later. That screw driver was hard to watch. Ouch! 😮. Overall a great job. !!
This was such an interesting series. Thank you, Abby, for taking us along for your experience and honestly recapping all the pros and cons. You did a great job and I'm sure the last 3 sets will sell soon.
I much prefer the mismatched. When it comes to sets, variety with similar shape but same style, allows for consistency in the room decor plus a robust look overall in the atmosphere. Personally, I think identical sets look cheap. If you were to buy the pieces brand new, you'd need to buy them single at full price then pay to refinish them; so, yes, it is more expensive to have variety in a mismatch set. Buying matching nightstands will be at a bulk discount in reality so yes, mismatched is more luxurious.
Please don’t get discouraged Abbey! You did a good job and you learned from the trail run! Everything you said that you learned are very valuable and if you implement them, you’ll be fine!
I loved the ornate white nightstand and would have had no problem snatching them up, but i just changed my colors in my room, and they no longer go with my look. Thank you for the great videos and information.
UA-cam shared your 1st video in this series & I’m so glad it did! I’ve really enjoyed your channel!! I definitely think sometimes we embark on monumental projects that can create burnout. I’m guilty of this as well. I’m also a perfectionist & think smaller more manageable projects enable me to produce the high quality results I desire. That said, you did an amazing job & everything turned out beautifully & you should be very proud!! - Julie
Yes!! You should definitely do more of the assembly line projects, that's what's setting your channel apart from the rest, it makes your channel unique. I thought this series was very interesting to watch and binge on! Don't give up!
Yes they were miss matched, BUT they had enough in common with the additions that you did to marry them as a pair. You did a FANTASTIC job unifying the pairs! I would ditch the faux wood and remove more of the fiddly detail. I agree that you'd have been more efficient working on half the amount. So I hope that you're not discouraged because you did this as an experiment and the most important thing was to learn from this which you absolutely did! Failure isn't bad it's how we learn❤ I would also add in the revenue you get from the videos because you put your time in to doing that as well in this process which I think would increase your hourly wage.
Well said! I’m actually feeling more encouraged now with all the info I’ve learned and the feedback I’ve gotten from everyone! Thank you so much for watching 🙌
Going forward, are you only going to do black and white? Seems the juice isn't worth the squeeze with the faux wood considering labor required and the "I don't know if it will match my existing furniture" appetite. Great video, can't wait to see more!
I just want to thank you for your honesty...it's refreshing. I think also this process can reduce your creativity when tired etc and also your random wheel choosing what was going to be what could reduce sales too instead if the individual pieces speaking for themselves 😊
Again I don’t think the faux wood ones not selling as well is about mixing and matching wood tones. It’s about the look of fake wood. Two slightly different tones of real wood still look good together. Faux wood on a real wood floor or next to real wood furniture looks worse than black or white. All of your work and time invested is extremely commendable, and that’s probably a learning experience. Thank you for sharing your experience!
If you do another series it would be really cool if you saved the finish of those in good enough condition to just varnish them. That way you could have the three finishes with less work!
You are selling the "mismatched" nightstands short. I love ❤ them. As a couple, I like that the nightstands are the same colour, but a little different. When the nightstand is different from my husband's, it really feels like "mine". Its special.
I think the mis-matched units sold because they were similar in some areas. There used to be a lot of people that would buy sets of "His and Hers" chairs, nightstands, etc. that were similar, but unique. The Hers would possibly have a more feminine design, or fabric, and the His would be more masculine and simple in its design. It like that idea of not everything being matchy matchy, and apparently, so do some of your customers.
I have one white nightstand and one weathered gray nightstand in my bedroom. Completely different looks. But, I’ve never in my life had a matching set of anything in my bedroom!
I really liked the white ones with the natural wood bases. I prefer cleaner lines and the bases made them appear more matched than they would be if they had not had them. I think I would lean for more of the white and black furniture because white and black matches everything, but I did particularly like the white with the wood bases because the bases made them look modern. I think it also depends on what city you are in/what the demographics are. Where I am located, most people have very modern homes and we don’t really have any vintage shops so I don’t see people with vintage furniture in their homes often. I have lived in a smaller city before that had tons of vintage shops and just more of a “small town feel” and many people had ornate furniture with intricate designs. Just in general there were more estate sales and garage sales in the smaller town compared to the larger city I am now in. Most places to get furniture here in the bigger city are large chain places. Fb marketplace in my larger city is basically full of people trying to resell ikea furniture for very close to the same price they bought it for. I’m surprised the ones with the open shelf and only one drawer haven’t sold yet because I considered that style be one of the best looking ones, maybe people didn’t like the finish? I think those just need more time for more bites.
I think you did an excellent job but I do think the 18 was over the top and overwhelming. I enjoyed your videos. You showed up on my FB timeline so I came over to watch the whole series.
My favorite have always been the white ones left! lol. If you want to ship them to me at no extra cost! lol. This was a good video, have always wondered how people make money doing this. I appreciate your method of teaching and taking us along with all the ups/downs etc.
That first set that sold looked to be, by far, the highest quality set from the start--before you did any work on it. You did a beautiful job on them as well, but it may be the high quality, perfect proportions, etc that helped them sell so fast (meaning, don't be discouraged by your work on the ones that took longer--it may have more to do with the physical proportions than anything else, as all of your work looks well done). Also, if you removed the faux wood set that you bought at the very end to "fill your truck" that you said cost too much, and took the most work, you'd have a more accurate hourly rate for your time moving forward. Congratulations on your successful research and on turning a profit while helpoing others and saving things from disuse or, worse yet, the landfill.
I would LOVE to see you do this again (I know) and apply everything you learned!! Only do as many as you can fit in your space, do more black and wood, etc. that would be super interesting!
I’m going to get hate for this but that’s ok, I can take it 😂. ***Obligatory incendiary statement trigger warning***I can’t believe that stripping off all the details make people want them more. To each their own, I guess. To me, why would you want things more plain jane and basic? Just to be “modern”? Modern is so boring to me. It’s like a canvas with nothing on it. A person’s face with no details, or something. To me, when you see the places on movies with character and class, they are never basic and plain. Look at any European estate or elegant wealthy country manor house either in person or on TV and you’ll see nothing is plain jane. Everything is elaborate, because the details cost real money to obtain. That’s what sets their homes apart from what the rest of us have. Fine details, raised relief, moldings, elaborate trim work, etc etc. It’s like we’re trying to look like basic “bee” poor people nowadays 😂. I do like the finishes on these pieces though. They look better painted.
Read "From Bauhaus to Our House". It's a short book but really interesting. It explains how we got from beautiful detailed work like you describe, to plain, "modern", factory looking stuff.
Thanks for being honest about the whole process and your energy expense emotionally and physically. I love all of your work on these nightstands and just the idea of doing this kind of "experiment". We have learned from your experience and that is so appreciated.
Hi Abby!! Just subscribed after watching this video, absolutely love your dedication to your craft & your video editing! I enjoyed watching this entire 26mins without skipping forward as I usually do haha. Super cool that you try to be more efficient & take us through that process. Please do not be discouraged, that was a very good first run & you gathered so much data from this experience! Now you can only go upwards :)
It takes me twice as long to film any project. I think anyone who’s doing it without filming could easily double the hourly rate (get it done in half the time) for a solid estimate. Even a PB&J would take twice the time. The camera work just takes way more time that anyone could imagine before they try it themselves.
I respect the hustle and time and effort you put into this series. If i could add something that i think would of helped, Is if an item gets a lot of attention and people demand it then you should raise the cost for your benefit. You would be selling your self short as there's few supply but a high demand for it. Black might of sold faster but you did have to lower the price a little on them where as white sold for asking price every time so even though black went faster, white had the higher yield. So many valuable lessons in this series that all hobbyist would appreciate. Amazing job.
I would equate what you did as part of RND process. As a test run with that type of profit margin is pretty good, and you got tons of valuable information which, if your audience decides to pick up on furniture flipping, they would be able to start off more efficiently as a result. I imagine if someone kept going with the tips you learned they would be able to run a lucrative furniture flipping gig. Also really love how the finished products turned out! Gave me the confidence to attempt refurbishing some stuff I was hesitant on buying!
I worked in Manufacture for 25 years. Cost and profit is very important. So many things to consider. Quality comes up high, due to, my experience. What you did is research and development for a manufacture company. No failure at all! Great results. To me, the data says, : Black paint, Eclectic pairs, great quality. Buy paint in bigger bulk and buy hardware in bigger bulk. Now put on your purchasing hat and find a supplier that sells bulk to you at a better price. Thank you for all your hard work. I enjoyed watching your videos. 🙂
Good suggestions. I try to buy in the largest quantities I can use before it goes off, whether that be food, household products or paint and varnish. Sometimes, especially with some glues, I find it more efficient to buy multiple small products over a larger container.
Also finding places that buy old hotel future in large quantities will give you 50 of the same nightstand :)
yuh woman don't wanna have babies anymore so they are like "what? you can rent a garage and do this stuff for big bucks?" LOL LOL LOL look out men, we are taking your jobs
In my area nobody is asking $45 for an old dated nightstand from 40-50 years ago. I saw a bunch of similar bedroom furniture today at a thrift store for around $7.99 ea, including an entire dresser.
Would love to see another assembly line series but having learned from your "mistakes" - 6-8 nightstands only, black and white only, etc - and see what profit you got second time around
Love this idea!!!
Yes, same! Pretty please! Once you've recovered from this one. 😅
I was thinking that exact same thing! Once she recovers of course 😜 then her numbers would be more accurate and then she will see she’s a rockstar no doubt! Wtg! Thanks for sharing!!
Oooo… refining the experiment! Great idea!
Most definitely.
You mentioned that the sets being mis-matched was one reason you listed them at a lower price than the matching sets. I would suggest that the mis-matched sets are far more interesting. You could think of them as complementing each other--like a married couple. It's the differences between them that make them work so well together. 🙂
I agree totally. It looks so nice
Yes they looked High End "Designer"! I'd list them at $ 1,300 a pair. Especially the Faux wood that she didn't like. They looked AMAZING!!!!!
I agree! Especially when they're mismatched in functionality - one has two drawers while one has a drawer and a cabinet for example. Each person in that couple may have different uses for their bedside table.
I never met a person that bought used furniture for ridiculous prices.@@Nadezh-da144
Completely agree! Many people like that eclectic look, so these are perfect. And I love your comparison of a married couple. One compliments the other.😊
The mismatched sets are the right kind of mismatch. They’re the same height and color, and the legs and hardware are the same. I’d prefer that over an exactly matched set any day. They all look great!
Exactly!! The height and style matching up makes all the difference
Totally agree with this! I think the fancy white one with the scroll stuff in the middle would actually look even better with some of the distressing like the black one had.
As a small business teacher I have so much respect and admiration for your craftsmanship, your tracking of your costs and time and your willingness to share this with others. You are gifted, hardworking and kind. You should be so proud of yourself.
Thank you so much!
I love the teacher vibe of this comment. I know, you started off stating that, but I had second hand pride for Abby! 💙
You are very sweet girl and good example to other young generation what you can do to make money ! Good job baby ! Don’t give up ! You will be millionaire at one day !
Getting a "ridiculous" amount of nightstands to test your assembly line efficiency is what earned you a new subscriber. I really enjoyed the mini series and learning things like "When in doubt, roll it out!"😂👍
Yes i subscribed because of this series. I am recently forced into retirement and need to find something to occupy my time and brain. I am doing my own furniture first for the experience then will branch out from there. See if I like it and where it takes me.
Please please do not get discouraged 😢. You were pretty perfect un your product and design was spot on. You have a vision and think of the happy customers! New Mt nightstands were $350 each 20 years ago! Not to mention you are teaching us. Your time is precious and I don't want you to be sad. I love your content and personality and you keep it real! Hey you never know the series could hit 1M view or gain new viewer and I see that you tube paid one of my peeps $7000 when their video got 1 M views!! Have you factored that in? The patience in that process is what it is but if you are not confident.... no one wants to see that. Please believe in yourself and your standards are meticulous! I enjoyed this so much! Perhaps do 3 at a time and not 18! You aren't an assembly line. You are a one person go getter! I love that! Be encouraged! ❤
I’m happy about everything I learned!! I just really wanted to encourage people 😆
I’m so thankful for the way this whole series has performed on UA-cam 😭 I never could have expected it to be this great. I didn’t factor that income into the video because I know not everyone has a social media platform, but it has paid more than the nightstands themselves
@Bluegrassprincess
I second all she wrote!
@flippedbyabby AND, more spinning the wheel game show style. It was just fun. I think it might bring another batch of people to your channel. Do it with a set of tables, desks, dressers... Include all your learning in the new process, like bot having too much underfoot. And maybe consideration for length of challenge like a break in the middle that you can talk about or even document. Although maybe that would make it a working vacation so maybe not. Lol ❤
@@DontUBaDivaI think she was wise to do this experiment with night stands because they are small, plentiful, and most people have a use for at least one set, possibly even more than one set. Anything larger like a dresser will require more paint/time and the potential buyer pool will be smaller. Many people don't have space for a desk, and most people only have one table. Painting chairs is surprisingly time-consuming. Bookcases are often easy due to very few details, but they take a LOT of paint. I painted two tall ones and ended up having to order a second tub of Fusion Mineral Paint, which isn't cheap. I'm not saying she can't turn a profit with other furniture flips, just that the results will definitely be different.
This was your first go at flipping that many units- $24.00 an hour PLUS the value of all the lessons you've learned is immeasurable.
Agreed!! Next one will be better
Your video is so inspiring and taught so many lessons!! You should be proud of yourself for such a great video!!
No fair ... where are they?
I liked the white ornate ones the best, lol.
The UA-cam algorithm showed me the first video in this experiment, and I immediately binged the series. I was very excited to see this video was up! Loved all the details and numbers.
Same! What a great series and what a great way for her to get subscribers! 😊
Me too. Gotta keep up series like this
Me too. :D
Same!
Same here ❤
Re:mixing wood tones. Maybe you can stage those next with other wood tones (like wooden decor, a bowls, a chair) to subconsciously send a message to buyers that actually dif tones of wood do look fabulous together
This is a great idea!!
Awesome idea
Great idea, although she did have the simulated wood flooring in her staging.
Abby, don’t you know that mismatched furniture is THE thing to do right now. We are avoiding “matchy matchy” like the plague. I think you did a terrific job on all of them!
Exactly! I like mismatched stuff, every piece adds character to your place and no house will ever look the same that way. Plus, you don't need to limit yourself to one style, which is perfect way to avoid having to restyle your home. You just have to rearrange furniture to get a completely new look
I came for that. what she is doing (by accident) is genius. Because she creates sets that are not the same, yet clearly sets. Carbon cooy nightstand sets are awful. Like sleeping in a hotel. This is a nice compromise where cover and handles match yet they are different enough to please the eye.
@@HollyMarieF69 Yup, there is even studies done that show that too much “marchioness” tires the brain and eyes!
Look at nature; there is sameness and harmony and yet an abundance of variety as well!
Personally I have never cared for matchy-matchy. Cohesive but visually interesting is so much better IMO.
@HollyMarieF69 I totally agree except the trend where they're putting 2 to 3 of the same side by side to use as large TV/entertainment storage in living rooms.
Regardless of the actual numbers, I (some random woman you don’t know), am so proud of you! You had an idea, you set a high goal, and you did it! Amazing! Congratulations!! And, I know you gained more followers. Super!!
I saw discouragement on your face and I yelled at my tv. “You’re a machine!” You did something that no one’s tried so OF COURSE you’ve learned from it. It was outstanding!!! Please don’t get burned out like that again though. I could feel it myself. Great job. Awesome flips and profits. Thank you for sharing this. 🎉
LOL thank you so much!! I’m too hard on myself!
@@flippedbyabbywhen trying anything new, mistakes and learning are happening. If you made zero mistakes and everything went perfectly, what would you have learned? That would be mastery, which averages about 10,000 hours, on average, right?
I did a rough recalculation of the numbers given, for only the twelve black and white nightstands. Somewhere 30-35 dollars per hour would be the rate then. Interesting series nonetheless! I never saw the channel before, but came across it all the last couple of days.
Omg thank you so much for this!! That is a much better hourly rate!
I was going to suggest doing this again but with an amount that WOULD BE efficient and the color that sells best to see what hourly rate it would be at max efficiency and style! Thanks for doing the math!
Yes, I would watch that series too of just 4 black and 4 white sets batched.
I was wondering this same thing when she was doing the profit breakdown, and you saved me from having to do the math!😆
What a fun series this was, Abby! Really enjoyed the final breakdown. Very informative.
I would love to see you try out this project again implementing the lessons you learned - sticking with white and black and maybe off white - having sets that will fit in your garage/work space etc. you did a fabulous job! Thanks for sharing.
Yes do it again with lessons learned.
An Independent Trucker here.
I have no idea why this video showed up in my feed but I'm so glad it did! I watched the whole thing!
You did a wonderful job on the furniture AND the video... it was a great topic! I'm a self-employed "numbers" man and really enjoyed this video.
I read your Channel Description and am impressed with it's short and concise point. Keep going and you'll achieve your goal of a house on the river. 👊🤙
Terrific Job!!
That set 7, the very open set with only 1 drawer each: might be a good idea and pivot and sell them as end tables for living rooms instead of night stands. That open design is more like end tables.
oh definitely since living room's always have more knick knacks to show off.
You did a great job! Mismatched is more popular now than matchy-matchy. Bleached wood looks seem to sell well too. 7 was my favorite, but so many cool sets that I'd love to have in my home. I was thinking display 7 with a photo of them with baskets in the open area, and yes list as occasional, end table, or nightstands.
The only thing with sofa tables is that oftentimes those tables may not be against a wall, therefore the backs will show. I don't think the backs of these were finished. But maybe she could add a backing and trim it out to look finished before painting.
As someone who always urges people to think about the hours they're going to spend working out their business idea I really like how you did a profit by hour breakdown for any future entrepreneurs who watch this.
Thank you!
I’m impressed. You saved those nightstands and made them lovely
Thank you so much!
There seems to be a trend that furniture pieces should “go together” rather than match. Like shoes and purses.
Mismatching is whimsical. Very appealing.
I have a small SUV so can’t haul much. Due to this video series, I plan to find random pieces and bring them home one by one and make mismatched sets. Painted the same so they coordinate and let the buyers pick them up with a bigger vehicle.
Yes! I was surprised at how much I liked the mismatches! It adds personality!
Abby… Please do not get discouraged, this was your first attempt at the assembly line… how would you have expected to be perfect if you didn’t know everything you learned from it by actually doing it?? Science experiments to develop a drug to treat an illness take years of trial and erroneous until perfected.
I’ll tell you what is so admirable about you (besides being so pretty of course! 😊) You are the first one doing this experiment and posting this super interesting series, as many have said, you should make it your signature and keep doing the series applying what you learned from the previous. You do this by yourself… of all of the furniture flippers I follow (many of them) you are the only one that does not have a husband or boyfriend helping when stuff gets tricky, it is hard work and you figure it out by yourself and that right there is admirable and inspiring for other flippers at home that don’t have any help. Please keep going, you just rock!!!
Thank you so much!! I may have gotten myself into a pickle here 😂 it’s SO much work! But I definitely think doing big projects like this in a series are the move! I have an exciting project coming up that is also sort of a furniture selling experiment!
You made an AWESOME video series! Thank you! I do a faux wood finish just using my regular furniture paint and glaze, no specialty finish. I’ve sold MANY pieces using this technique. I use different brushes and recently incorporated using a whisk broom after watching Black Sheep House demonstrating her technique. Your pieces ended up being SO beautiful after you worked your magic! ❤️
Thank you so much!!! I definitely haven’t perfected the faux wood finish yet, but it definitely takes some serious patience in my opinion
I agree! I really enjoyed this video series too. I've only done an ugly metal fireproof man door to make it look like an expensive oak entrance door. It turned out great. I just used paint and stain and a cheap wood grain tool. I might try it on furniture after reading your comment. 😊
@@flippedbyabbyI really enjoyed your series. My first time watching you and I subscribed. 😊
This was the first time you ever did something like this! I think that fact that you were willing to even try something like this to show us it is possible… that is amazing! I sure most of us here truly appreciate all of your efforts!
As a scientist, I appreciated this more than I care to admit.
LOL thank you!! Somewhat of a social experiment!
@@flippedbyabby No, a scientific experiment! This could be a great project for a school student to learn about many different aspects.
You did great! And I love the heartfelt feedback and encouragement you are receiving. All true. ❤️
I wouldn't get too down on yourself about your efficiency. You know what you're doing, and you did a good job. The first time anyone attempts an assembly line isn't going to be as efficient the first time. The first time you do an assembly line shouldn't be viewed as anything more than a learning experience on where to make adjustments.
This is a great point! Now I know how to be more efficient moving forward!
Yes, and at least you got a great UA-cam series from it as well!
Thank you for sharing all the numbers and lessons. Chin up Love, you did us all a huge service. We learn from your lessons. You made a profit, the experience/ experiment paid off. Thank you again! :)
@@flippedbyabby practice will make it more efficient, and please consider the filming counts in the hours, so what you made off of sharing these on UA-cam should count as part of the profit. I became a follower because of this series.
Absolutely love the mismatched night stands but painting them the same unifies them such a smart idea💗
I totally agree!
Your honesty and desire to share your results with us is MUCH appreciated!
15:42 I”m truly not surprised by the ones that sold first. You did a great job with all the sets especially having them the same height! It’s like the women in a wedding party same color of dress but a different style. I absolutely LOVED this series ❤😘🇨🇦
Next time, try 8 nightstands and paint them all black. Take what you've learned and go towards more efficiency. You can do it!
I think this right here is the correct answer. Just cutting out the wood colored pieces, and doing some very rough math, that should bring her hourly rate above $30 an hour.
Skip the faux wood. People are really wanting a real word they see the value in that. Also you can put forward color on with cheesecloth.😊
The color doesn't look black though. To me it looked like a grey-blue.
@@Selena9999I paused the video halfway through and then came and watched the second half later. Forgetting that she said she was painting some of them black, I thought for sure those first several sets she said she sold were a dark grey-blue.😮
The white detailed is beautiful
First of all, though I have no interest in doing any furniture refinishing myself, I found this a pleasure to watch. You have a pleasantly straightforward manner.
Second, the pieces all turned into swans. Couldn’t have imagined any of it from the ugly duckling stage.
Third, I guess I just enjoy watching someone else work hard.
Thanks for some very enjoyable quiet time.
I love the first one best, but I really like #8.
The white ornate stands would look amazing in your current room! I love those.
They are gorgeous. My favourite.
I agree! I love the white ornate ones! I am sure they will sell soon.
Those were my favorite as well!
Thank you!! I fixed the upside down foot in case anyone was wondering 😂
My back hurts just listening to you describe all this labor. 😅 You did a wonderful job!!! Very inspiring.
lol thank you so much!!
So, you learned a lot about the work and your strengths and challenges. That is time well spent, IMO.
I’d rather spend the money restoring real wood than making a fake wood, but that’s just me. I really prefer the painted pieces.
You are one individual and not an actual factory so perhaps trying to do a factory line situation wasn’t the appropriate thing for one person to do. Since you’re efficiency was impacted by your amount of space then probably keeping it to one set of bedroom furniture or maybe three sets of nightstands would work better because efficiency is just about getting the most done. It’s about getting the most done in the space that you have. You did a great job. I think that the mismatched selling is largely impacted by the fact that we have been taught to laugh at matchy matchy since we were born. Eclectic works in most aesthetics. People buying used furniture are probably more predisposed to appreciate or accept a more creative approach .
Thank you so much!! I totally agree with everything you said. Probably going to stick with restoration and solid painted pieces from now on unless specific faux wood techniques is requested by a customer! I think where the product really shines is when it’s not real wood, which even a lot of quality furniture isn’t solid wood. I just hate seeing things go to the landfill!
@@flippedbyabby I won’t lie-I love paint and have proudly rejuvenated not real wood with paint.
I think the best way to do this to max profits is to do all of them the same color. Do one round all black. Next time you can do all white. But not having the change out the paint sprayer and buying 5gallons of paint instead of 1 gallon paints would save money as well.
I totally agree!
If you had not done the faux wood and done those three as black, you would have reduced your hour count by around 20 hours, expenses by about $100 and increased net revenue by $300-400 (based on the selling price for the black sets). That would put you at $36/hr. If you increase listing price across the board by 20% and wait for full value over longer time you can close in on $50 an hour.
The series was excellent to watch, and given the value of the knowledge you gained, probably well worth it even at the $24/hr mark.
Yes, I think she should have charged more and let offers come in. She definitely would have more profit that way.
I love the way you analyzed every step of your operation. Another thing to consider is how much you enjoy what you’re doing. It’s obvious that you put your heart and soul into your work. Thank you for all of the tips on furniture flipping. Also, I love your dog!
Great point! That’s the most valuable takeaway from all of this! 🫶 and Hannah is an angel hehe
UA-cam shared your first video of this series and I have enjoyed watching the whole series and getting to know you.
Your styling wall, tool organization, approach to seeing mismatched furniture pieces, transparency about the truth of how you felt each day and overall can-do spirit really inspired me! You are awesome!!!! 🎉🎉🎉
Love hearing that you are experiencing success in your chosen field. I love seeing experiments...the results apply to many things beyond the actual experiment.
Joy in the moment is something many people don't talk about and it seems to be an ineffable quality, yet it is so important.
So glad you experimented and learned so much about flipping and yourself and you generously shared with all of us! Thank you! Your videos are very very good! Always fun to see the surprises!
Best to you. Keep shining bright! 💖💖💖
some other things to note....you have to also include the fact that you WILL make profit off of the videos being posted here for this project. Granted, then you have to include time spent for editing and uploading and the likes, and that, in theory, could be a whole other side hustle profit margin. I would take this information and combine it onto one budget sheet, where this hustle is it's own set of #s and the UA-cam is another. Any other sponsorships and the likes as well to be included. You are a business. Don't get discouraged. The worth of this project is larger than you think ;)
Thank you so much! I definitely tracked those incomes and expenses as well! That is my primary source of income
Don't get too discouraged, you were efficient for doing this assembly line process the first time. You got lots of good data and ideas for improvement that will make the next assembly line better. Those of us who have filmed themselves working do not underestimate the time and effort it takes to set up the shot and reset again and again. This was a great series. I appreciate the time and effort you invested to bring it to us.
Thank you so much!! My mind is definitely buzzing with ideas now
The white set that didn't sell, I'm shocked. That set is gorgeous! I'd have that set in my house in a heart beat
As a serial entrepreneur I can say this: the fact that you went over break even on a first run is a very good sign. Keeping track of the numbers is needed for survival. As a general rule of thumb, when self-employed, at least half your hourly is taken by taxes and insurance. So, you made $14/hour. So you definitely want to refine quite a bit more to get the numbers higher.
I love set #5! Put Boho in the ad and someone might snatch them up. Sometimes people need ideas
For sure, people use search terms like boho, MCM, farmhouse etc to search marketplace for their style. The algorithm also likely knows that Abby usually sells sleek, classic or traditional pieces and shows her stuff more often to people who usually click into those types of listings
I loved this. I would love to see you do this again but swap out the faux wood for more colorful paints. It would be faster (and cheaper) and would be fun to see if weird colors would sell. Thank you!
Wait… this is a genius idea. I recently learned that BOLD colors like hot pink actually sell very well! I need to try that next
I agree with this. It seems like gen z really likes bold pops of color! Just looking at what is being sold at furniture stores these days it’s natural woods, oak finishes, or bright colors. For me, if I’m gonna have painted furniture, I would like to have a nice dark green or bold blue mixed with natural wood accents. I think I would like that over faux painted wood(plus the faux wood seems like so much extra work/time).
I’ve recently started doing some bolder colors because someone mentioned my grays and whites were “boring.” Lol. Some have sold, others still waiting. I’d love to see how colors do in your area.
@@flippedbyabby Gray is very popular right now too. Not dark gray but just gray. Not light and not dark, just gray. You could try a gray set or a few gray sets
@@julien2912 I know that cars are different, but I just bought a new gray Honda recently and now I'm seeing like 1000 gray cars in all makes.... gray is definitely in when it comes to cars!
Honestly, I think you're underestimating how much time filming yourself added to your work. Most furniture UA-camrs say they that filming more than doubles the amount of time it takes them. If true, that would double your hourly rate!
With that in mind, I think adding in the UA-cam revenue would give a closer real number.
Yes I also think that adding the income earned from the videos should be included to the overall hourly rate.
My favorite set was the white one that didn’t sell. I absolutely love those!! 🤩👍
Thank you so much!
The white design that didn’t sell I loved best totally beautiful . ❤
The open shelved ones were by far the most appealing to me. Flanked at each end of a desk with matching lamps would be stunning!
Excellent series and a clear, honest and analytical evaluation on what worked and what you would do differently. I think you did extremely well. You didn’t have a perfect physical work space for that volume, and you had to push through fatigue to get things finished. I’m guessing you might have sacrificed some of the creative enjoyment because of the time pressures and amount of work. Don’t be hard on yourself! You inspired me to go out and find two pieces to refinish and I think everyone who sees this will admire your dedication and the lessons you’ve taught us. Great work, great videos and looking forward to the next ones after you take a well earned rest 👍
Set #7 would probably benefit from adding a shelf in each, that is a big space, especially with the drawer at the bottom. As someone else suggested, they may do better staged as end tables instead of night stands - fill that big space with books or records.
Maybe add a glass shelf?
I think you did a great job!!! You learned a lot, and taught your audience at the same time. I can’t imagine stopping to film and move the camera several times, then editing and all that entails. Thank you so much for this experience that you included us on. I hope you are able to sell the rest of the night stands quickly and for a good price! God Bless You!! ❤
I'm a new follower because of this series! So, I hope your subscribers increased as part of your wages. It sounds like you learned a lot. I can't believe the amount of time it took you to just move them in and out of your garage so anytime you thought u save in an assembly line was consumed by moving. I'm going to advocate for you and say don't do this again "for us." Keep with your gut on not being pressured to find specific pieces or what really shocked me was your disappointment in colors when you spun the wheel. You're the artist, stay with your gut on what sells. What I appreciated the most out of this was seeing you take 2 mismatched nightstands and making them a set. As a viewer of hundreds of furniture refinishing and this series being the first ones of your I watched. It is what made you stand out to me. Good luck, take some time off and I'm excited to go back and see some of your previous videos!
It would be fun to see you re-do this video concept using the lessons you learned from this time around!
Sometimes being your own boss is worth more in sanity than any profit 😂
Only if you have the luxury of having a mother source of income available to dip into to pay all your bills on time, and this income is not needed to meet your monthly obligations to keep a roof over your head....!
Facts!
Since you were averaging 6 night stands per quart of paint, I'd say stick with 6 instead of 8 (so that you don't need a 2nd quart of paint to finish the project). Kind of aligning the scale of the task to the unit size the materials come in. ;) 3 sets per quart. LOL
Honestly I really like the mismatched sets. The chunky black with the distressed corners are my favorite set
Me too!!
This series was fantastic. It was basically a dissertation project in Furniture Flipping University! I would enjoy you doing a series on creative pieces with colors or redesigns. Also it might be interesting to do a comparison episode with a full bedroom set with bed, dresser and nightstands since there were people who worried about "matching" wood tones (example, compare a black mismatched set with a faux wood set.) Furniture stores sell entire matching sets all the time. The furniture set wouldn't have to be all from the same line, it might be fun to pick a bed from one manufacturer, and nightstands from a different one, and dresser from a third that are similar. Lastly, the faux wood look can be achieved without the name brand in your video for much less, but it is still a time sucker.
Thank you so much!! Furniture flipping university 😂 that’s hilarious. My wheels are definitely turning now
I loved the white one that didn't sell! everything about it was great!
Thank you!! They just sold!
You might want to add additional time to your total hours for all of the time involved with selling the pieces. Dealing with people on FB is time consuming. Whether its responding to messages to setting aside time in your day to meet with people. Especially when some people setup a specific time to come over and then cancel or reschedule an appointment. 😉
That is a great point!! Luckily they all pretty much sold right from the garage really fast. I’m pretty cut and dry on marketplace 😂😅 so it maybe could add on a couple extra hours to the total for sure
You did such an amazing job....they are all so beautiful! You accomplished something most people just dream about. GOOD JOB! and nice video!
Thank you so much!!
We learn from our failures faster than all most anything else, so my takeaway is you learned several things not to do and will get better at the things that did work.
Exactly! Now I can be more productive moving forward
This was amazingly informative! Thank you.
I think you should repeat the experiment with the below amendments.
1. Source product from 1-2 bulk locations.
2. Select items that have less appliqué features, even if not solid wood
3. Only do 12 items.
4. Do black, white, block colour in trend colours of season.
5. Only film selection, couple of fixed location setting shots of refurbish in fast forward, with music and voice over telling about what you're doing, and reveal. Breakdown and learnings from exp 1 and exp 2.
I use a old-fashioned sturdy putty knife when I’m removing trim, it’s thin it doesn’t damage veneer because it goes close to the veneer and you won’t need to pry it off. You tap it with a hammer and just keep going switching sides gently tapping until you break through the glue.
I love how honest you are with all of this. Truly being transparent about all of it. It is rare these day and I really appreciate you
Raise your prices. Optimize your advertising. Make your stuff cult. 😊
That's the plan! I need to be utilizing my social media more for marketing my furniture
@@flippedbyabby Yes. And have always a look of what others do. Even design companys with expensive stuff. With special coats, colours and patterns you can create and unique and more worthy look for a higher profit. Maybe you can talk or cooperate with some design students for contemporary ideas. If you make nightstands for example, you can integrate smart USP connections or lamps inside. Stuff like this. :-)
When the algorithm showed me this video, I had no plans and no interest on flipping or buying new furniture since I already have too many in the house. However I ended up watching this til the end as it was very interesting
It’s not my style, but I actually like the more ornate white ones. But you are 100% correct that it will take a specific kind of person to buy those. They just don’t seem as modern.
Mismatch sells as long as the mismatch isn’t wildly off. Consistent design elements, plus matching paint and hardware, go a long way.
I would be interested in another series where you redo this challenge using the information you gained. I believe could more then double your profit margin.
Me too. Knowledge is power that in this case would translate to money without a doubt.
Totally agree with this!! I think I will (once the weather cools down again😂) it’s 100 degrees here
Invest in Making or buying several sets of flat rolling dollies the fit the approx size of the nightstands. Then all you need to do us roll them out. You can paint right on the dollies somehow Im sure. The mental and physical fatigue of hauling them out daily is a huge drain in efficiency it seems. I dread dragging stuff in and out of my shop. Rolling them is so quick and easy and kills the dread. I agree less dressers or at least splitting the batches up would cut down that nagging feeling in the back of your mind of having sooo many to do. Good job though. A good solid 3 in 1 scraper, thin pry bar and rubber mallet causes far less damage to fix later. That screw driver was hard to watch. Ouch! 😮. Overall a great job. !!
This was such an interesting series. Thank you, Abby, for taking us along for your experience and honestly recapping all the pros and cons. You did a great job and I'm sure the last 3 sets will sell soon.
I much prefer the mismatched. When it comes to sets, variety with similar shape but same style, allows for consistency in the room decor plus a robust look overall in the atmosphere. Personally, I think identical sets look cheap. If you were to buy the pieces brand new, you'd need to buy them single at full price then pay to refinish them; so, yes, it is more expensive to have variety in a mismatch set. Buying matching nightstands will be at a bulk discount in reality so yes, mismatched is more luxurious.
Please don’t get discouraged Abbey! You did a good job and you learned from the trail run! Everything you said that you learned are very valuable and if you implement them, you’ll be fine!
I loved the ornate white nightstand and would have had no problem snatching them up, but i just changed my colors in my room, and they no longer go with my look. Thank you for the great videos and information.
Just want to chime in that I love the mismatched sets THE BEST!
Me too!!! Thank you!
UA-cam shared your 1st video in this series & I’m so glad it did! I’ve really enjoyed your channel!! I definitely think sometimes we embark on monumental projects that can create burnout. I’m guilty of this as well. I’m also a perfectionist & think smaller more manageable projects enable me to produce the high quality results I desire. That said, you did an amazing job & everything turned out beautifully & you should be very proud!! - Julie
Thank you so much!! Welcome aboard 🙌
Yes!! You should definitely do more of the assembly line projects, that's what's setting your channel apart from the rest, it makes your channel unique. I thought this series was very interesting to watch and binge on! Don't give up!
Thank you so much!! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Yes they were miss matched, BUT they had enough in common with the additions that you did to marry them as a pair. You did a FANTASTIC job unifying the pairs!
I would ditch the faux wood and remove more of the fiddly detail.
I agree that you'd have been more efficient working on half the amount.
So I hope that you're not discouraged because you did this as an experiment and the most important thing was to learn from this which you absolutely did! Failure isn't bad it's how we learn❤ I would also add in the revenue you get from the videos because you put your time in to doing that as well in this process which I think would increase your hourly wage.
Well said! I’m actually feeling more encouraged now with all the info I’ve learned and the feedback I’ve gotten from everyone! Thank you so much for watching 🙌
@@flippedbyabby that's fantastic! (I'm sure a little rest also helped 😉) Keep at it❤️
Those nightstands with the big open space and one drawer are perfect for an airbnb.
Going forward, are you only going to do black and white? Seems the juice isn't worth the squeeze with the faux wood considering labor required and the "I don't know if it will match my existing furniture" appetite.
Great video, can't wait to see more!
Agreed! I also think green and navy are good colors
I just want to thank you for your honesty...it's refreshing. I think also this process can reduce your creativity when tired etc and also your random wheel choosing what was going to be what could reduce sales too instead if the individual pieces speaking for themselves 😊
Again I don’t think the faux wood ones not selling as well is about mixing and matching wood tones. It’s about the look of fake wood. Two slightly different tones of real wood still look good together. Faux wood on a real wood floor or next to real wood furniture looks worse than black or white. All of your work and time invested is extremely commendable, and that’s probably a learning experience. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Loved this series, such a great challenge! Thanks for sharing your experience and results.
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching :)
If you do another series it would be really cool if you saved the finish of those in good enough condition to just varnish them. That way you could have the three finishes with less work!
None of them were in good enough condition not to refinish 😅
You are selling the "mismatched" nightstands short. I love ❤ them. As a couple, I like that the nightstands are the same colour, but a little different. When the nightstand is different from my husband's, it really feels like "mine". Its special.
I think the mis-matched units sold because they were similar in some areas. There used to be a lot of people that would buy sets of "His and Hers" chairs, nightstands, etc. that were similar, but unique. The Hers would possibly have a more feminine design, or fabric, and the His would be more masculine and simple in its design. It like that idea of not everything being matchy matchy, and apparently, so do some of your customers.
I have one white nightstand and one weathered gray nightstand in my bedroom. Completely different looks. But, I’ve never in my life had a matching set of anything in my bedroom!
I really liked the white ones with the natural wood bases. I prefer cleaner lines and the bases made them appear more matched than they would be if they had not had them. I think I would lean for more of the white and black furniture because white and black matches everything, but I did particularly like the white with the wood bases because the bases made them look modern.
I think it also depends on what city you are in/what the demographics are. Where I am located, most people have very modern homes and we don’t really have any vintage shops so I don’t see people with vintage furniture in their homes often. I have lived in a smaller city before that had tons of vintage shops and just more of a “small town feel” and many people had ornate furniture with intricate designs. Just in general there were more estate sales and garage sales in the smaller town compared to the larger city I am now in. Most places to get furniture here in the bigger city are large chain places. Fb marketplace in my larger city is basically full of people trying to resell ikea furniture for very close to the same price they bought it for. I’m surprised the ones with the open shelf and only one drawer haven’t sold yet because I considered that style be one of the best looking ones, maybe people didn’t like the finish? I think those just need more time for more bites.
I think you did an excellent job but I do think the 18 was over the top and overwhelming. I enjoyed your videos. You showed up on my FB timeline so I came over to watch the whole series.
Totally agree! Thank you so much for watching the series and coming from FB 🙌
My favorite have always been the white ones left! lol. If you want to ship them to me at no extra cost! lol.
This was a good video, have always wondered how people make money doing this. I appreciate your method of teaching and taking us along with all the ups/downs etc.
Thank you!! It just sold yesterday!
That first set that sold looked to be, by far, the highest quality set from the start--before you did any work on it. You did a beautiful job on them as well, but it may be the high quality, perfect proportions, etc that helped them sell so fast (meaning, don't be discouraged by your work on the ones that took longer--it may have more to do with the physical proportions than anything else, as all of your work looks well done).
Also, if you removed the faux wood set that you bought at the very end to "fill your truck" that you said cost too much, and took the most work, you'd have a more accurate hourly rate for your time moving forward. Congratulations on your successful research and on turning a profit while helpoing others and saving things from disuse or, worse yet, the landfill.
This is a great point! I might need to do some recalculations for hypothetical research
I would LOVE to see you do this again (I know) and apply everything you learned!! Only do as many as you can fit in your space, do more black and wood, etc. that would be super interesting!
I totally agree!! I think I will in the late fall when the weather cools off!
I’m going to get hate for this but that’s ok, I can take it 😂. ***Obligatory incendiary statement trigger warning***I can’t believe that stripping off all the details make people want them more. To each their own, I guess. To me, why would you want things more plain jane and basic? Just to be “modern”? Modern is so boring to me. It’s like a canvas with nothing on it. A person’s face with no details, or something. To me, when you see the places on movies with character and class, they are never basic and plain. Look at any European estate or elegant wealthy country manor house either in person or on TV and you’ll see nothing is plain jane. Everything is elaborate, because the details cost real money to obtain. That’s what sets their homes apart from what the rest of us have. Fine details, raised relief, moldings, elaborate trim work, etc etc. It’s like we’re trying to look like basic “bee” poor people nowadays 😂. I do like the finishes on these pieces though. They look better painted.
Read "From Bauhaus to Our House". It's a short book but really interesting. It explains how we got from beautiful detailed work like you describe, to plain, "modern", factory looking stuff.
@@squoctopus that’s interesting, I’ll look into it. Thanks!
Thanks for being honest about the whole process and your energy expense emotionally and physically. I love all of your work on these nightstands and just the idea of doing this kind of "experiment". We have learned from your experience and that is so appreciated.
You need painters cloth instead of tarps. They are cotton and absorb the paint. They are washable (dirt comes out not paint) no flakes.
This is great info! Thank you :)
Hi Abby!!
Just subscribed after watching this video, absolutely love your dedication to your craft & your video editing!
I enjoyed watching this entire 26mins without skipping forward as I usually do haha.
Super cool that you try to be more efficient & take us through that process.
Please do not be discouraged, that was a very good first run & you gathered so much data from this experience!
Now you can only go upwards :)
Thank you so much!! I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I can’t wait to use all the knowledge I’ve learned
It takes me twice as long to film any project. I think anyone who’s doing it without filming could easily double the hourly rate (get it done in half the time) for a solid estimate.
Even a PB&J would take twice the time. The camera work just takes way more time that anyone could imagine before they try it themselves.
That’s very true!
I respect the hustle and time and effort you put into this series. If i could add something that i think would of helped, Is if an item gets a lot of attention and people demand it then you should raise the cost for your benefit. You would be selling your self short as there's few supply but a high demand for it. Black might of sold faster but you did have to lower the price a little on them where as white sold for asking price every time so even though black went faster, white had the higher yield. So many valuable lessons in this series that all hobbyist would appreciate. Amazing job.
I would equate what you did as part of RND process. As a test run with that type of profit margin is pretty good, and you got tons of valuable information which, if your audience decides to pick up on furniture flipping, they would be able to start off more efficiently as a result.
I imagine if someone kept going with the tips you learned they would be able to run a lucrative furniture flipping gig.
Also really love how the finished products turned out! Gave me the confidence to attempt refurbishing some stuff I was hesitant on buying!
I really appreciate this point of view! Exactly, it was a test! So now we can go and be super efficient!