Latest news with #Philly-area
Miami Herald
24-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
These online resellers bring in hundreds of dollars a month. Here's how they do it
PHILADELPHIA - In Society Hill, Angela Tate makes an extra $200 a week on average, on top of her full-time job. Across the river in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, Katie Repko brings in about $500 to $700 a month while taking care of a newborn. In Philadelphia's Far Northeast, Kristin Doll made $75 in minutes - with just a photo of a discontinued "Aquamarine" Bath & Body Works lotion and a few clicks. These Philly-area residents have found success with an often-hit-or-miss side hustle: selling stuff online. "My best week was probably around $400, while working full-time," said Tate, 34. She is now scaling back her nannying career to focus on building her Closet Happy Hour social media pages into a full-blown online business. On the secondhand market, Tate said, "there is money to be made, and I love it." As persistent inflation has tightened household budgets, more U.S. consumers have taken on side hustles in recent years. Reselling clothing, accessories, furniture, home decor, and other items can be an appealing way to bring in extra cash. It can be done from home, and many resale websites and apps now assist with the process, though some take a cut of sellers' revenue. Analysts expect the secondhand market to grow even more in the coming years. High demand for secondhand Successful resellers say the gig requires time, effort and patience but can pay off, now more than ever. Repko, a 36-year-old who has been reselling since college, said demand recently exploded, driven by Gen Z and millennial consumers who want to save money and reduce waste. "Why spend $300 on something when you can spend $50 on it after somebody wore it once?" Repko said, describing the mindset of secondhand-market devotees, including her Retail Rescue Consignment followers. Across seven platforms, Repko currently has about 3,000 listings - mostly women's clothing, accessories, and shoes. Local customers can try on items at her home before they purchase. Repko has become so skilled at reselling that her friends, relatives, and neighbors now enlist her to sell their unwanted items, letting her keep a cut of the sale. Repko said she is currently selling for 36 other people. Drew Lazor also sells for friends and family. The 41-year-old Philadelphia freelance writer turned his pandemic sneaker-resale hobby into an online consignment shop for things people in his life would otherwise throw away. "If I have a T-shirt that I don't want, I sell it to someone else. I make a little bit of money. I declutter my house, and it doesn't go into a landfill," Lazor said. "That's a win across the board." Struggles of the resale market For every online-marketplace success story, there are countless tales of people who post items and get few takers. Some also deal with sophisticated scammers, including those who use AI chatbots. As an apartment dweller in Media, Pennsylvania, Chelsea Williams said, she wishes she could sell home decor, clothes and shoes at a neighborhood yard sale, instead of dealing with the back-and-forth of Facebook Marketplace. She has made about $200 selling furniture and home decor there, she said, and no more than $50 selling clothes. "You have to stage the clothing," said the 35-year-old, who works in accounting. Household items, on the other hand, can be easier to sell with "just a picture of a box saying 'coffee maker.' " In Philadelphia's Northern Liberties, Julia Duong recently made $60 selling an Instant Pot on Facebook Marketplace that she bought for $100, then barely used. When it comes to clothes, she often ends up just giving them away. Regular resellers said they have learned to be patient, keep posting items, and utilize multiple platforms. At the right price, "everything sells eventually," said Alexandra Yeganeh, a 34-year-old stay-at-home mom in Philadelphia, who has sold thousands of items. "Some things sell in the same day. … Some things sit for years." How to make money selling online Successful resellers say confidence and persistence are key. "Setting up the infrastructure to do it is very tedious. It takes a while to get momentum and get rolling," said Lazor, who would recommend starting on "tried and true" eBay due to its ease of use and number of shoppers. "There is definitely no reason to be intimidated," said Doll, a 38-year-old dental assistant, who made about $1,000 in a few months selling clothes, home decor, and skincare items on Poshmark and Mercari. "You can put things up. You can delete them. You can relist things. You have nothing to lose." Buyers are drawn to listings with high-quality photos, in good lighting, from different angles, and modeled on a person if possible, resellers say. In the description, be up-front about imperfections, including photos of small marks or tears, so buyers don't complain that they were misled, Doll said. To set a price, resellers said, they look for similar listings using a reverse image search to get a sense of the going rate. Prices should account for wear and tear, and high-end clothing with original tags can command a higher price. Certain items might sell better on a specific platform. Yeganeh said she goes to Facebook Marketplace when she is selling larger items she would prefer to have picked up in person, like furniture. Children's clothing and baby items tend to find new homes quickly on Marketplace, too, she said. eBay, meanwhile, is where Yeganeh said she sells collectible items or anything that might appeal to an older generation. Depop is her go-to for listing trendy clothing and "anything '90s." Tate and Repko have found followings on their own resale Instagram and Facebook accounts. Tate teases "curated drops" - such as summer neutrals or wedding guest dresses - on her Closet Happy Hour Instagram and Facebook pages and posts during after-work hours or on Sunday nights. "You want as much visibility as you can get," Tate said. Resellers said the extra cash goes toward everything from groceries to bills to concert tickets. And, yes, sometimes, other items on the resale market. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Did Pope Leo XIV live in Delco? Pope's Philly connection is more than Villanova
History was made May 8 when Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV, the 267th leader of the Catholic Church. And, yes, the head of the Catholic Church has roots in Delco. Delco is the local nickname for Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a proud and sometimes rowdy suburban patch just west of Philadelphia. While the younger Prevost grew up in Chicago, his path to the papacy took a turn when he landed at Villanova University in the 1970s. There, tucked inside Radnor Township on Philadelphia's Main Line, Pope Leo XIV earned his mathematics degree in 1977 and, more importantly, joined the Order of St. Augustine, the religious community that runs Villanova. That means Delco had a role in shaping a future pope. Known for its strong Philly-area accent, no-nonsense attitude, and an undying love for Wawa, Delco is a community where dive bars, neighborhood rivalries, and fiercely loyal sports fans are as much a part of life as the historic sites and elite academic institutions like Villanova. HBO's hit show 'Mare of Easttown' showcased Delco's charm and grit. And Delco also gave rise to the likes of Tina Fey and Jim Croce, both of Upper Darby. When Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony at St. Peter's Basilica and addressed the world for the first time, Delco saw a pope who once walked their streets, sat in their classrooms, and went to their church. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Did Pope Leo XIV live in Delco? What to know about Philly burb
Axios
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Axios
ChatGPT picked these 3 horses to win the Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is Saturday — and Philly-area bettors are hoping to hit the trifecta. The big picture: The race is the "most exciting two minutes in sports," and one of the quickest ways to lose your hard-earned cash. People wagered $210 million on last year's race. 🔮 The intrigue: Axios Philly asked ChatGPT for some gut predictions on the horses with the best shot to come in the top-3. Here's what it says: 🥇 1st Place: Rodriguez (12-1) Rodriguez's front-running style and strong pedigree make him a formidable contender. 🥈 2nd Place: Journalism (3-1) Journalism has shown impressive form with three consecutive wins and has a favorable post position. 🥉 3rd Place: Sandman (6-1) Sandman has shown improvement and versatility, making him a horse to watch. 🚨 Long Shot to Watch: Final Gambit (30-1) Final Gambit is untested on dirt but could surprise with a breakout performance. 📺 How to watch: The race is at 6:57pm on NBC.
Technical.ly
21-04-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Philly restaurant analytics startup ClearCOGS raises $3.8M — thanks to its Chicago presence
Two Philly-area companies continue to raise money to support their AI-enabled platforms, but one founder says it's been difficult getting support from his home region. Healthtech company Proscia raised a whopping $50 million to support its continued growth from investors like Insight Partners, AI Capital Partners and Triangle Peak Partners. Data analytics company ClearCOGS raised $3.8 million in seed funding, and Philly founder Matt Wampler said seeking funding from firms outside the region brought more success. Funding flowed from the state this month, too. The Department of Community and Economic Development distributed grants to university research projects that support local manufacturing. Get all the details on the latest money moves below the chart, where we look at the top 10 companies hiring for tech jobs in the Philadelphia market and how that's changed since the previous month. ClearCOGS raises $3.8M, struggles with local investors ClearCOGS, an AI-based data analytics platform for restaurants, raised a $3.8 million seed round. The funding will support product development and help the company gain new customers. 'We can expand the reach of the number of restaurants we're able to serve,' Matt Wampler, cofounder and CEO of ClearCOGS, told 'As well as broaden the scope of the questions we can answer and the ways that we can deliver them.' The fundraising process drew attention to some drawbacks with Philly's startup ecosystem. Despite being heavily involved in the Philly startup community, Wampler has found it difficult to raise money from local investors. None of the company's investors so far have been from the region, he said. Instead, Chicago's ecosystem, where cofounder Osa Osarenkhoe is based, has turned out to be a lot more supportive. Most of its 12-person team is split between the two regions. 'I've had the debate of whether I should move to Chicago,' Wampler said. 'But I really like the [Philly] region. I like the people here, I like the founders here. I don't want to give that up.' ClearCOGS raised some money in the past, but this was its first big equity round, according to Wampler. Closed Loop Partners Venture Group led the round and Myriad Venture Partners and Level Up Ventures also contributed. Proscia promises more Philly jobs with its $50M raise Digital health company Proscia recently raised $50 million, which will support further adoption of its digital pathology platform Concentriq, increased use of AI and a local hiring push. Concentriq already offers a slate of AI features, and the funding will continue to support more AI applications and foundational models on the platform. The company also plans to introduce automation on Concentriq, CEO David West told 'The number of new cancer cases is rising, while the pathologist population is shrinking,' West said. 'Ensuring that pathologists can work faster and smarter is critical to patient care, and AI can play a pivotal role in making that possible.' The Center City-based company is also in the midst of a hiring push in all departments, with plans to add about 30 employees to its 100-person team, he said. The company saw a lot of growth in 2024, more than doubling its business by the end of the year, West said. The funding will help the company expand its reach even more to life sciences orgs and labs Proscia previously raised a $37 million Series C and a $23 million Series B. This latest round puts the company at $130 million raised at a $152 million valuation, according to PitchBook. 'We are now better positioned than ever to seize the opportunity ahead,' West said. 'And drive a new era of pathology and precision medicine. DCED invests millions to boost manufacturing Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is giving $2.8 million in grants to student research projects across the commonwealth as part of the Manufacturing PA Innovation program, including Philly-based universities. Projects from Drexel University, Temple University, Thomas Jefferson University and Villanova University were selected for grant funding and will be part of a fellowship program that connects them with local manufacturers. The projects address challenges in sectors that range from AI to semiconductor manufacturing to 3D printing. 'Pennsylvania is home to some of the finest research institutions in the country, and I know the work of the students and projects funded here today will help us continue to be a national leader in manufacturing and innovation,' said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. More Money Moves: Malvern-based pharmaceutical company Endo announced it will merge with Dublin-based pharma company Mallinckrodt. Endo shareholders will receive $80 million total in cash and will own 49.9% of the combined company. Mallinckrodt shareholders will own 50.1% of the combined company. Mayor Cherelle Parker allocated $67 million to open and run a new police forensics lab in University City. The lab will be at University Place 3.0, which has been missing an anchor tenant since completion in 2023, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. Paratek Pharmaceuticals acquired Yardley-based pharma company Optinose in a $330 million deal. Akuvo, a Malvern-based software company, raised $2.9 million, according to an SEC filing. Water treatment manufacturer ResinTech is planning to expand its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Camden, New Jersey, with a $10 million project. Phin Security, a Wilmington-based company that provides security awareness training, raised a seed round with funding from Squadra Ventures, Mantis, Inner Loop Capital, Mercato Partners and others. The startup declined to share the amount raised. Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Staffers charged with abusing 26 students at Pennsylvania school
Twenty staffers at a Pennsylvania charter school have been charged in connection with the physical abuse of more than two dozen children, some of them as young as 5 years old, prosecutors announced. All 26 alleged victims, ranging from kindergarteners to fifth graders, were enrolled in a behavioral and emotional support program at Chester Community Charter School called the Team Approach to Achieving Academic Success. They were each allegedly subjected to painful punishments at the Philly-area school, including what the students called 'shoulder work,' the office of Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said in a statement The tactic involved 'pinching students on pressure points near their necks, placing them in holds with their arms crossed in front of them, and having a knee applied to their back until the student was brought to the ground.' The young victims were also allegedly physically restrained at times as a form punishment. 'This case is every parents' nightmare,' Stollsteimer said. 'We send our children to school expecting the adults will keep them safe, not abuse them physically and emotionally,' he continued. 'Our investigation showed some staffers physically abusing children while others sat passively and watched.' An investigation into the matter was launched in January, after a 7-year-old boy told his parents he was afraid to go to school because his classmates were being physically restrained in a 'positive support room' on campus, according to an affidavit obtained by NBC News. The next day, the relatives of another 7-year-old came forward with similar allegations regarding the mistreatment of their child. Investigators went on to uncover roughly 100 incidents of alleged abuse, all of them caught on security cameras, the district attorney's office said. Of the 20 people charged, nine have been accused of abusing students. They are facing counts of conspiracy, simple assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a child and failure to report endangering the welfare of a child, the DA's office said. The other 11 have been charged with failure to report the alleged endangerment, and three of them have been placed on leave pending further investigation. Police said the latter group includes a 'dean of students' as well as 'teachers.' The suspects also include 17 contractors from a Chester-based third-party company called Peak Performers Staffing, according to school spokesperson Max Tribble. The school terminated its contract with the company after learning its contractors were using 'disciplinary methods which are strictly prohibited by the school,' he told the Philly Voice. 'The health and safety of our students is always our top priority and that is why we acted quickly to ensure that students would not be further subjected to any unauthorized disciplinary methods.'
