Helping to clothe and declutter

People who have too much material possessions such as clothing and toys are a perfect match for those who do not have enough and that is what Hewlett residents Andrew and Pam Liebowitz did in creating their home-based business Pam Me Downs.

The husband and wife team, a former mortgage broker and job recruiter, respectively, began the business last September in response to the economy and the idea that people patronize thrift stores looking for bargains, but most are shopping for unknown clothing brands. They officially became Pam Me Downs in December.

Collecting clothing that people don't want or need is sold at reduced prices. This solves two problems. Those in need are able to buy the better brands at severely reduced prices and those seeking to clean out or "declutter" their closets, can.

"When we ran out of our own clothing to sell, we thought about how many other people that we knew were sitting with closets full of good clothing people could use," Pam said. "We were shocked to see how many people had clothing that sat for months and even years, some with new tags."

After running out of their own clothing to sell, they began offering cash to people for their items. "Pam and I found that some people people were actually throwing clothing out, which is travesty, Andrew said. "We decided to approach people that were not handing it down to someone or donating it."

Using their professional experience, Andrew's real estate broker contact helped spread the word and Pam applied her skills to recruit people to declutter.

"Matching qualified applicants with employers was always my forte, matching outfits is definitely easier," Pam said.

Collecting nearly 1,000 bags of all different sized clothing since, they sold a majority of it on eBay and frequently donate to charities throughout Long Island and Queens.

"We often get e-mails from people in very bad economic situations," Andrew said. "We are always happy to help someone in need. We can't give it all away because it is still a business for us, but we do what we can. Nothing ever gets thrown out unless it is torn or unusable."

He said that people were excited about the opportunity to declutter, wanted to pass on what they didn't want to others and don't mind that Pam Me Downs is business.

One of those people is Hewlett Harbor resident Claire Glassman, who described herself as "a devoted client of Pam Me Downs," who has used the business to declutter several times through the past months.

"[I] think they have created, developed and continue to market and build a unique and amazing business," Glassman said. "And it's also nice to know that some of what is given to Pam Me Downs is given to people in need as well."

Andrew writes the marketing copy such as these lines, half of a seasonal promo. "Spring Cleaning is in the air, Time to make those closets bare. Make 2 piles of keep and chuck, The pile of chuck will bring you luck."

Melissa Fabel of East Rockaway took Pam Me Downs up on that offer. "It is a great way to get a couple of bucks and get rid of old clothing," said Fabel, who noted she has known the Liebowitzes for a long time. "In today's economy people are scrounging so it is a great way to make a contribution."

To help even more, instead of opening a retail store, Pam Me Downs is holding a Designer Clothing Blowout Sale event on Sunday, Sept. 12 at the Long Island Marriott Hotel in Uniondale from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. that the couple hopes to reach all of Long Island. New and used clothing ranging from $2 to $20 will be on sale.

"Andrew and I run the online sales together," Pam said. "We make a great team. As we are getting ready for this new phase of our business, we are asking family and friends to get involved in putting this event together."