They say one man's trash is another man's treasure. One Phoenix warehouse is filled with gems, and some of those gems can go to educators at a steep discount.
All Surplus Deals in west Phoenix has overflow or new, returned products at a fraction of the market cost. This year they’re partnering up with the non-profit organization Treasures 4 Teachers (T4T).
T4T Executive Director and Founder Barbara Blalock explained, "All Surplus sometimes gets returns of items that maybe the public doesn't want, but a teacher can use creatively in their classroom."
T4T is a member-based resource and supply store, according to its website. So with this partnership, All Surplus Deals can give T4T unique items it wouldn’t normally be able to offer teachers.
“They're getting stuff that would ordinarily end up in a landfill and our teachers are incredibly creative. And so, we can provide them with stuff that they wouldn't ordinarily get,” All Surplus Deals Consumer Marketing Manager at Liquidity Services, Meredith Diggs, said.
ABC15 went to tour the All Surplus Deals facility where the boxes going to T4T were ready to go. Teacher Jennifer Beam told her she's saved thousands of dollars through T4T over the years and she sees a world of possibilities all around the warehouse for her robotics class.
Beam said, “I can look at something and like, oh, this has a motor in it. I can repurpose it.”
Another example Diggs gave was showing a bent paper blind that was damaged in shipping. She said, “Maybe this gets cut into three fans for an art department.”
Those items go to the different T4T locations where teachers go shopping. There's a $35 membership fee for T4T and Beam said it's been worth every penny. She was made aware of All Surplus Deals through T4T and has even bought items directly from the warehouse for her classroom including furniture and organizers.
For information on how to become a member of Treasures 4 Teachers, go online. For information on the surplus warehouse, click here.