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Everything and the kitchen sink

The Kat Draughon story

June 16, 2014

What do golf clubs, Mardi Gras beads, a dog life jacket, wooden hangers, a voodoo kit and a four- bedroom home have in common? They're all items listed by Dr. Katherine (Kat) Draughon, executive director of Planning, Research and Assessment, on the USI Today Marketplace. The long list of items sparked interest among colleagues. As the editor of USI Today, I've received more than one request to find the story behind this enigma - this, Marketplace guru.

Some have given their best guess as to how Draughon finds such a diverse array of products to list on Marketplace. Could it be that she rises early to find the best bargains at neighborhood yard sales? Perhaps, she bids on deserted storage units or unclaimed luggage.

With the intensity of my curiosity building, I made my way to her office, trusty recorder, pen and notebook in hand. I took a seat, exchanged introductory pleasantries and hit the record button. Then I asked the big question, the question that has been puzzling my peers, "Where do you get all this stuff you sell on Marketplace? Do you hit up yard sales? Do you bid on storage bins?" I explained the intrigue that surrounds her frequent listings. She laughed, "It's not really all that intriguing, because it's all crap that I have in my house." Somewhat deflated I carried on, probing for answers.

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Draughon's listings are the product of combined households after getting married, unwanted Christmas gifts, hobbies she's lost interest in, clearing out items for an impending move, and a couple of items from silent auctions and fundraisers. Vegetarian cookbooks purchased during her graduate schools days were listed after the realization that she doesn't cook. The clapper, a white elephant gift from a Christmas exchange … listed. A box of golf balls won by mistakenly bidding on them rather than lunch with the mayor … listed. A trailer trash voodoo kit bought at a gag shop as part of an inside joke … listed.

The shroud of mystery lifted, it was time to discuss strategy. "You know, I shared my strategic moves with Emily Lynn, who works for me, and now we have competing crockpots on Marketplace," said Draughon. With a bit of a nudge, she began to share her strategies with me. She does her homework. She finds the current retail value and slashes it in half. She posts listings on Sunday nights so that Monday morning, when colleagues receive the USI Today email, her listings appear, newly approved, in the lower right corner of the screen capture. Taking a cue from frequent Marketplace competitor, Linda "Sell the Sizzle Not the Steak" Cleek, Draughon began peppering her listings with playfulness.

I was content thus far with the information I received during our chat, but I had one last burning question. "Why? Was there a bigger reason for the frequent listings; something more than just making a few extra bucks?" The answer was yes. Draughon glanced lovingly across her office at a shelf of framed photos of her beloved horses. "When I do Marketplace listings, I can look at the photos of my horses and think, 'yeah, that pays for that habit.'"

Photo 3Draughon shows American quarter horses competitively, placing in the top percentile in a couple of national horsemanship competitions. Her recent move involved purchasing a 21-acre ranch, affectionately named Parker's Place after a show horse that was retired. Parker will live out his days with a recently adopted miniature donkey named Sweet Tea.

Feeling pleased to have unearthed these long-held secrets, I walked back to the office with a smile on my face. All the speculation, the mystery, the wonder boiled down to simple answers.

Although later, while browsing at a yard sale, I'm sure I saw Kat, or someone who looks just like her, slow to evaluate the goods as she drove by.

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