Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisburypost.com

 

SALISBURY — The Mystery Box Warehouse and AdmissionShopping is coming to Salisbury.

Founded and developed by Bill Guyther, who has officially trademarked the phrase AdmissionShopping, said the business model, was “born out of need, not greed.”

He explained that it was not about making money but about keeping good things out of the dump and helping those who have gained property and don’t know what to do with it.

In a video on the Mystery Box Warehouse website, Guyther shared that the idea came about following the death of a family member and he just didn’t want to trash so many good things. He rented a warehouse, put the items in and let people come pay an admission price to enter and take what they could carry.

In August 2022, the flagship location was opened in Gastonia, and now the fourth location is opening in Salisbury at 1007 Lexington Ave., with a grand opening event Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m.

Note, that this is cash only and for safety purposes, no one younger than 16 is admitted. This rule is the same for the other locations, which, in addition to Gastonia and Salisbury, are Fairmont, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and a fifth location to open in June in Rome, Georgia.

Guyther said people were coming to the store and noted they might be interested in opening one themselves.

“We’re not franchising, we call it an expansion,” he said. “I set everybody up as a sole proprietor in their own store.”

He guides and helps them get set up in the stores, noting that every location is independently owned and operated.

Proprietors of the Salisbury location are Jay and Katie Lupo of Mooresville.

A 30-year NASCAR veteran mechanic and crew chief, Jay Lupo retired from the sport last October; however, he said his wife told him to not get comfortable just sitting around.

She shared a link with him about the store and said she wanted to check it out and when they did so, they met Guyther and “became really good friends and started this Salisbury deal,” he said.

There has been a huge response about the store, which Lupo said is really unique for the community.

He echoed the fact that they are trying to keep things out of the dump and added that one person’s junk just might be that other person’s treasure.

Noting that people who are struggling can come into the store and pay the $20 admission fee and can leave with items such as clothes including suits, socks, ties and belts, along with dishes, kids’ toys, video games or a car jack.

Lupo said he has made lots of calls to Realtors, estate auctioneers and storage unit people and explained the Mystery Box concept and things have really started happening. He also said he would take things from garage sales.

“Here’s the thing — all the stuff that people will see in the building would have ended up in the dump,” he said.

Each of the warehouses have a premium section where everything in that area is at 50 percent below what you can find online, and if that price is too high, he will work with customers even more.

“I’m going to make sure when that customer comes in here, they leave with something and that the experience they had was good,” said Lupo.

“We have the free section, which I’m pretty proud of,” he said, noting they have a brand new wheelchair. “I’m not trying to make money off of it. I want somebody that needs that, or a walker or a cane. We have some handicap railings in there. All that stuff goes to the free because that’s my way of helping the community.”

And then there’s the $20 “all you can carry” section where you pay the admission and are allowed into that area and what you can carry is what you can take.

However, he said, you can come to the Mystery Box and not have to pay the $20 admission and go shop the premium area or visit the free area.

“We’re not in business to be millionaires by no means,” he said. “We’re in business to make a little bit of profit, but give back to the community. 

After the grand opening event, Lupo said hours would be 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and Sundays and 4-7 p.m. on Mondays.

“This creates a sense of urgency,” he said, “because these people know I’ve got to get to the Mystery Box because they’re only open for three hours, three days a week. And that’s where the excitement comes because each night we re-stock for the following day. So the inventory is always changing.”

Unable to pay if he has to go pick up items, Lupo did say that if people want to bring items to him, he would pay them for it. If it’s a box of things, he would pay $5, but if someone brings a pickup truck of items, he would pay up to $30.

“It’s not a ton of money but something is better than nothing,” he said.

There are rules to the shopping process as Guyther noted that the biggest one, for safety purposes, no one under 16 is admitted.

Others include, per the website, as for the all you can carry, it is a single trip, all items are as is, there are no guarantees, no returns or refunds, if you break it, you take it. For a full list of the rules, go to https://admissionshopping.com/,

Lupo did note that every location has the same hours and operates the same way with the various sections and it would be $20 at each place.

“All we’re trying to do is really help the public and that’s the biggest thing behind it,” he said.