Used Paint

Have you ever bought anything that was used? Previously owned?  Gently worn?  As a nation, people sell many items for the purpose of making money. Hopefully, that is not a revelation for you.  Craigslist recently put out data of the top ten items that is sold through its site.  In descending order:  (1) Cars – an average profit of $100-$500, (2) Appliances – an average profit of $75-$150, (3) Motorcycles – heavily seasonal profit margins, (4) Bicycles – popularity is on the rise, (5) Furniture – solid wood pieces have a high demand, (6) Electronics – Bose products sell best as do other high-end electronics, (7) Computers – people tend to sell these rather than repair them, so there are good buys out there if you know your way around a mother board, (8) Yard Equipment – see computers, (9) Power Tools – usually sold in groupings, so the savings is solid, and (10) Cell Phones – people constantly upgrade so there is a good supply.  One thing that I have never seen for sale is used paint.  Think about that for a minute.  I mean there are millions of gallons of paint sold daily, but there is never a “End Cap” at Home Depot where there is a half-price sale on used paint. There is a reason for that.   Once the paint is applied to a surface, that’s it. Paint will not be resold.  It may be painted over or scraped off, but it just will never be re-sold.  That’s why you have to be careful not only where you apply the paint, but the message it sends.

Think of your daily interactions with students as painting a picture and you are the one applying the paint. You are the artist.  Once that paint is on, that’s it.  How is the paint applied?  With a broad brush?  Is it possible to paint over it?  What kind if picture are you leaving for those you teach?  You cannot sell used paint.  Earlier this week, I provided you with a blank canvas and some water colors to paint a promise for your students that you will live by during this school year. A promise to your students. An example to set. Think about the promises that you have made over your lifetime. Did you keep all of them?  I  have advised many times to make very few promises, but to make sure that you keep them all.  That is one way to build credibility…or to lose it.  So, I hope you really thought out that promise to your students.  I hope that you have that framed promise hanging in your classroom.  I hope that you have pointed this out to your students today.  In a special way, you are selling used paint with a promise that you intend to keep.  Average profit = priceless.