Bargain hunter, art dealer, interior designer. 35 year old Maureen Otenyo aka Marshal has worn many hats since opening her secondhand home decor store. In this interview, she tells Niko Kwangu what makes her business special and how forming friendships with her clients has been the key to her success.
Maureen Otenyo knows one or two things about what sells in Nairobi’s growing house decor market. She is the proprietor of Marshal’s Rare Finds, a retail business that specialises in sourcing, curating and selling second hand furniture, utensils, and decor to Nairobi’s discerning customers.
“I stock everything, from expensive antique furniture pieces that cost over Sh100,000 to utensils that you could buy for less than Sh100. There is something for everyone and I know how to cater to different customers,” she said.
On most days, you can find Maureen, who prefers to go by Marshal, at her shop at Headquarters Inn on Lang’ata Road in Nairobi. It is right by the highway and can be easy to miss if you don’t know the precise turn to make. But that is no problem at all because most of her business is conducted online, via a WhatsApp broadcast channel with hundreds of customers just waiting for her to post her next stock or on instagram where her page is growing steadily, attracting a loyal following.
Bargain hunter extraordinaire
“I love the rush of a good bargain. I am the kind of person who will always try to figure out if I can get something for cheaper elsewhere, without compromising quality. This is what makes me so good at my job because a big part of it is hunting down bargains for my customers,” she said.
To meet demand, Marshal has opened a warehouse where most of her stock is stored. She has come a long way from when she started selling out of her house in 2022, often blurring the lines of what was on sale with what was for her own family’s use.
“Sometimes my kids would come home from school and find that we no longer have a dining table because I received an offer that was too good to turn down,” she says with a laugh.
Where it all started
Starting the thrifting business was a happy accident. In 2022, Marshal was trying to open a restaurant and was sourcing furniture for it when someone asked if they could buy a coffee table she’d purchased for the restaurant.
“I bought that table for Sh2000 and sold it for Sh8000, which gave me a good profit but was still cheaper than its actual value. She was interested in more items and soon enough, I was sourcing sofas and beds for her and her friends,” said Marshal.
Word spread and before she knew it, she was receiving orders from people looking to furnish their houses and businesses affordably. She would initially source the items from Facebook expatriate groups, but soon started attending auctions, and directly connecting to expatriates leaving the country and wishing to sell their household items. Today, these garage sales remain a big part of how she sources stock, but she has also diversified into importing directly from flea markets abroad.
“If I buy something for cheap I try to sell it for cheap. I am not greedy. My clients know this and they appreciate it,” she said.
She has a particular love for antiques, often going to great lengths to cultivate relationships with potential sellers who may be looking for new homes for their beloved items.
“There are a lot of beautiful antique pieces in Kenyan homes mostly owned by elderly people of Indian or European descent. Many times, their children are not interested in these items and they have nobody else to leave them to and that’s where I come in. They sell them to me because they know I will find the right homes for them,” she said.
When it comes to antiques, she looks out for rare items, made before the 1950s, with excellent craftsmanship. Many of them are limited editions.
If you build relationships with your customers, they will keep returning
Marshal has an excellent eye for beauty and quality but beyond that, her relationship-building skills are a big part of why her business is flourishing in a competitive market. She is genuinely interested in people and has a knack for making them feel valued, and like their business is important to her, no matter how small the item they’re buying. During this interview, she fields several calls from clients enquiring about a range of items, from beds to rugs to utensils, ending each with a commitment to find what the person is looking for, if it is not immediately available.
“Some of my customers have become friends over time. They range from boda boda riders looking for a carpet to protect their children from cold floors, to big businessmen looking to furnish their new premises. I know everyone’s tastes, preferences and budgets, and I always work within those parameters,” she said.
Another of her selling points is that she lets clients pay in installments without charging them interest. She recognises that current economic conditions have cut many people’s spending power but she still wants them to enjoy nice things.
“I have no problem holding on to an item for you as long as you can pay a deposit. One of my clients just gifted his wife a beautiful dresser for Christmas, and he took the entire year to pay it off,” she said.
Since starting her business, she has worn many hats, including art dealer, bargain hunter, interior designer, and furniture and decor valuer. She has invested a lot of time in learning about the items she sells, buying books on carpets and artwork, for instance, so she can accurately date and value her antique stock.
Still, she has no plans to slow down and wants to expand Marshal’s Rare Finds even further. One of her biggest plans is to go to carpentry school, open her own workshop and start restoring damaged furniture to its former glory, hence giving it a second life.
“I’m the kind of person who finds it hard to sit still so I am very excited for the next phase of my business. I cannot wait to take you along on my furniture restoration journey,” she promises.
Marshal’s top tips for shopping second hand
- Inspect the item for any damage. Make sure there are no dents or chips on utensils, and that furniture is functional. Eg, do drawers open?
- If something needs repair, use that to bargain and get the prices lowered.
- Buy hardwood furniture whenever you can because it will last you for generations.
- Make sure big furniture fits into your space to avoid disappointment on delivery day.
- Make sure that the everyday utensils that you use every day, like plates and cups, are of the highest quality you can afford. Certain countries, such as England, are known for high quality crockery.
- Compare prices and don’t be in a hurry to buy. Good bargains take time.
PS: You can reach Marshal directly on +254 729 453372