In 16 years of lessons learned….

First of all my mother who started this business always said I should write these things down and she was right once again. It would’ve been easier to pluck them out of a daily journal than to think them up!

The many firsts of Check-It-Out

First Sale was fish. In case you didn’t know we started out with fish, pets and balloons back then that was a strange combo but now you have Starbucks in Target!

First location was 200 North College St for one year then moved to 154 East Magnolia for 12 years and currently at 239 North Gay Street.

First Employee is now the owner or is it the owner is still the first employee?

First Certified balloon artist in Auburn.

Things our staff has said and done….

Many of our students have gone off into the word to be productive workers with their degrees from AU. We have celebrated them thru many of their triumphs while they were in school and where ever their degrees have landed them. Proudly they are our extended family even the ones who added to my collection of grey hair!

The excuses we have had for not coming work (we won’t mention the names but they are all accounted for)

“I can’t come in tomorrow I think I will be sick ( in the back ground we can here them calling last call at the bar)” She is still a treasured former employee!

“I have a test and really need to study I should’ve went to this class all semester but it was at 8 a.m.”

“I want to go the football game pre party di I have to work today if I am scheduled to?”

“My boyfriend is taking me out to dinner on Valentine’s I don’t want to work if I’ll be tired that day?”

“I forgot I was working today” but came in to buy balloons instead

“I’m afraid of balloons popping will they pop if I inflate them?”

Things that happened while delivering balloons.

OK this happened to me….The staff at a venue put cones around the van and I only saw one and drove off with one attached to the rear of the car. Thankfully it didn’t set fire to the van.

On our first minivan door the latch broke and flew open on one of our busiest days. Thankfully the girl driving was wearing her seatbelt.

Again the old mini van along with a relative and employee jumped curbs in the van to gain access to a building. Hence the saying “jumping curbs in the minivan!”

Delivering 300 valentine deliveries in one day and having someone ask the next day were you busy yesterday I tried to call but your phone line was busy?

On merchandising our store…

You will never have everything someone wants however if you have ever been in the store I dang sure try to have it all.

First merchandise was pet related merchandise we stopped carrying pet to further the balloon decorating and gift basket business.

Costumes came along in the early 90’s and now we are legendary for not only the volume of costumes we sell but variety in hats, shoes, wigs and bling. Never have we regretted the advice of a friend whose business is similar to ours in another time on carry costumes. We now have a full website for our costumes at www.checkitoutcostumes.com

Sorority merchandise came about in the 90’s as well. We still are the only place to get sorority imprinted latex balloons that we carry in stock year round.

Places we have been…

I have had the pleasure of decorating practically ever event room in the area along with many fine dining establishments.

Our client list is long and many clients we are thankful to say have been with us since the beginning. That is the true strength to our longevity is our clients trust of our goal to always ensure quality work and on time deliveries.

I had the pleasure to start teaching to the balloon industry in ‘95 since then I have taught in NY, NJ, GA, FL, TN, Las Vegas, NV and more over the years. I have decorated events for many clients thru out the Southeast, CA, NY,NJ,NC,NM,VA leaving my motto in the airport to strictly “I inflate balloons for a living---NEVER I blow balloons up!”