Over the years, there have been many businesses that grew out of the basement or trunk of a car. And these are legitimate companies. The earliest ones I can remember are Avon or Mary Kay or Home Interiors. Tupperware was also very popular. These were products that were mainly sold in private households. You would have a party, people would come over, enjoy some refreshments and hopefully buy a few things. In this way, the host would benefit from his friends buying some products instead of buying his own products.

Since then, most of these parties have disappeared. Not all of them, of course, but since we have the internet, many of these parties are taking place virtually. No more light snacks and drinks and everyone meets at someone's house. Just download the catalog and shop. The host will still benefit from their friends buying some products, but it's not as fun.

Recently, as I have for the past few years, I attended a Thirty One goodie/gift party. Actually personal. These totes are great and I have seen so many people around the area with these totes. They came in so many different patterns and sizes. Good for almost everything. And now we hear the sad news that this company will be closing at the beginning of December this year.

Thirty-One Gifts announced its closure. In a video statement made to representatives yesterday, founder Cindy Monroe informed sales reps of the company's closure. The official end date is expected to come into effect before the end of 2024.

The company was founded in 2003 in Cindy Monroe's basement in Tennessee. These totes are very popular in Minnesota. The name Thirty One comes from the Bible and refers to a Christian company.

The name Thirty-One is derived from Proverbs 31 of the Bible It describes a virtuous woman who demonstrates hard work, wisdom, encouragement and caring for others.

This is a bummer. There have been several other direct selling companies that have either closed their business or completely pivoted.

The closure of Thirty-One Gifts is part of a larger pattern of companies abandoning or changing their direct sales model and follows the announcement of a number of other direct sales companies with multi-tier structures that have moved to single-tier or affiliate models in the last six months, including BODi , Seint and Rodan + Fields, as well as the closure of Beautycounter in April.

Until then, if you like Thirty One's products, you can still order from their website or host a party. And they run some sales so you can save on some of your purchases.