The Other Duggars: The Lost Girls and Amy

[JoanArc]

2 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

I haven't ever seen details, but it does seem as if Jim Bob's small businesses are eternal....or at least eternally resurrectable...Like zombies, maybe? Seems like the car lots and towing businesses and airplane rentals and such go on and on or come and go or...whatever it is they do aside from raising the question whether they're there to actually earn money or to lose it for tax purposes.... 

I expect "working" (?) in and around his "businesses" might give you, if anything, a very...odd...view of how small businesses work...so maybe that's what they've got....

Do we know for a fact they’re the same businesses? Dud the josh’s lot move and change names a few times? Jim Bob almost certainly know his way around a good tax dodge.

[Churchhoney]

55 minutes ago, JoanArc said:

Do we know for a fact they’re the same businesses? Dud the josh’s lot move and change names a few times? Jim Bob almost certainly know his way around a good tax dodge.

Maybe somebody knows....lol .

I kind of doubt it, though. Usually you don't give away the secrets of your shell game. 

[Panopticon]

On 12/18/2018 at 3:53 PM, ginger90 said:

Congratulations, Jordyn, on not being stood up on a rickety piece of furniture in your thrift shop dress, looking mortally embarrassed as you cower away from your mother... this year.

[JoanArc]

11 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

Maybe somebody knows....lol .

I kind of doubt it, though. Usually you don't give away the secrets of your shell game. 

I keep waiting for the convince store to make a comeback.

[kalamac]

Finally took a look at Amy's store website. I actually like the Take On The Day Chunky Knit Sweater in the Curvy section.

[skatelady]

On ‎12‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 2:42 PM, ginger90 said:

 

 

On ‎12‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 2:42 PM, ginger90 said:

Store hours:

Is it really spelled "Harber"? Or is it supposed to be "Harbor"?

[Lady Edith]

Her store is only open 10-6 Monday -Saturday?  And closed Sunday?  Who is her demograpjic?  Unless she is specifically targeting stay-at-home moms, her cousins, their adjacents, and other fundies,  she isn’t going to do a whole lot of business. There’s a whole world of women out there working a 9-5 every day who she seems to be excluding. Sorry Amy, but your hours of operation are VERY exclusionary. 

[ginger90]

7 hours ago, skatelady said:

 

Is it really spelled "Harber"? Or is it supposed to be "Harbor"?

In this case, it’s spelled correctly.

[MunichNark]

What's wrong with her opening times? They seem alrightish - our shops close at 8pm latest here and no Sunday shopping

[Churchhoney]

8 hours ago, skatelady said:

 

Is it really spelled "Harber"? Or is it supposed to be "Harbor"?

This may be the deal.. There's a planned community nearby that seems to have made their name out of some pun on "harbor." Maybe playing on the names of its owners, or something? And it's called "Har-Ber Meadows."     https://harbermeadows.org/

They feature water on their website and such. So they seem to be playing with "harbor." Hers doesn't have the hyphen, though, so it's kind of off. "Harber" suggests something named after one surname to me. But the "Har-Ber" thing suggests something else.

Okay, there's a "Harber High School," too. So...back to the one surname again. ... Who knows where they got these names. 

Edited December 24, 2018 by Churchhoney

[BitterApple]

Props to everyone who predicted Amy wouldn't last at that mentoring job. 

[doodlebug]

10 hours ago, MunichNark said:

What's wrong with her opening times? They seem alrightish - our shops close at 8pm latest here and no Sunday shopping

Here in the US, shops like hers in shopping centers would usually be open later a couple nights a week at least and most would be open Sundays.  Sunday hours are often shorter, but very few places would be closed completely.  Amy’s hours are pretty limited compared to similar businesses.  It’s going to be tough for her to attract customers when others are more convenient.

[MunichNark]

Thanks, Doodle. She doesnt have a clue about how to run a business anyhow, so her opening times will make precious little difference methinks.  If you wanted to, you can surely drop in on a Saturday though, so I dont quite see a problem with hers.

I'm calling it now again though, she'll go bust within 3 months.            

[Wishing Well]

The clothes and items she has on her site are actually very on trend for the Instagram basic women generation!  I see a lot of pieces that I like, but those prices are CRAZY!  

[Lukeysboat]

On 12/24/2018 at 8:31 AM, Churchhoney said:

there's a "Harber High School," too. So...back to the one surname again. ... Who knows where they got these name

The name Har-Ber comes from Harvey and Bernice Jones. She donated the land and had the idea for the multi-use community. 

[kokapetl]

On 24/12/2018 at 2:50 PM, Lady Edith said:

Her store is only open 10-6 Monday -Saturday?  And closed Sunday?  Who is her demograpjic?  Unless she is specifically targeting stay-at-home moms, her cousins, their adjacents, and other fundies,  she isn’t going to do a whole lot of business. There’s a whole world of women out there working a 9-5 every day who she seems to be excluding. Sorry Amy, but your hours of operation are VERY exclusionary. 

She thinks she’s married to a doctor. As in, “my husband, the doctor, will sort it (the moneypit) all out. Doesn’t your husband? ... oh I’m so sorry!”  

[Churchhoney]

30 minutes ago, Lukeysboat said:

The name Har-Ber comes from Harvey and Bernice Jones. She donated the land and had the idea for the multi-use community. 

Thanks. Love having mysteries solved!

[kokapetl]

[FizzyPuff]

1 minute ago, kokapetl said:

I presume Jana wrote this otherwise it’d be pretty weird. Jannie looks so much like boob though poor girl.

[BitterApple]

9 minutes ago, kokapetl said:

Holy crap, I thought that was Joy! Hannie is going through a lot of phases where she seems to resemble one sibling or the other every week. I wonder how her features will eventually settle out 

[cmr2014]

8 hours ago, Puffin said:

I presume Jana wrote this otherwise it’d be pretty weird. Jannie looks so much like boob though poor girl.

That's funny because I think she looks exactly like J'chelle in that picture. She has the same asymmetry to her eyes with the one that's on our left being set a little lower than the one on the right. Her nose is thin and bulbous at the end, like J'chelle's. The thin top lip and fuller lower lip could come from either parent. It also looks in this picture like she has J'chelle's slightly square and slightly cleft chin. Even the dimples look more like J'chelle than JB to me in this picture.

YMMV, of course. None of the siblings has ever looked much alike to me, and none of them ever really looked much like either parent (except for the photo I saw of J'chelle where she was a dead ringer for Josie), so I'm always a bit surprised when I notice some similarity.

[Loves2Dance]

My biggest issue with Amy's store, beyond what is already mentioned, is the pricing. Obviously, everything is marked up but she could put a little effort into streamlining the prices. Either round up or round down, $16.21? Make it $16.00 or $16.50, not $16.21. Who wants to factor in tax, in their heads, with such ridiculous numbers? Not to mention it makes it look cheap---like I'm buying from a Chinese Wholesaler. And while all of this likely did come from a Chinese Wholesaler, if I'm paying American prices then at least make me forget I could have gotten these for pennies off the dollar on Dosh or Wish.  

[Lunera]

I've seen tassel earrings almost identical to these on Aliexpress for $1.50

[ChiCricket]

11 minutes ago, Lunera said:

I've seen tassel earrings almost identical to these on Aliexpress for $1.50

  Those kind of earrings remind me of a stripper's nipple tassles. 

 I had to bite my tongue when my 16 year old granddaughter came over to my house wearing some. 😂

[JoanArc]

2 hours ago, Loves2Dance said:

And while all of this likely did come from a Chinese Wholesaler, if I'm paying American prices then at least make me forget I could have gotten these for pennies off the dollar on Dosh or Wish.  

 

1 hour ago, Lunera said:

I've seen tassel earrings almost identical to these on Aliexpress for $1.50

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. That boutique experience better be stellar, because the clothes sure aren’t. A consignment store would’ve been a better move.

[awaken]

Hanny looks so tired there!  Like she just woke up after a late night!

Edited December 30, 2018 by awaken

[kokapetl]

[ChiCricket]

@kokapetl posted this.

   I hope those aren't Josie's permanent teeth.

They are really jacked up.

   Does she ever get any nice new clothes of her own?  I also don't know why she had a wear a grungy off-white undershirt under a t-shirt, for heaven's sake. What could possibly have been showing that wasn't modest? 

 

Edited December 30, 2018 by ChiCricket

[ginger90]

The rollerblades make the outfit!

[GeeGolly]

Yikes, I was thinking that's the best I've seen Josie. Minus thinking her dirty bare feet are sockless in the skates.

[FizzyPuff]

8 hours ago, kokapetl said:

 

This photo all the boys (well most of them) in the back looking at their phones, I’m surprised they’re allowed phones at all tbh, didn’t JB say that when he and Michelle were early on in their marriage all they did was stare at the tv, well all the boys seem to be doing is staring at their phones, I could easily see JB & Michelle banning them except for calls or replacing them with the most basic phones.

[BOOgen3]

On 12/24/2018 at 1:50 AM, Lady Edith said:

Her store is only open 10-6 Monday -Saturday?  And closed Sunday?  Who is her demograpjic?  Unless she is specifically targeting stay-at-home moms, her cousins, their adjacents, and other fundies,  she isn’t going to do a whole lot of business. There’s a whole world of women out there working a 9-5 every day who she seems to be excluding. Sorry Amy, but your hours of operation are VERY exclusionary. 

That exact business model has been extremely successful for Hobby Lobby and Chik-fil-A, not to mention many high end women’s clothing shops here in CT.

[Scarlett45]

55 minutes ago, Puffin said:

This photo all the boys (well most of them) in the back looking at their phones, I’m surprised they’re allowed phones at all tbh, didn’t JB say that when he and Michelle were early on in their marriage all they did was stare at the tv, well all the boys seem to be doing is staring at their phones, I could easily see JB & Michelle banning them except for calls or replacing them with the most basic phones.

I think JB and Michelle have checked out of parenting at this point. So long as the older boys are doing what JB wants (errands etc) I don’t think he cares if they have a phone. Justin and Jackson are the only boys under 18 (along with J-Tyler); and if the over 18s are going to appear on the show I can see them wanting a phone for their troubles. I can see Anna demanding Josh not have a smart phone and her being granted that request. 

[Churchhoney]

1 hour ago, BOOgen3 said:

That exact business model has been extremely successful for Hobby Lobby and Chik-fil-A, not to mention many high end women’s clothing shops here in CT.

Aren't you mainly talking about the Sunday closing, though? Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A are open in the evenings, at least in some places....(Hobby Lobby is open till 8 pm six days a week in Virginia...and I just checked Arkansas and they're open till 8 there, too. And at least a fair number of Chick fil-As are open till 10.)

And she's clearly selling those nearly-tissue-paper ultra-cheap Chinese imports that no high-end shopper is going to touch with a ten-foot pole. So while I know what you mean about a lot of high-end boutiques closing on Sundays, I don't think high-end buyers will be her customers. 

Arkansas is likely to have lots and lots of stay-at-home moms, though, I expect, given its very large conservative-Christian population. So if the Duggar connection brings enough of those in, she may have something....

However, I still maintain that to serve that clientele, she's got to dump the half of her inventory that has massively plunging necklines, no sleeves, and crotch-length skirts or bootie shorts with fringe, etc. .... A conservative shopper -- or even an older one -- won't want to waste much time on a store where half the clothes are things she'd never wear in a million years. .... Amy's current merchandise tries to please too wide an audience, I think. That doesn't work in a tiny store. 

Edited December 30, 2018 by Churchhoney

[madpsych78]

James will be 18 in July.

[Albanyguy]

17 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

Arkansas is likely to have lots and lots of stay-at-home moms, though, I expect, given its very large conservative-Christian population. So if the Duggar connection brings enough of those in, she may have something....

But how much disposable income do those women have? Sure there are some wealthy SAHMs out there (like the ones on the Real Housewives franchises), but most families living on just one income have to watch their money carefully. These women may flock to Amy's store at first because of the Duggar connection, but once they see the prices, they'll do more gawking than actual buying. And the ones who come because they're hoping to see Jessa modeling the clothes or some other Duggars like Michelle, Jill or Jana hanging out there will be disappointed (because I don't think that's going to happen).

[Churchhoney]

17 minutes ago, Albanyguy said:

But how much disposable income do those women have? Sure there are some wealthy SAHMs out there (like the ones on the Real Housewives franchises), but most families living on just one income have to watch their money carefully. These women may flock to Amy's store at first because of the Duggar connection, but once they see the prices, they'll do more gawking than actual buying. And the ones who come because they're hoping to see Jessa modeling the clothes or some other Duggars like Michelle, Jill or Jana hanging out there will be disappointed (because I don't think that's going to happen).

Yeah, I agree!  I'm just trying to see both sides of the story! 

Edited December 30, 2018 by Churchhoney

[drafan]

7 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

@kokapetl posted this.

   I hope those aren't Josie's permanent teeth.

They are really jacked up.

   Does she ever get any nice new clothes of her own?  I also don't know why she had a wear a grungy off-white undershirt under a t-shirt, for heaven's sake. What could possibly have been showing that wasn't modest? 

 

I have a feeling that plastic bag is her Xmas stocking.

[LilJen]

8 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

@kokapetl posted this.

   I hope those aren't Josie's permanent teeth.

They are really jacked up.

   Does she ever get any nice new clothes of her own?  I also don't know why she had a wear a grungy off-white undershirt under a t-shirt, for heaven's sake. What could possibly have been showing that wasn't modest? 

 

nipples? Can’t have an 8-9 year old showing off the headlights.

[louannems]

50 minutes ago, drafan said:

I have a feeling that plastic bag is her Xmas stocking.

I agree.  The kitchen counter is littered with those bags.  I'm sure that's how Michelle fills their "stockings".  It makes sense to them.  Just toss in the trash when done!   Then they all sit down to their Christmas feast eating Stouffer's off of styrofoam, using little plastic forks.  No effort required at all!

[dargosmydaddy]

The bag does appear to have her name written on it, minus the "e" (Josi). Maybe the "e" is in the fold of the bag, or maybe they feel the need to shorten a name that's already a nickname...

Edited December 30, 2018 by dargosmydaddy

[kokapetl]

1 hour ago, LilJen said:

nipples? Can’t have an 8-9 year old showing off the headlights.

I included a pic of Josh’s headlights. 

[JoanArc]

4 hours ago, Puffin said:

didn’t JB say that when he and Michelle were early on in their marriage all they did was stare at the tv, well all the boys seem to be doing is staring at their phones, I could easily see JB & Michelle banning them except for calls or replacing them with the most basic phones.

Nice observation.  I don’t think they can ban something which allows social media posts,  since that’s their money maker. When the show first started the intro made an effort to point out that the Duggars  restricted access to the Internet. 10 years later all their kids are phone zombies. I guess Gothard probably didn’t update his rules of control for married couples, either.

[Loves2Dance]

4 hours ago, BOOgen3 said:

That exact business model has been extremely successful for Hobby Lobby and Chik-fil-A, not to mention many high end women’s clothing shops here in CT.

Hobby Lobby and Chick-Fil-A are giant franchises that will drive in business on name alone. Amy doesn't have that with this clothing store. 

[Nysha]

Amy's hours seem to be typical small-town Main Street shop hours. In the nearest small town to me, all of the shops have those hours, only the restaurants are open later and on Sunday. The failure rate is huge, though. The only clothing shop that has stayed open for the 20 years I've lived in the area is a resale shop with a very picky owner. She only sells name brand, good quality clothing and buys most of her merchandise at yard sales & thrift stores for next to nothing & then sells them for half the normal retail price.

I think Jim Bob and Michelle have the same generic facial features which is why all their children seem to be cut from the same basic mold, with a few individual touches.

[McManda]

3 hours ago, drafan said:

I have a feeling that plastic bag is her Xmas stocking.

Probably, there was another photo where there was a plastic bag on the floor that clearly read "Jer".

[Christina87]

Jana looks gorgeous in those pictures!!!

i feel for Hannie, sitting in that chair Indian style, with the blanket over her lap. Can you even imagine having to act "formal" all the time in a skirt? I literally can't imagine not changing out of my "real" clothes in record time before doing anything, into sweats or shorts. Can you imagine never getting to chill on the couch, unladylike, or even just sit with your knees apart? I love dresses and wear them to social events a majority of the time, but it's mind boggling to think of never getting to truly relax. Sure, people in the 1800's couldn't wear sweats either, but they also didn't have TV or big comfy couches. I could see the marrieds being comfortable enough to sit in an immodest way in the company of just their spouse, but I can't imagine having to be modest all the time in a huge household, especially since they think men are so easily tempted. 

[Mojitogirl]

There’s also a large garbage bag with To: Josiah written on it. I bet each persons gifts were grouped into garbage bags for easy distribution.  Classy. 

Edited December 30, 2018 by Mojitogirl

[doodlebug]

5 minutes ago, Mojitogirl said:

-There’s also a large garbage bag with To: Josiah written on it. I bet each persons gifts were grouped into garbage bags for easy distribution.  Classy. 

 

So festive!  How special those kids must feel, what with the community closet, shared underwear, dorm style bedroom and sister-moms to raise them!  Even if they don't have room to hang stockings, it is possible to get Christmas gift bags at the Dollar Store.  Or use plain shopping bags but actually decorate and personalize them.  But, no, nothing says loving parents like taking a sharpie to a plastic grocery bag.

Edited December 30, 2018 by doodlebug

[BitterApple]

I imagine that as the family's grown, Jana's run out of fucks to give. Not only does she have to shop for, organize and wrap presents for the main Duggars, but all the in-laws, grands and random Duggar-adjacents as well. That's a total of what, fifty people, give or take? I'd say to hell with it and chuck their crap into plastic bags as well.