I recently had a conversation with Marvin, the founder of itemary. And I was genuinely excited — not just about his idea, but above all about his story. Because it speaks to something many people know: the frustration of wanting to change things and still getting nowhere.
Full Agreement. Pats on the Back. And Then?
For 12 years, Marvin worked as an employee. He gave presentations to executives, convinced people with arguments, and received approval. The ideas were good, the reactions positive. But what followed was mostly: nothing.
“Great presentation. Really good. We'll be in touch.”
Business operates by its own patterns — trained over decades to reach for superlatives, for growth, for the next quarterly report. For Marvin, that was ultimately no satisfying environment. He wanted real impact. He wanted to genuinely change something.
Resignation, Suitcase, Clarity.
So he did what many think about but few actually do: he quit. Six months of travel were planned — foreign countries, distance, a new horizon. But before he could leave, there was a household to clear out. You travel lighter with less baggage.
So: boxes from the attic, sorting, sifting. It quickly became clear — there was a mountain of things still in good condition. Clothes that could still be worn. Things that deserved a second life.
So off to the resale platforms. Photograph, describe, upload. And again. And again. With so many items, it quickly became a mammoth task. Marvin stopped — and set off on his trip first.
Distant Lands, New Ideas.
Distant lands broaden the horizon — everyone knows that. They let thoughts breathe, creativity bloom. Back in Hamburg, his northern home, the attic problem kept coming back to him.
There has to be an easier way. Selling things without spending hours writing listings. Take a photo — and the rest takes care of itself.
That is how itemary was born. Photograph, AI automatically evaluates and describes, upload to eBay Kleinanzeigen, Vinted & Co. — in seconds instead of hours.
Why This Inspired Me.
What excites me most about Marvin's story is not primarily the technology. It is the core idea behind it: Sustainability only works when the barrier to entry is low.
People who want to pass on clothing do not do it because they read a sustainability report. They do it when it is easy enough. When the effort is smaller than the reward — in time, in money, in a good feeling.
Circular economy does not need complicated systems. It needs clever pathways that meet people where they are. itemary is one such pathway. No lecturing, no finger-wagging — just an app that takes away a tedious task and creates something meaningful in the process.
The most sustainable garment is the one that already exists.
Before old clothes end up in the bin, it is worth asking: does this piece deserve a second life? Most of the time the answer is: yes.
Give Clothing
a Second Life.
itemary makes selling second-hand clothing as simple as possible — fast, straightforward, and meaningful.