Nancy Fennell displays the fireplace insert wood stove she is giving away.

Mary Beth Filer, with her husband and sons, is a successful entrepreneur who has sold on eBay and Web retailed Coldwater Creek clothing.

Mary Beth Filer of the Cloverdale area has been a successful EBay saleswoman and a web retailer. She has made enough money on EBay to pay cash for a demo Lincoln Continental and upgrade to a home in Steeplechase.

She and her husband Dave and two of their three sons, Steven and Eric (DJ, the oldest son, is in college), moved up Read Mountain from a smaller home in Fincastle several years ago. With plenty of hard work, she has been able to find products to market on the Internet and to afford a better lifestyle.

At first she wanted to stay home with her children and knew she needed an income. Thus began her entrepreneurial foray into EBay. "I wanted to make enough extra to afford a housekeeper one day per week." Once she met that goal, others followed.

"I had a full time housekeeper, a BAC membership and an assistant, Mary Falls, who modeled and helped me with the home business." Ginny Karkenny became a model for her as well.

She soon began to explore a popular woman's clothing line sold as Coldwater Creek by catalog and the Internet. The upscale designs could be purchased online with the skillful use of coupons and free shipping for many dollars off and soon she resold them on eBay.

From there she contacted the manufacturers and designers and purchased closeout lots. She would purchase pallets of pieces that were called over runs. "I had to sort them and size them." It took up much of her 1,500-square-foot basement to house her inventory. She started her own Web site to sell the clothing.

"I want people to know you can realize the American Dream." One of the best compliments her husband ever paid her was, "You make us live like millionaires using your skills." Filer has sold all of her Coldwater Creek inventory lots to Early Bird Variety in Cloverdale owned by Michael Karkenny. She still sells on eBay but on a much smaller scale and also sells toys and other products.

"The store is loaded," said Filer. Early Bird Variety is open Monday through Saturday. The shop is located on U.S. 11 south of the Greenway Market on Lee Highway. Call 992-6150 for the hours, she said.

--Cathy Benson

Free fireplace insert wood stove could help in tough economy

Nancy Fennell of Troutville is offering a Timberline wood stove fireplace insert that measures 29 inches wide and 15 inches deep. The wood stove belonged in her family home in Albany, N.Y., and they brought it with them when they moved here. "Anyone who is having a difficult time affording heat could use this," she said. It has need of a little wire brushing and some stove black, but otherwise is in really good shape. Pulling together to overcome the tough economy is part of the community spirit in Botetourt County, and Fennell is certainly doing her part.

There are numerous wood ministries and club organizations that help with firewood. The stove has to be picked up and the fire bricks put back into the stove. She has them in a box. "It warmed a good portion of our home in Albany," so she thinks that it would be a great help to someone or a family here. "Please call 992-3083 if you are interested," she said.

-- Cathy Benson