Montreal couple redefining how parents buy and sell used toys
A couple in Griffintown is revamping how parents buy and sell their used toys online.
"We have three little kids and we really like to buy used stuff online," explains Moussa Horanieh.
He and his wife, Maria Arango, say they were tired of scouring Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace for toys because the process can be long, and there's no guarantee that the items are in good condition.
"The shopping experience is really terrible on these sites," Horanieh said. "People will post the article without the full name, a picture, without description."
That's when they came up with the idea for Rekidding, a website dedicated to circulating toys within the Greater Montreal area.
"It's ourselves just like collecting and delivering, collecting and delivering," Horanieh said, adding they work within a 20 to 25 kilometre radius. "Or people can pick up for free, or we charge a small delivery fee, which is $10."
The couple created Rekidding three years ago after they saw how quickly their kids tired of their toys.
"Sometimes, they'll use the product for a week, a month," Horanieh noted as Arango nodded in agreement.
"She was playing just for, let's say 10 days, and then she would forget about that toy. Why would we buy something new if we know that in 10 days, it's going to end up in a landfill?" Arango added. "We should just reuse the toys that are out there. They're going to love them for one month, and then after that, they're going to go on a shelf. They'll look at that maybe in a few months, and then that's it."
How does it work?
Horanieh explains for a buyer, Rekidding works like any other website: you click on an item and purchase it using a credit card.
For sellers, he says the first step is to send them an e-mail or message them on Facebook.
"Show us pictures of your toys. We'll make you an offer," Horanieh said. "If you like it, we'll send you the transfer, and we'll come pick it up within the week or so."
The couple says they take inspiration about which toys to purchase and sell based on their now-seven-year-old's interests.
"Kids are pretty fascinated by Paw Patrol," Horanieh gives as an example.
The two say they never pressured themselves to ensure the site was an immediate success.
"It was a project, like an idea that [if it] didn't work, it's fine. We'll have just too many Paw Patrol toys at home," Horanieh said. "We basically bought some used toys, we organized them properly on the website and we launched it."
The couple's hopes for the future? They say they would love to expand their reach -- and their inventory.
"People love the idea [when they] come across our website. We're not very known. We're very small," he said. "We've been busy with the kids and stuff. So, we haven't grown it to a full-size business. That's our aspiration. But the feedback, people love the idea. We've gotten really nice comments."
Juggling three kids and their new business has its challenges, Horanieh admits, but he says they're still having fun with it.
"We're passionate about it. Three, four years later, we still love it," he said. "It feels fun, honestly, when we get an order, we're preparing it, our kids get involved."
Have a news tip? We'd like to hear your story. Please send an email to MontrealDigitalNews@BellMedia.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING Celine Dion stages comeback with performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career during the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Paris Olympics kicks off with ambitious but rainy opening ceremony on the Seine River
Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before Jasper can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
Health Canada warns some naloxone kits contain false instructions
Health Canada is warning some take-home naloxone kits come with bad instructions that should be ignored in favour of the correct guidance.
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn $146,000 for water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.