For a long time as a child I used to think that the only person subject to hand-me-downs was my younger brother. Then I learned where a good chunk of my clothing was coming from, an older cousin and older kids of my mom's friends. I soon learned, that when it came to hand-me-downs, there were no socioeconomic barriers and a lot of times there were trades involved. We'd get a bag of clothes, they'd get a bag of toys we no longer used. This is the basic concept behind StokeBox, a new venture out of San Diego looking to connect thrifty parents who either need or need to get rid of lightly used kids clothing and other items.
Getting over the stigma of wearing hand-me-down clothes (even though only you really knew the truth) was difficult as a kid, due to that peer pressure thing. These days though, everyone is in a constant crunch to save money, at every economic level. Save for the occasional Hot Topic Pop Culture shirt, my kids wear hand-me-downs, and they don't seem to care. I notice that trend among many families, as trading with friends and neighbors for child-related items has become normal practice.
Part of the reason for this increased trading is because of the economy. When times are tough, we in the (lower) middle class and below find that it is much more cost effective to either re-use items or trade. The other reason is that kids grow so damn fast. By the time I've bought them shoes, they have grown another inch and I need to buy them a new wardrobe. At full cost, this adds up.
One of the reasons kids don't seem to care about wearing hand-me-downs (at least, caring to the point of flat out refusal) is because of cell phones and other devices. When I was young I wasn't given the option of new clothes or a cell phone, or a comped cell phone bill. Kids today would much rather have that phone than anything else. They'd rather text than eat. If you've got a teen, you know what I'm talking about.
So enter StokeBox and trading boxes of lightly used items online, instead of just within the confines of your neighborhood or other local social group. For a flat fee (to basically cover shipping) you trade your box of stuff to the community and you pick the box of stuff you need from the community. That's how it works. The concept is simple, based on a primary need no matter the economy. The nice thing is, as the site grows, it won't just be kids clothes and mom stuff, it'll be everything that you don't use that someone else needs.
Relying on tags and photos and a soon-to-come full search capability, the StokeBox community is built around description. The peer-to-peer marketplace only works if you can find what you are looking for, and describe what you have to give away. Right now the site is a bit bare bones, but is growing very quickly, building a strong inventory of items ready for trade.
StokeBox is the brain child of Brina Bujkovsky, former CEO of Younique Boutique, an eCommerce shop specializing in customized gifts. The San Diego resident, along with Jennifer Wilbur running marketing and Sugar Jones handling the community, founded StokeBox as a homegrown business that sprouted from a need that we all face.
"My parent friends are always complaining that their closets and garages are stuffed with things their family will never use again," says Brina via email. "Everyone keeps meaning to hold a garage sale or send it to the Goodwill at some point. The toughest part is that in the case of their kid's stuff, it holds sentimental value but very little resell value so the benefit of getting rid of it hardly outweighs the benefit of keeping it - just in case someone they know gets pregnant and needs it some day."
We all have a garage full of stuff that is still in good shape, we just don't use it anymore. Clothes, toys and games, books, craft supplies, tools and so on. StokeBox isn't just about pregnancy pants and un-puked on baby clothes (two of the most transient and shortly used items). With three kids that go through clothes quicker than Bon Jovi goes through blue jeans, I'm ready to start packing stuff in boxes.
While StokeBox expects to grow in other markets, parents are clearly their target audience as Brina explains: "While we don't only serve parents, that is our focus right now because parents in large part are dealing with the clutter problem exponentially for every member of their families. We grow by providing a way for them to turn their unused and outgrown stuff into things they probably wouldn't buy for themselves."
You tend to get to a point in your life where you start to see the waste in throwing things out. Right now in my garage I have three carseats, a bike with training wheels, a toy train table and crates of dolls. These are things we no longer use, just waiting for someone we know to need them so we can give them what they need, save them some money. That kind of paying or trading it forward attitude works kind of like karma.
That's why I'm liking the idea of StokeBox. I am a strong believer in karma and this mystical force in the universe paying you back for good deeds. So why not apply it to commerce as well? The barter system is alive and well, and as the value of the dollar continues to fade we'd be smart to remember and practice this ageless form of commerce. Plus, I'm super cheap and I'd rather pay ten bucks than a hundred for a box of good condition used kids clothes if given the option. Check out StokeBox and start cleaning out your garage.
