UsedEverywhere.com

Made in Canada

When Canada Day comes, we hold our heads a little higher and take pride knowing that we are Canadian. In only 8 years, we’ve grown from a single site, UsedVancouver.com, to a network of 56 free classified community websites in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Here’s a bit of our history:

In 2003, UsedVancouver.com was founded by Mark Rainer and Stephen Chan as a concept designed to address landfill problems and greenhouse gas emission in Vancouver, B.C.

In 2004, Rainer partnered with Don Barthel and relaunched UsedVancouver.com and started paving the road to expand to other communities across the country. By 2005, UsedOttawa.com, UsedWinnipeg.com and UsedVictoria.com quickly grew and surpassed UsedVancouver.com. These new sites were grouped under the new UsedCanada.com name.

A year later we launched UsedCalgary.com, UsedEdmonton.com, UsedRegina.com and UsedPEI.com and by 2007, the UsedCanada.com’s network took off, growing 400% from previous year. The traffic as measured by Google tipped the scales at over a million pages served per day.

That same year Black Press of Victoria, B.C., acquired UsedCanada.com and in 2008, UsedEverywhere.com opened its digital doors with a network of 73 free classified websites in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. All the while total traffic continued to grow to 1.6 million unique visitors and over 55 million page views per month.

It all started in Canada. All our successes started here.

To all Canadians who have bought, sold and advertised with UsedEverywhere.com Thank You, and have a Happy Canada Day.

_{Creative Commons Image by Vince Alongi}

UsedEverywhere.com at Cat Day Pictures!

Terry Andrucko, our resident cat expert and Prince Edward Island salesman extraordinaire recently hit up the TICA Cat Show at the Garden City Cat Club in Sidney, British Columbia. I know what you’re thinking… when did they start this Cat Club and how come you didn’t know about it? Check out the slide show below to see what you missed:

Moderation: Make UsedWhatever YourWhatever!

Since UsedEverywhere.com was established in 2003, we’ve tried our best to ensure that you feel safe browsing online classifieds with your family. The Internet is a pretty huge playground that isn’t always family friendly, so we empower a group of volunteers and employees that we call our Moderation Team to sort out what belongs on our websites and what doesn’t. It may sound like a walk in the park, but consider this: 288,530 ads were posted across all of our Canadian sites for the month of May (about 7,500 per day). We hope you’re satisfied with the service thus far, but to be sure, we want to empower you to turn UsedVictoria into YourVictoria, UsedOttawa into YourOttawa, or UsedWhatever into YourWhatever. Just follow these steps:

1) You Can Moderate
Look at 5 ads a day. It’s not only easy to browse, it’s fun. Take a look at your favorite category and click on a few ads. Then, read the description and put on your Sherlock Holmes hat. Is the ad suspicious? Do you find something in the ad offensive? If something’s not right, then click on the “Report Ad” button (It’s right next to the seller’s contact information). If everyone looked at 5 ads a day and reported what they saw, scams and offensive postings would be virtually nil.

2) Know How It Works
Our Moderators govern what’s allowed and what’s not based on our Terms of Use. Despite being lengthy and verbose, it’s a pretty handy document. If you’re an avid UsedEverywhere.com user it’s worth a read (or even a skim). Once you understand the foundation of our Moderation protocol, you’ll be able to spot out of place ads pronto.

3) Be Your Own Moderator
Make a Facebook group about your favorite Used site or create a discussion topic on our Facebook Page. The online classifieds network thrives on community, and there are a lot of like-minded buyers and sellers out there who would love to have a chat about online buying and selling.

Feel empowered? If you still want more, email nick@usedeverywhere.com with the subject heading “I want to moderate.” Have a great Monday!

Canada Day: Events Across the Country

Are you a Canadian with a rowdy disposition, or are you more inclined to watch the Canada Day fireworks from the comfort of your porch? Either way, we’ve collected an assortment of Canada Day Events for you to take into consideration, whether you’re planning a safe ride home or setting the angle of your patio chairs:

Victoria, British Columbia

Celebrate Canada day in the Inner Harbour of Victoria with 50,000 others (including the UsedEverywhere crew.. Victoria is home to our HQ after all) for song, dance and fireworks.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver is showing Canada pride with several events, including the Canada Place celebration with performances from Canadian music talent, the Canada Day Parade, and the Canada Day Burrard Inlet Fireworks.

If you’re a jazz fan you’ll want to be on Granville Island, where you can hit up the parade as well as jazz music courtesy of the CMHC.

Robson Street is your go-to if you’re into some mid-day shopping, Virgin Radio, and a chance to win an iPad.

Calgary, Alberta

Does your idea of Canada Day include cowboys and pony rides? If you live in Calgary then I think that’s a pretty safe assumption. Luckily you’ll be able to hit up Fort Calgary for a pancake breakfast and a petting zoo.

In the evening you’ll want to head over to Prince Island Park where the City of Calgary is hosting a three-stage musical event. Let me guess… country?

Regina, Saskatchewan

The official Canada Day in Regina website has a list of four things you need to know about what’s going down this Thursday. I’ll let you check it out yourself and experience the Reginian wit first-hand.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

They tell me in Winnipeg, Manitoba there are two places that you ought to be: the ice rink or the Forks. On Canada day I would recommend the latter. If not for “The Magic of Jacob,” then for “Johnny Moonbeam and the Lunatics.” I’m not sure exactly what either are, but I think enough thought went into their names to warrant a look-see.

Toronto, Ontario

Citizens of Toronto will most certainly want to be “Around the Square” to experience live performances, aerial dancing, and fireworks put on by the City of Toronto.

Ottawa, Ontario

Leave it to Ottawa to steal the show. They’ll be hosting Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Barenaked Ladies on Parliament Hill.

Charlottetown, PEI

Represent Canada in PEI with too many flag ceremonies to count. Full list here.

Did we forget about your city? Have an event that you want to share? Post it in the comments below and I’ll add it to the blog.

Michael’s Top Ten: “Start Off Summer Right” Items

Yesterday! Does that word mean anything to you? To me it speaks volumes. It means that my pasty whites will soon turn bronze and my cold apartment will soon turn warm. It was the first day of Summer, and I’ve combed through all of our sites across Canada to put together this list of needful things for you, me, and the other guy/girl.

10) Hats with Holes
http://www.usedprincegeorge.com/classified-ad/12075619

Think. Think. Think. What can we do to our clothing in the Summer that we can’t in the Winter? The obvious answer is to have at them with a pair of scissors. Why? Because when the Sun gets hot want the wind blowing through our hair. Oh.. and to show off our pig tails. Holes are so trendy.

9) West Coast Chalet
http://www.usedokanagan.com/classified-ad/12065713

The West Coast does a lot of things right. Their mountains are sprawling, their grass is green, and their Summers are hot. Precisely why you’ll want a snag a chalet on the ocean. Check this one out, if only to snag a glimpse of some prime beachfront property.

8) Summer Dress
http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/11736731

Rather than describe the rather standard summer dress below, I’d like to hear your thoughts on buying previously worn clothing. I think this dress pretty classic, and yet I can’t help but think it’s brushed aside by many who wouldn’t even consider wearing used. There’s a comments section below: use it.

7) Legit D&G Sunglasses
http://www.usedvancouver.com/classified-ad/12266916

There are tons of great used (and resale) sunglasses online, like these Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses for example. Really, who wouldn’t want to pay more for sunglasses that use your face for banner advertising? And you thought our websites were bad…

6) Ice Cream Truck Rentals
http://www.usedoshawa.com/classified-ad/12226795

Nuff’ said.

5) Driftwood Furniture
http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/12158506

I think my favorite feature of driftwood furniture is durability. No coating or synthetic treatment involved. Just the natural process of water logging and drying in the Sun. Would look great in your back yard if you’re going for the O’Natural look.

4) Solar Power Charger for you Phone
http://www.usedottawa.com/classified-ad/10029731

Why not take advantage of that light in the sky. It’s much more “green” than your average plug-in, and will be pretty reliable in the coming months. If you’re like totally not into saving the Earth, at least you’ll be able to text your stream of thought to willing friends on the beach without losing power.

3) Patio Heater
http://www.usedtofino.com/classified-ad/12202249

Summer days are hot, but nights can still be chilly. I’ve always wanted one of these slick patio heaters. If you can’t manage an open fire (legally), they’re a great alternative to bringing the group together for engaging conversation.

2) Bug Zapper
http://www.usedvictoria.com/classified-ad/12262743

Absolutely key to the Summer patio experience is the zapper. Hang it about yay high and start socializing. I hear it’s bright enough attract a large variety of pests.. mosquitos, children, wasps, you name it. Sweet, sweet zapping.

1) BBQ
http://www.usedwinnipeg.com/classified-ad/12068112

The epitome of summer lies in the age old practice of roasting slabs of animal and/or lots of tasty vegetables. If you don’t have a barbecue in your back yard then pick one up pronto. If you don’t have a back yard, then look into getting one. Trust me, they’re a necessity. In the mean time I’ve personally posted a Fat Grilling Machine for your temporary Summer cooking needs.

Surprised to see a Top Ten on a Tuesday? Surprised to see a blog post at all? Let me know what you’d like to see in the coming weeks by posting in the comments below.

We’re seeing someone new in Personals. It’s not personal.

Garagellennium! Saturday, June 12th

Every year ’round this time, Vancouver Island residents are oozing with anticipation. It’s almost Garagellennium. There’s an inescapable fervor in the air because in a few day’s time (Saturday, June 12th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm to be precise) over 140 houses in the Oak Bay area will open their garages for everyone to peruse like chubby kids in a candy shop. Naturally, the UsedEverywhere.com team will be there with free stuff for you and your kids. After all, it’s no secret that the crew behind one of Canada’s largest buying and selling platforms are also amongst the most notorious of pack-rats. Here’s what you have to look forward to:

• Free Cookies and Juice set up in several locations around Oak Bay
  

• Free professional face painting and balloon animals throughout Oak Bay

• Free swag (that’s “Stuff We All Get”) – like the worth-their-weight-in-gold UsedVictoria reusable shopping bags
  

• Speakers Corner, an excuse for you to look fabulous on the UsedEverywhere.com Facebook page. We’ll be filming the event and asking you for your best, funniest or most ridiculous experience using one of our sites… you could win the coveted “Best Funniest UsedVic Video” prize and have full bragging rights!!

We’ll also be accepting donations for the Recycling Council of BC, an organization with the valiant goal of promoting zero-waste principles through information services and research. Print off the map below and or Click Here to print a map and look for us in the heat of the action!

Where will you be on June 12th?