The Press Room

Television

	April 23rd 2008 - UsedCalgary.com featured on Shaw TV The goal is to find your unwanted items a home rather than throwing them away. And its easier than you may think. This web-based business is keeping items out of the landfill and creating new ways to protect our environment. The company was put to the test about five years ago and has spread to over 40 cities across Canada for residents to buy and sell. What we allow people to do is sell their items and when they sell their items they are able to donate their items to protect ecologically sensitive lands... More...
	September 18th 2007 - UsedEdmonton.com interview on Shaw TV So where did the idea come from? The idea of free classifieds online has been around a while... More...
	August 12th 2007 - UsedOttawa.com featured on CTV It's back-to-school time and that means an explosion in consumer spending and that means a boom in activity for online classified sites. The box over here, Toys-R-Us was selling that for just about $65. We managed to pick it up for.. More...
	May 29th 2007 - UsedCalgary.com featured on City TV You can sell used stuff on a local website. And it can be anything, Your City's Judy Gabriel talked to a man that sold, believe it or not, his house. Kim Wong just sold this woman a vacuum cleaner for twenty five dollars. I have a house cleaning business and its very useful for me to find good deals like that... More...
	October 16th 2006 - Disposable water bottle issue at Vancouver City Hall The GVRD is looking at ways to promote drinking tap water and investigating how much of it people consume. A report is expected later this week and a plan for city employees to drink tap water over bottled water has the backing of some local entrepreneurs. Some Aqua Angels have been visiting City Hall. Don Barthel and Mark Rainer from UsedVancouver.com have been handing out reusable water bottles to city staff. We have this pet project with our company in that we want to reduce the amount of disposable water bottles going into the landfill. We're all about reuse and recycling on our website... More...
	May 2nd, 2006 - Vancouver landfill issue How would you describe the West Coast entrepreneurial spirit? How about reduce, reuse, recycle and reap the benefit. Amy Catriona logged on to UsedVancouver.com and that search has lead her to an unlikely place. Unfortunately, many of the things that could be recycled or sold or traded end up here in the landfill. But two local entrepreneurs are helping to combine capitalism and environmentalism. Basically, I initially started UsedVancouver.com when I first realized that alot of plastic chairs and rubber tires and such were going to the garbage dump here. By offering these items for sale you're giving somebody else the opportunity to acquire them at a lower price than buying them new which means that maybe they can afford to buy that item that they couldn't already afford. More...
	April 21st, 2006 - morning show interview on CityTV in Vancouver Well, of course its that time to start thinking about spring cleaning and garage sales and yard sales and all that fun stuff but these guys have a much better answer for you, don't you? Don Barthel and Mark Rainer welcome to our show. What is your idea, what should people do instead of having a garage sale? Well, garage sales aren't bad. If your having a garage sales that means that you're not throwing things in the garbage. So we are not against a garage sale. Sometimes a garage sale isn't practical. It might be raining, it might be a weather thing, or maybe you don't have enough items to attract a full blown garage sale. And plus, sometimes you don't sell everything. And then what do you do with that stuff that's left over? Well you need a wider audience. If you have a garage sale you might get 50 people coming, 30 people coming, but if you post it on UsedVancouver.com you get a much wider audience and [are] much more likely to find somebody that needs that good. More...
	April 20th, 2006 - morning show interview on Global in Vancouver Two very special guests in, Mark Rainer and Don Barthel. Thanks very much to both of you for coming in, you are the angels from UsedCanada.com. Mark, we'll start with you, maybe you tell us a little bit about your website. The website was basically started as soon as I found out about items going to the landfill, shipped from Vancouver to Cache Creek. As you know we have a landfill problem in Vancouver where they're moving garbage from Vancouver to Cache Creek. So, once I heard about this I knew something had to be done to prevent items from continually being [sent] to the landfill. And so we decided to start UsedVancouver.com and I registered the domain in 2001. So the idea is that people put their stuff on the website and basically to try and hook up with people who want their stuff. Is that the idea? Yes, we just provide the venue for buyers and sellers to get together but we don't involved in the transaction, we don't charge fees, we don't do much moderation other than to make sure that the ads are valid, and we just let the buyers and sellers do their thing. More...
	August 13th 2005 - news spot on CityTV in Winnipeg: Some visitors at The Forks had an angelic encounter this afternoon. Mark Rainer, a former Winnipegger, got dressed up to promote his Vancouver-based business. You may have seen the signs up around town already for UsedWinnipeg.com. Its a website where buyers and sellers can post ads for free to take part in the online garage sale. [Wearing angel costumes] we perceive ourselves as angels because what we're doing is recycling, we're actually doing good for the environment by people having an unwanted item that they're just going to toss into the landfill and basically be left to waste. More...
	June 26th, 2005 - interview on CTV in Ottawa So, how often have you been ready to throw something out and thought surely there is someone out there who could use it? A better idea than filling up the landfill is filling up a website for prospective buyers for your old belongings. Its called UsedOttawa.com and could give you some ideas for recycling your used items. Warren Hik joins us tonight, he volunteers with UsedOttawa.com. You volunteer because you think its such a good idea. Tell us a little bit about the idea. Basically its a website where people can buy and sell used items and its free for both the buyers and sellers. So its sort of like eBay only that it doesn't cost anything. Absolutely, and its local so you get to see and feel the product before you buy or sell it. And its completely free so for the lower cost items which really wouldn't make sense to advertise expensively, you can also find a new home for those as well. More...
	June 22nd, 2005 - special interest spot on Ottawa newscast Move over eBay, there's a whole new way to sell your used stuff online and it won't cost you a thing. Its a Canadian-made website that bargain hunters can't get enough of. Sandra Blaikey has more on tonight's Super Savings. He's got a major move coming up, all the way to the west coast, but Steven's got a lot to get rid of before he goes. Don't need to take stuff like this to Vancouver. Its my guitar effects board for all you rock 'n rollers. Some books that I've got to get rid of. Oh, come on, this: for Elvis aficionados, Be Elvis. From one of the leading Elvis impersonators. In the world. But don't expect to find Steven's stuff for sale in the classifieds. He's found a new way to sell it all without spending a dime. Brand new to the city, UsedOttawa.com. More...

Radio

	January 2008 - UsedBlackCountry.co.uk is spoofed on the radio <Ring> Hello? I'm Chip Neugent of Stinkin' Gulch Missouri. Remember me? N-N-No. Should I? More...
	September 2007 - UsedOttawa.com is spoofed by CKDJ (Algonquin College Radio) Oh my, this table has a huge scratch in it. Are you frusterated with buying things online before you even get a chance to see what you're buying? More...
	September 2007 - UsedOttawa.com is again spoofed by CKDJ (Algonquin College Radio) So, you're moving out of your parents, stepping into the unknown you find an apartment but your parent won't let you take their furniture How rude! More...
	July 15th, 2007 - Don Barthel is interviewed about UsedVictoria.com by Rob Bullock for 'The Buzz' on CFAX AM 1070 Don Barthel is with and the owner of UsedVictoria and all the other Used sites out there. You've probably seen UsedVancouver and UsedVictoria... UsedVictoria.com is everywhere. I have seen people talk about it. We were talking about it last night with... More...
	January 18th, 2007 - UsedOttawa.com is spoofed by CKDJ (Algonquin College Radio) Oh honey, I'm home! Harold, is that a new fishing rod? It sure is, and look I brought a boat home too. How could you spend so much money, Harold? More...
	*January 18th, 2007 - UsedOttawa.com is spoofed again* by CKDJ (Algonquin College Radio)** (To tune of Jingle Bells...)Christmas is over and that means its time to sell all the stuff that Grandma got you. More...
	November 9th, 2006 - UsedVictoria.com sponsors Q-lassifieds radio program We have a new sponsor on Q-lassifieds now because of course when you hit on something big people want to just clamour onto it and be a part of it. That's just going to happen. UsedVictoria.com, a great website to go to find stuff, to buy stuff, to sell stuff. If you can't get on Q-lassifieds. More...
	September 13th, 2006 - UsedWinnipeg.com interview on CBC Radio in Winnipeg If you hate holding garage sales and you don't want to pay for a classified ad in the paper, there is another way to sell your beloved old stuff. UsedWinnipeg.com lets people here post local classified ads for free. Former Winnipegger, Mark Rainer, came up with the idea. Don Barthel is his business partner. They've take their idea nation-wide now to more than a dozen cities and they join us now from Vancouver. More...

Publications

	October 20th, 2007 - UVic student entrepreneurs hit streets The University of Victoria has kicked off Entre-Palooza, a two-week entrepreneurship challenge that will let loose 300 business undergrads on the city trying to trade goods and services for items of increasing value. ...the students, either individually or in teams of up to three, will post tradable items on UsedVictoria.com, a free online classified site that... is managed by Nathan Weathington... More...
	September 27th, 2007 - Shopping at local used websites cuts greenhouse gas emissions In an attempt to cut shipping fees, Winnipeg-based used websites provide users with local alternatives. More...
	May 18th, 2006 - Clicking Torontonians into deals, fantastic finds Tired of clicking your way into bidding oblivion on auction sites only to miss out by a ridiculously slim margin? Not into paying retail prices for your wares? Read on, you resourceful genius, because UsedToronto.com is now in our fair city to make life, shopping and the dent in your pocketbook all the more palatable. More...
	March 23rd, 2006 - Online classifed Web site has the goods A local online classified Web site has hit 10,000 customers at one time, making it the most used chapter in the franchise. UsedOttawa.com met the goal last month, despite being online for only eight months, and two years less than its predecessor, UsedVancouver.com. What makes this site unique from other online classified web sites is the fact that there is no registration, there are no fees to pay, and UsedOttawa.com does not make any money off the items people sell. More...
	January 26th, 2005 - Do your part for the environment, sell your old toaster online A pair of local entrepreneurs are taking their used goods trading website international, and hope to expand into as many as 50 cities around North America. Don Barthel and Mark Rainer operate UsedVancouver.com, a website where people can post anything for sale or available for free they no longer want cluttering up their home. "A lot of people associate the word 'used' with bad connotations, and we're trying to change that," said Don Barthel. More...

Press Releases

	September 6th, 2007 - BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING STARTS AT USEDCALGARY.COM Canadian Owned Company Offers Buyers and Sellers an Easier Way to Trade More...
	April 3rd, 2007 - UsedCanada.com: Over One Million Served (Per Day) Free classifieds ads websites affiliated with the UsedCanada.com network served over one million pages on Monday marking a milestone in the company's growth across Canada. The traffic as measured by Google tipped the scales at 1,015,933 pages served. More...
	October 25th, 2006 - UsedCanada.com Makes Setting Up your own Online Garage Sale or Online Store a Cinch! UsedCanada.com, Canada's answer to eBay, now offers users the ability to assemble their own online garage sale or online store in mere minutes. Using existing ads they already placed on UsedCanada.com's network, sellers can now set up unique merchandise lists to make shopping in their new virtual store or yard sale a snap! For any home-based business, those looking to de-clutter stuffed basements or garages, or for those in need of a moving sale, UsedCanada.com's online selling solution is convenient, fast and best of all, it gets results! Sellers manage their inventory through a dedicated URL of their choice, in the form of: http://YourName.UsedOttawa.com (or whatever your city happens to be), perfect for marketing collateral, business cards or email marketing campaigns. Web hosting services for online garage sales and online stores are free, enabling sellers to update their inventory at any time. The option of displaying photographs on their sales' pages is also available, further encouraging buyers. More...
	October 5th, 2006 - UsedCanada.com Expands with TradeBug.com UsedCanada.com, Canada's answer to eBay, has purchased the Ottawa-based TradeBug.com, acquiring both its data and trade name. Based in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, TradeBug.com's 4500 area customers will now be served through UsedCanada.com's Ottawa affiliate, UsedOttawa.com. "We appreciate the fact that TradeBug.com CEO Anthony Pressacco could have sold to a great number of bidders and chose UsedCanada.com out of the pack. Mr. Pressacco knows that his hard-earned clients are in good hands and it's with admiration for the work his company has done that we are grateful for the chance to expand our listings in the Ottawa area," say UsedCanada.com partner Don Barthel. More...
	September 14th, 2006 - UsedCanada.com Makes for Sound, Green Business Sense Ever since the "information super highway" term was coined, businesses and entrepreneurs like the founders of UsedCanada.com have been hopping on and hitting the accelerator. Operating a business on-line makes sense for a number of cost-effective, environmentally-sound reasons, especially for a company such as UsedCanada.com. Offering searchable classified ads all over Canada, including photos of the items for sale at no cost to the user, UsedCanada.com can make these services available for free because unlike traditional media, distribution costs are almost non-existent. The way the Internet is designed means that printing, transcription (typing) and distribution costs are virtually wiped out (no pun intended). The fact that most North Americans have a personal computer at home or at work and have access to the Internet, means that most of these costs are in essence, already paid. More...
	August 22nd, 2006 - Back to School 101 Made Easy with UsedCanada.com As spring fades to fall, students all over the country are gearing up for another action-packed year of college or university. Finding and furnishing a dorm room or a student apartment can be a costly venture at best- but UsedCanada.com can help make any student's back to school aspirations as simple as 1, 2, 3. From gently used text books, desks, and laptops, to a listing of student-friendly accommodations near colleges and universities, UsedCanada.com has the student budgetconscious spectrum covered. Students will also find a wide assortment of furnishings to outfit their digs from top to bottom. TVs, microwave ovens, DVDs, kitchen sets, bedroom furniture, desk lamps and chairs are some of the thousands of items on offer all over the country. Bikes, roller blades and even used cars are also reasonably for salemaking getting around campus a snap. This is truly one-stop-shopping made easy, efficient and affordable. More...
	February 21st, 2006 - UsedOttawa.com Surpasses 10,000 Items For Sale Ottawans have discovered a new way to clean up and declutter and it doesn't involve sending their unwanted items to the landfill. Instead they use UsedOttawa.com, a free buying and selling service specific to Ottawa, to sell or gift their unwanted items to happy new owners. And they put a little bit of money in their pocket while doing a favour for the environment. Some people like B. Potvin are decluttering but would find it emotionally impossible to send their reusable items to the landfill. He says "I have stuff to unload in the very near future, once my children have made their selections and once I overcome the feeling that I am cutting off my right arm every time I get rid of something." More...