Baby Plays lets you rent toys online
Written by admin on February 12th, 2008 in devices and gadgets.
One of the problems you can’t really bypass as a parent is that kids stop playing with those expensive toys you got them for birthdays, Christmas, or just as a treat. The result is a growing pile of plastic that usually finds its way into a cupboard, charity shop, or given away to other parents.
One woman has experienced this and found a niche in the market for a toy rental service. Lori Pope has twin sons and did not like the growing number of toys she was accumulating, so she decided to start a rental business.
The business is called Baby Plays and allows subscribers to rent up to 6 toys a month that are shipped out much like many of us experience with online DVD rentals. Users pay between US$28.99 and $35.99 a month and in return can have between 4-6 toys for 3 months at a time. That cost goes down to $31.99 a month for 6 toys if you sign up for an annual contract.
Testimonials from parents using the service are positive, with many praising the benefits of being able to get new toys and send the old ones back when they are no longer played with. It also cuts the stress of buying a toy their kids just do not like or finding something that will last them a while.
Baby Plays started with just 10 customers back in October 2007, but now boasts over 200 and has required a new 3,000 square-foot warehouse be used to store the growing number of toys. At the moment, Pope has 7 of every toy she offers in stock in order to fulfill orders and keeps popular brands, including VTech, LeapFrog, and Playskool. The business has so far cost $250,000 to set up, with a further $12,000 being spent every month; but Pope hopes to turn a profit before the end of the year.
Read more at the Associated Press article.
Matthew’s Opinion
With the cost of popular children’s toys being so high, I am sure a lot of parents are going to find this service tempting. Pope seems to have all the bases covered, stocking only toys that are easy to clean and hard wearing, meaning when you receive them they are likely to be in near mint condition.
The subscription doesn’t seem overly high, but I am no expert on children’s toy prices. Using the annual subscription price, it would cost $383.88 to use this service. Would this constitute a significant savings over the yearly toy budget? You also have to take into account the amount of toys you could have in that period, which would be a maximum of 72, and the variety that offers your children.
I think Baby Plays’ biggest problems are going to be coping with demand as awareness grows and stocking all the popular toys. I’m sure the toy companies won’t be too helpful with bulk orders for the latest toys if they know they are going to be rented, as that will potentially cost them money.
Tags: consumer technology, digital, video games, DAB
