Spring Break
The Daily OrangeWeb site flips trade on online college market
By Taylor Engler
Posted: 4/10/06, 11:28 PM EST Section: Pulp
Each May, graduating seniors prepare to leave their college apartments and enter into the real world, leaving behind lingering questions, like whether those cannabis leaf beaded curtains and that worn beer pong table can go with them. In 2003, two University of Maryland seniors sought the answer to that profound perplexity and found it on the Internet.
Jarrad Lewis and Greg Soroka began to develop a novel idea of how to clear out their college apartment when they realized those "couch for sale" fliers just weren't working. This January, they launched their finished product, Uflipit.com. Uflipit is a marketplace Web site created by the ambitious twosome and geared uniquely toward college students.
"Ebay is run by a company," Lewis said. "Amazon.com, same thing. But Uflipit is built by two guys right out of college."
The founders had the college mindset indeed when they created the Web site that not only sells products students would be interested in, but does it at no charge. Students not only post their items on Uflipit for free, but no commission is taken from their sales, perfect for those who are living off just Raman noodles and a dream.
"We make our money off the stores (in the virtual mall) that pay per month to have products listed on our site," Lewis said. "You (students) never pay a dime."
Another aspect that makes Uflipit.com stand out from the crowd of sites trying to sell "slightly used" or "like new" goods, is Uflipit allows students to buy from people right on campus. A student searching for a new lava lamp for that swinging bachelor pad can log on and type in his or her own university in a search. Items listed by students from the same school will appear, along with a contact e-mail address. Students can than plan to meet in person to avoid the cumbersome delivery process and online payments.
"There's no way in hell a college student is going to ship a couch," Lewis said. "This way, you can buy it right then and there."
Jarrad Lewis and Greg Soroka began to develop a novel idea of how to clear out their college apartment when they realized those "couch for sale" fliers just weren't working. This January, they launched their finished product, Uflipit.com. Uflipit is a marketplace Web site created by the ambitious twosome and geared uniquely toward college students.
"Ebay is run by a company," Lewis said. "Amazon.com, same thing. But Uflipit is built by two guys right out of college."
The founders had the college mindset indeed when they created the Web site that not only sells products students would be interested in, but does it at no charge. Students not only post their items on Uflipit for free, but no commission is taken from their sales, perfect for those who are living off just Raman noodles and a dream.
"We make our money off the stores (in the virtual mall) that pay per month to have products listed on our site," Lewis said. "You (students) never pay a dime."
Another aspect that makes Uflipit.com stand out from the crowd of sites trying to sell "slightly used" or "like new" goods, is Uflipit allows students to buy from people right on campus. A student searching for a new lava lamp for that swinging bachelor pad can log on and type in his or her own university in a search. Items listed by students from the same school will appear, along with a contact e-mail address. Students can than plan to meet in person to avoid the cumbersome delivery process and online payments.
"There's no way in hell a college student is going to ship a couch," Lewis said. "This way, you can buy it right then and there."
