LONDON, November 12 /PRNewswire/ --

- Community Trading Online is Booming

- Universities Trader Launches Today, 200 Student Agents to be Appointed

The recession is boosting the second-hand market and a free-ads site based around school communities is booming: traffic is up strongly on Schoolstrader, one of the UK's leading online trading sites for school communities. Schoolstrader covers 30,000 school communities and is today launching a new service - Universities Trader - for students. It aims to appoint 200 student agents.

Schoolstrader, the web business that started in a garden shed in Sussex in 2006, has just announced that it has seen unique visits increase by over 88% and page hits increase by over 95% in the nine months to end September 2009(1).

Schoolstrader now covers all Primary, Secondary and Independent school communities in the UK and Ireland. It will start launching the Schoolstrader service internationally in early 2010 and is today extending its free-ads service to students across the UK with the launch of http://www.universitiestrader.com

Neil Canetty-Clarke, a Director, said:

"Our site is performing strongly in these economic conditions. Families across the UK are using http://www.schoolstrader.com to save money, recycle items and raise cash. The site is open to all. Parents, teachers, friends and family are trading with each other, free of charge, everything from trumpets to houses."

"We have seen very strong traffic growth in the last nine months, with page hits up by over 95% and unique visits up over 88%, as more and more people across the UK are community trading online."

"Favourite categories include Holiday Homes, Musical Instruments, Property, Jobs and Motors. One of our users has just sold her husband's Classic Red Harley Davidson for GBP2500 - and had two buyers fighting over it."

"We have seen lots of new users after we featured as a Top 50 Website(2). On the site at the moment we have a Vintage Space Invaders Machine, a GBP3 Fish Tank, some Snow Chains, a GBP16 Four Door Double-Storey Rabbit Hutch, 500 Beano Mags, a Pink Electric Guitar, a 2 Bedroom Cottage on The Isle of Wight for GBP190k, 2 Hot Air Balloon Tickets, a Therapists Couch for GBP150, a Sweet-Tempered Shetland Pony for Loan (called Holly) and even a Free Piano."

"The concept is simple - online free-ads - where school communities can trade pretty much anything with each other. The sites are free, green and work well - people like to trade with their community, whether primary, secondary, independent or university."

"Our site started three years ago with three school communities and now covers over 30,000 across the UK. We will start to roll-out internationally from early 2010 and we are also extending the service to students with the launch today of Universities Trader. Students from Aberdeen to Exeter can now use our unique community trading platform to trade with each other. All for free. Everything from textbooks to trumpets, furniture to flats, laptops to motorbikes."

"We are keen to hear from students who would like to join us as agents. Each agent will cover one university community in the UK and Ireland and we plan to appoint 200 agents over the next few months."

1. Unique visits increased by over 88%, visits increased by over 88% and page hits increased by over 95% in the nine months to end September 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.

2. Daily Telegraph, 7 March 2009, Top 50 Internet Shopping Websites To Save You Money.

Notes for Editors:

1. http://www.schoolstrader.com covers 30,000 school communities in the UK and Ireland, with sections for primary & secondary school communities and independent school communities. It was launched in 2006.

2. Schoolstrader is a free "school community trading" site. It is open to all - parents, teachers, alumni, friends and family to buy/sell anything from a rabbit to a house. The site is useful, free and green (encourages recycling and reuse of items). Top categories in approximate order of popularity include holiday homes, clothes, furniture, musical instruments, toys and games, school uniform, baby gear, property, sports kit, equestrian, jobs & home help, motors, books, courses & tuition, pets, bikes, electrical, ski gear, boats. Users can advertise locally, regionally or nationally. The site is for adults, not children. Schoolstrader has had national media coverage in The Sunday Times, Guardian, Times and Which and has featured as a Daily Telegraph Top 50 Website. The site is funded by commercial banner advertising and business listings. It is easy for schools to launch a Schoolstrader service; they mention the site in a newsletter or website.

Quote from a Schoolstrader user (happy to be interviewed - phone number available): Jenni Balow, a Schoolstrader user, said "We use the site all the time - I have just sold my husband's Classic Red Harley Davidson through Schoolstrader for GBP2500 - the asking price. I had two buyers fighting over it - great result."

Examples of things on Schoolstrader:

Free - Cute Pet Rat Sisters ( http://www.schoolstrader.com/uk/independent/index.php?option=com_st&task=view ad&id=8397 )

2 Bed Cottage, Isle of Wight GBP189,950 ( http://www.schoolstrader.com/uk/independent/index.php?option=com_st&Itemid=2& task=viewad&id=8191&categoryid=74&myregion=0 )

Vintage 1970s Space Invaders Arcade Machine ( http://www.schoolstrader.com/uk/independent/index.php?option=com_st&Itemid=2& task=viewad&id=8289&categoryid=19&myregion=0&mygroup=0 )

12 Tickets for ATP World Tour Tennis at O2, 25 Nov, GBP20 each ( http://www.schoolstrader.com/uk/independent/index.php?option=com_st&Itemid=2& task=viewad&id=8377&categoryid=16&myregion=0&mygroup=0 )

6ft Snooker Table, Balls, Cues GBP100 ( http://www.schoolstrader.com/uk/independent/index.php?option=com_st&Itemid=2& task=viewad&id=8366&categoryid=76&myregion=0&mygroup=0 )

Bridge Tuition WithEuropean Ladies Champ ( http://www.schoolstrader.com/uk/independent/index.php?option=com_st&Itemid=2& task=viewad&id=6290&categoryid=57&myregion=0&mygroup=0 )

Chicken House and 2 Birds GBP125 ( http://www.schoolstrader.com/uk/independent/index.php?option=com_st&Itemid=2& task=viewad&id=8324&categoryid=69&myregion=0&mygroup=0 )

(Due to the length of these URLs, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

    Further Examples of things on Schoolstrader:

    Free - Skateboarder Ramp
    Therapists Couch GBP150
    2 Girls Bikes GBP15 Each
    Optimist Sailing Dinghy GBP495
    Tales of Narnia Box Set GBP5
    Grey Spiderman Top GBP2
    Pony Saddle GBP50
    Off-Road Pit Bike 140cc GBP350
    Tuscany Apartment From 395 Euros pw
    Gas Rayburn GBP300
    Golf Bag, Clubs and Shoes GBP15
    4 Bed Holiday Home, Cornwall GBP99,000
    Fish Tank and Pump GBP3
    40 Exam Tables, GBP50 the lot!
    Job - Quantity Surveyor
    Arsenal Bedroom Set GBP20
    Ladies Ski Trousers GBP10
    Hockey Stick GBP15 (GBP34 New)
    12' Trampoline and Safety Net GBP50
    Dragon Models, Son Now Outgrown, GBP2.50
    Pink Electric Guitar and Amp GBP125
    500 Beano Mags
    John Lewis Wooden Cot GBP30
    Sweet Tempered Shetland Pony For Loan (called Holly)
    Au Pair Wanted Australia Jan 2010
    Volvo 7 Seater Estate GBP800
    Drum Kit GBP95
    Classical Guitar GBP50
    The Old Rectory, West Lydford GBP1.75m
    Yellow Lab Puppies GBP550
    Free Piano
    Four Door Double-Storey Rabbit Hutch GBP16
    Handwriting Expert Wanted

3. http://www.universitiestrader.com covers 200 university communities in the UK and Ireland. It is aimed at students, but is open to all. It launches today. Universitiestrader plans to appoint 200 students as agents. Each agent will cover one university community in the UK and Ireland. Agents will work with Universitiestrader during free-time and holidays to promote the site to their community and to sell banner advertising. The agent's role is commission-only (Universitiestrader pays a sales commission of 40%). Interested students should send a CV to office@universitiestrader.com

    Press Enquiries:

    Schoolstrader Limited
    +44(0)1580-819085
    +44(0)7808-580573

SOURCE Schoolstrader Limited

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