It has always made sense to buy and sell overpriced, quickly-outgrown baby paraphernalia, but dewy-eyed new parents are often reluctant to do so, especially online, where the feel-see-test-smell factor is crucially missing. Fiona Quinn, a young mother of two boys on a career break from RTÉ, decided to set up Arís, a company that organises face-to-face events around the country for parents to sell and buy second-hand baby, toddler and maternity items.
Her first event was in November. “I was delighted to witness the interaction between the experienced parents – the sellers – and the parents-to-be, the buyers, the former offering good advice, the latter relieved to cut through the usual retail sales pitches. I loved watching highchairs, buggies, clothes, walkers and so on being recycled in the best way possible, and glad to see the smiling faces of the sellers knowing that their attics are clear and that phase of their lives is over.”
The next Arís sales are in Leixlip, Co Kildare, at Our Lady’s Nativity Church next Saturday (10am-noon), and in the Scout Hall in Greystones, Co Wicklow, on March 5th and 6th. Contact: fiona@aris-ireland.com, or see aris-ireland.com.
