By Barbara Brewer La Mere
About two years ago, after spending 15 years as the service manager at a vehicle dealership, Jason Halliday launched a new business called Webitamerica in his garage.
His original intent was only to sell overstocked and store-returned items on Ebay at substantial discounts. There were, however, some large items (lawnmowers, for instance) that would have cost a lot to ship and so Halliday started selling items to local customers, just on Saturdays, out of his garage.
The Hudson Falls location of Webitamerica continues operation. Webitamerica sells sporting goods, home and garden items, automotive items, toys, and tools, and more. Merchandise for Webitamerica is classified as new, used, or scratch-and-dent. Halliday said he chose to salvage unsaleable items by transferring them to a vendor with a different business plan.
But Halliday had been fostering an idea wherein he would have a venue for various sales. When the former YMCA in Moreau closed, Halliday acquired the 10,000-square-foot space to use as a place where Webitamerica is the featured vendor and additional space is offered to other vendors.
The new business, Moreau Marketplace, opened recently at 1433 Route 9 in Moreau. It features 13 or 14 permanent vendors in its flea market space, five days a week. They sell a variety of items including antiques, handcrafted items, jewelry, sporting goods, baseball cards, gift and glamor items, replicas of vintage signs, and Adirondack furniture items. Between the two locations, Webitamerica has eight employees.
A craft fair scheduled for April 12 and 13 at Moreau Marketplace has already attracted a good deal of attention, according to Halliday.
Halliday’s business partner, John LaRocca, had a business similar to Webitamerica in New Jersey that was strictly Ebay sales. He was looking to get into a face-to-face sales venue and so he sold the business in New Jersey and came up to partner with Halliday in Webitamerica.
Halliday said Webitamerica is “a fun niche to help local people to find products at reduced prices.”
The phone number for the Hudson Falls store is 223-0255. Hours there are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The e-mail address for that location is webitamerica@gmail.com.
Moreau Marketplace hours are Wednesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its phone is 683-2399. The e-mail address is moreaumarketplace@gmail.com. Both stores can be found on Facebook.
Photo Courtesy Webitamerica