Merrilymerrily.ca is an online retailer catering to Toronto families. Even for those of us belonging to the League of Militant Grammarians might be interested in ‘new, used, and upcycled whimsy for kids,’ right? What is ‘upcycled whimsy?’ Surely it is something which must be examined.
‘Whimsy’ seems to mean cute in a retro or handmade way, rather than stylish design or franchised cartoon characters. The site began operation in October of 2012, so some evolution is quite possible as the business develops, but the main types of products offered on the site are children’s clothes, maternity clothes, children’s footwear, toys, books, and accessories. The broad range is narrowed down somewhat by a focus on the most fleetingly used items; those for infants and toddlers. For instance, while there are literally hundreds of clothing items for infant boys and girls, there are only a handful or so things in each of the size 5, 6, and ‘bigger kids’ categories.
The prices seems reasonable, with 3 or 4 dollars being the general starting point for basic, inexpensive items like onesies or Sandra Boynton books. Other than a couple of larger furniture or maternity items, everything seems to cluster from just under to just over ten dollars. While these prices don’t necessarily beat out the decent, competitive second-hand children’s stores, merrilymerrily.ca is seeking its niche with easy online shopping. 'Merrily, merrily' makes things easy by providing photographs of each item (which helps to show the condition of used items), as well as options for post or pickup. Adding a second pickup location at Queen and Spadina to the original Leslieville spot makes it more convenient for many families who live in the west end than it would otherwise have been.
Those who live too far outside of Toronto to take advantage of the city’s second-hand children’s shops will find that merrilymerrily lets them in on some of the same kind of deals. Also, for those who prefer to shop online, or who know exactly what they’re looking for and would rather just pick it up than shop for it, this website (or this one) may be beneficial. Anyone who wants a Fisher Price ‘Dance and Play’ (or ‘Dance and Wiggle’) puppy would surely rather have it for 12.50 than the $50 big box stores charge. All of that being considered, merrilymerrily.ca has a promising future helping Toronto families express their whimsy without emptying their wallets.
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