CampusLeftovers in Advertiser Tribune

From mattresses to microwaves and from televisions to textbooks, www.campusleftovers.com is offering shoppers the chance to bring new life to items no longer needed by their sellers.

Tyson Pinion, director of the annual fund at Tiffin University, has set up the Web site that allows users to buy, sell and trade items for free. He compared the Web site to a craigslist-type site that is geared toward education. Even though it has a focus on higher education, he said it could branch out and has flexibility.

Pinion said he launched the Web site as a separate venture from his TU position, although TU is supportive of the idea. He said his bosses are big into sustainability.

“I think (the site) could catch on and really benefit a lot of people,” he said.

Campusleftovers.com, according to information Pinion provided, “is a service that provides access and opportunity to students, employees, consumers and sellers of all items and services that may be related with, utilized for, needed, or sought after by those individuals and entities in conjunction with education.”

Pinion has worked in higher education and sees items dumped on the curb to be thrown away at the end of the school year. He said it didn’t make much sense to him, and he has been working on the Web site project for more than three years. He has been doing research and trying to find the right people to help with the site.

Pinion consulted the owner of newfinds.com, who helped him create the Web site. It went live at the end of August. His sister, Tiniel Pinion, has been helping him promote the site. He set up Edconnex LLC, the Web site’s parent company, and has applied for a copyright for the site.

Pinion said his goal is to get as many institutions as possible to use the Web site.

“Right now, I’m trying to build up the clientele base,” he said.

The site is free to everyone who uses it. Pinion said he is not sure yet how he will make money off the venture, but if it does make money, his goal is to create an endowment in his late mother’s name to provide scholarships.

The site could be used by incoming freshmen, students moving from a residence hall room to an apartment or students moving out of an apartment.

Users can browse the site without logging in and can search by school or ZIP code when trying to find items to purchase. Those who want to make a purchase, Pinion said, must create a username and come up with a password.

“(Sellers) can put pictures on there of their items,” he said.

It is up to the parties to work out an agreement about how to transfer ownership of items. They could meet face to face or arrange for shipment of the items.

Pinion’s Web site serves as the link between a buyer and a seller.