ToyShare puts smiles on family faces at affordable price

Draper company offers time-shared RVs, etc.

DRAPER — Think Christmas is the big season for toys? Think again. Selling time shares for big toys — from ski boats to four-wheelers, from snowmobiles to RVs — has proven popular for ToyShare International.

"It has actually surpassed our expectations, and this is a small market," general manager Carlo Sanchez said of the year-old business headquartered at 12674 S. Pony Express Way, Suite 2.

"The nice thing about Utah is everyone recreates. It's a big recreating state. They use snowmobiles in winter, and even now, in fall, they realize that Moab is only 2 1/2 or 3 hours away, and St. George is only a few hours. They can still use four-wheelers and motor homes."

ToyShare's business model is a country-clublike membership program. Customers buy packages that provide a certain number of points that can be used to reserve equipment. "They take it out, and we deduct the points," Sanchez said. "When they leave, it's clean and full of gas. We just ask that they return it clean and full of gas."

The offerings, which also include wave runners and hot-air balloon outings, are designed to save customers the costs and headaches of maintaining equipment they might use sparingly, while also providing the equipment at a rate cheaper than rentals.

Most members can afford to buy the stuff, and many have, Sanchez said. "But you own it and don't use it. You have to pay for storage, taxes, maintaining it, licensing it and then not use it."

For example, the costs of owning a boat can be about $8,400 a year, which would be more than $2,000 per outing if, say, the family used it only four times a year.

ToyShare may move away from the "time share" term because some people believe they can use the toys only one week per year, he said. "But you can literally take out a four-wheeler today, a wave runner tomorrow, a boat the next day and keep taking things out until you run out of points," he said.

Three package levels are offered, starting at $149 per month. All packages include AAA membership. "It's much cheaper than renting and better than owning," Sanchez said.

A little more than a year ago, a few friends got together to start the business in Lehi. It has since moved to Draper and has a sales office near I-15. Membership is approaching 150 (by appointment only, by calling 748-1449).

ToyShare hopes to have a Las Vegas location at the beginning of next year and to enter the Phoenix market soon thereafter. Perhaps next year, the toy line will be expanded to offer Harley-Davidsons, sports cars or travel services.

"It's a concept at the right place at the right time," Sanchez said. "Customer service is all we've got, and we're meeting people's expectations — every member's."

Sanchez sold boats for several years and understands that dealing with customers is a special relationship for ToyShare.

"The best thing is, you're selling recreation, but, more importantly, it's about family and fun. We like to say it's 'investing in family memories.' Everyone has a smile on their face. It's all about the relationship with them," he said.

"In a lot of ways, this makes sense for people. There's nothing else like it."

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E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com

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