Websites like eBay, Craigslist and Etsy have led a revolution of business models. That revolution, however, has left some out to dry—the automotive industry being one of them. Thanks to creator David Cannizzo, MatchMyStuff is hoping to answer that call.
“I like to call it a dating site for car parts,” Cannizzo said. “I wanted to create something that’s useful from an inventory perspective, but that is easy enough that you can put an item up in literally 30 seconds or less.
The site, which launched April 1 and includes an app compatible with both iOS and Android, is an inventory tool where buyers and sellers can create lists of things they would like to buy or things they own and would potentially like to sell, that enables matching with others who may want to buy or sell those same items.
See snapshots of the app at the bottom of the page.
Cannizzo debuted the app at Spring Carlisle, a Pennsylvania-based classic and collector car hobby event held April 19-23. Carlisle Events is the app’s primary sponsor. He reported positive feedback from attendees including dealers and car clubs, however, he anticipates upcoming shows like the Carlisle Import Show in May will draw more of the app’s target audience.
“The demographic at the Spring Carlisle show was a challenge,” he said. “I’ve heard that at these other shows people are more [open to new] technology and hopefully that makes for better engagement.”
Cannizzo been observing the collectible automobile business and hobby since he was a kid. His experience in the industry has allowed him to develop valuable insight for this technology.
“My father was a pretty well-known restorer who’s been doing it since he was 18 years old, so I’ve seen people’s [concerns] from going to Carlisle and watching technology evolve over the past 30-plus years,” Cannizzo said.
“I’ve noticed enthusiasts or people who want to buy things or shops working on a project [for example] will routinely search the same items over and over again—they’re focused on a specific make, model and year. So, unlike typical platforms, the idea here is to have a well-organized list where it’s all at your fingertips and you only have to enter it once,” Cannizzo added.
As a buyer, users can create a wishlist of parts. They can enable matching with sellers or simply use the list as a reference tool.
“It’s not a multi-step process, you can click a button to turn it on or off and there’s no middleman.”
“Even if you don’t use the app to match with sellers, if you went to a car show to go find these things, you now have a digital mobile tool to reference as you search,” Cannizzo explained. “No matter where you are, you never have to question whether what you’re looking at is exactly what you need. You’ll never have to say, ‘I don’t remember if that’s exactly what it looks like. I had it at the shop or at home and I’m not sure what color it is—I’m not sure the part number—I’m not sure if this is the right one.’ You can just open the app up, look at your wishlist and say, ‘yeah, that is the one I took off the car, I want to buy it.’”
Though sites like eBay connect buyers with rare items, it doesn’t always fit for those seeking parts. “You could be searching for a 1969 Camero water pump and get 2,000 hits. Ninety-nine percent of them could be something you’re not looking for or some aftermarket part that simply isn’t right. Unless they have that [photo or description] at their fingertips to compare, they may not know better or they’ll spend too much time figuring it out.”
As a seller, users can document what items they have with photos and detailed descriptions. They can also customize how buyers contact them and how a transaction will be facilitated—PayPal is one option, for example.
“It’s almost impossible for sellers to bring every item to a show or even have pictures of every item at their fingertips and know what it is,” Cannizzo said.
“It happens a million times a day at Carlisle, for example, where the seller will say, ‘I have a hundred items that you’re looking for back at the shop, when I get home give me a call and I’ll email you pictures.’ Well, instead of doing that, if they utilize MatchMyStuff, that seller, where ever they are, will have that inventory right there with them and they can simply show them [on the spot].”
Users can also search sellers’ user IDs on the app. That way, user can always view the seller’s inventory list and contact information any time.
This one-on-one communication is a key component of MatchMyStuff. According to Cannizzo, in some ways, other sites have gone out of their way to prevent people from communicating.
“The reality is that most car parts [sales] are dealt offline,” he said.
“Many times, there’s further communication where that person may have more stuff you want to buy or sell and they’ll say, ‘hey, what’re you working on?’ And you can [start that dialogue] and possibly [create more business] with them. My inspiration was to create something that promotes that,” said Cannizzo, who explained that people choose not to list their inventory on sites like eBay because of time, fees and most importantly, frustration of not knowing who they’re dealing with.
While there are plenty of business opportunities for shops in MatchMyStuff, the focus isn’t on items made for modern, everyday cars, but rather, new-old stock items for restoration projects or modifications.
Cannizzo described one way shops might take advantage of the app other than sales purposes. “Assuming they’re working on a car to original specifications or there are some components that aren’t made nowadays, they’re going to need to find those items. They can use MatchMyStuff to do that,” he said.
“More importantly, as they’re dismantling the car and researching what they need to buy, because shops aren’t always experts in every make, model and year, they can document that as they find information and use it as a resourceful tool to make sure they’re buying the right things.”
For more information, visit www.matchmystuff.com or email help@matchmystuff.com.
