Welcome to Toyago Toy Swap!

I’m Erika, a mom of two and co-founder of Toyago.

As a parent, I understand there are plenty of challenges in raising children—especially with limited resources in an economy that takes a lot to make ends meet. The constant pressure to buy and consume is real, especially when it comes to providing for and entertaining our children.

The Toyago platform started with a simple desire:

To make a positive impact in our community while helping solve some common problems families face. Saving and making money for families are Toyago’s primary aim.

Toyago allows parents to swap gently used toys, giving them new life while earning extra income.

Our mission is to support play-based childhood development, turning old toys into creative learning experiences while reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

Thank you for being part of the Toyago community!

Join us in creating a fun, eco-friendly space for families to share, save, and nurture the next generation.

XOXO,

Erika Hobbs

Founder's Story

Tech founder and tech entrepreneur are two labels that I would NEVER believe could be associated with me when I started my career in communications and after taking several years off to be with my two girls…but here I am.  Thought I should introduce myself — Erika Hobbs, Entrepreneur of Toyago, Girl Mom of 2, and part-time/middle-of-pack half-marathon runner.

I won’t lie…Launching Toyago has been a long road, and I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing most days. We are talking Level 10 of Imposter Syndrome.  Almost every step has forced me out of my comfort zone and into an alternate (tech) world with a foreign language.  I’ve learned how non-techy I am, but also I’ve learned to talk the talk with startup phrases like building in public and bootstrapped.  (Yes, our family is funding this little project ourselves and does not have investors.)

So, how did I get here?  A lot of help and a lot of time.  Help has come courtesy of family, friends, and a (few) very patient development teams doing the tech work.  I’m embarrassed to admit how long it has taken to launch.  We are talking years, not months at this point.  As the launch timeline kept pushing out, it would have been easy to get frustrated with the lack of progress but I know this would have come at the expense of time with my family.  I will continue to own and embrace that trade-off moving forward.

A few other things that I’d like you to know…

  1. Know that I’m not one of those Type-A, do-it-all moms and I don’t have it all together.  (Kudos to those who fit that description.)  I’m not polished and Toyago won’t be either.  As a small family business, Toyago will likely remain a bit raw and a reflection of my imperfections.  My expectations as a recovering perfectionist and your expectations as a user of Toyago may fall short at times, but know that we will work to improve as we go.

  2. Know I didn’t launch this business as a social statement.  I don’t consider myself anti-consumer or a hard-core environmentalist.  Toyago isn’t a reflection of my dismay with the world, but rather an acknowledgment that there could be a better way.  As cliche as it sounds, I believe in the power of community and the opportunity that Toyago has to leave the world a better place for us and for our children.

Thanks for reading about my story and for joining me on this journey!

All my best,
Erika Hobbs