Why Is It Called Commonplace?
Ari Kimmelfeld's wife and co-founder came up with the name. On Shape the System, Ari explained how Trade My Spin became Trade My Stuff and then Commonplace, and why the name is the goal.
Watch the episode: Ari Kimmelfeld - Commonplace, Shape the System with Vincent Turner, aired October 16, 2026. Listen on Shape the System.
Short answer: Ari Kimmelfeld's wife and co-founder came up with it. The company started as Trade My Spin, became Trade My Stuff, and then Commonplace. The name describes the goal: make buying secondhand a normal shopping channel, as ordinary as ordering online.
Vincent Turner asked about the name on Shape the System. He said it passes his three tests for a good name: hear it and you know how to spell it, see it and you know how to say it, and it is easy to read.
What Ari said
I don't get any credit for the name. All the credit goes to my wife, who has much better taste in everything than I do, and she's really a co-founder. But she came up with the name.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Shape the System, at 41:41
Trade My Stuff was very simple. You kind of hear it, you understand what it is, but it's also very transactional.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Shape the System, at 42:02
Secondhand as a shopping channel
The idea behind the name is a change in habit.
It has to do with my vision of really turning secondhand into an actual channel, like a shopping channel, where people would really consider buying things secondhand the same way they're shopping online instead of going to the store.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Shape the System, at 42:10
People don't really turn to Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace when they need something. You're shopping for a couch... you don't think of Facebook Marketplace. You think which stores should I go to, or which websites should I go visit and browse and order from.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Shape the System, at 42:32
When it is an actual shopping channel, it'll be commonplace. And it'll also be like a little bit of the marketplace, like a bazaar, of an experience, where that's where people go to do commerce.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Shape the System, at 42:50
Ari also liked that no other business was using it: "If we succeed with Commonplace, we will basically own the word commonplace."
Where the names came from
Trade My Spin was a website with two buttons, buy a Peloton and sell a Peloton, built when home bikes went unused after gyms reopened. As it grew into fitness equipment, hot tubs, saunas, appliances, and furniture, it became Trade My Stuff, then Commonplace. Read how Commonplace started and the Trade My Stuff story.
For the full conversation, read Why Marketplace Fails: Ari Kimmelfeld on Shape the System.
Commonplace is the Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp alternative for big items. Listing is free, and Commonplace handles pickup, inspection, delivery, secure payments, and a free two-month parts warranty. Delivery is free within 100 miles, and Commonplace ships nationwide. See how it works.
Related questions
What was Commonplace called before?
It started as Trade My Spin, a simple site for buying and selling used Pelotons. It became Trade My Stuff as it added categories, then Commonplace.
Who came up with the name Commonplace?
Ari Kimmelfeld, the founder and CEO, gives all the credit to his wife, whom he calls a co-founder.
What can you buy and sell on Commonplace?
Big items: fitness equipment, wellness gear like hot tubs, saunas, and cold plunges, appliances, furniture, outdoor items, and vehicles like golf carts. Listing is free, and Commonplace handles pickup, inspection, delivery, and payment.
Thank you to Vincent Turner for having Ari on Shape the System. Quotes are from the episode, lightly edited for reading. Listen to the full conversation on Shape the System.
More from Ari's podcast interviews: questions Ari answered on podcasts and every show he has been on.