In an unprecedented local business collaboration, a group of Berkshire County media firms have teamed up to create an innovative, consumer-friendly online classified advertising marketplace - BerkshireAds.com.

The media partners, all based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, include Boxcar Media, The Advocate News Weeklies, Callahan Outdoor Advertising, Berkshire Broadcasting and WBEC Radio.

Each organization brings to the table its distinct audience and marketing expertise, creating a versatile, multimedia partnership. And the BerkshireAds.com online marketplace is powered by an Internet classified advertising format with a proven track record.

For consumers interested in buying or selling anything from books and bicycles to mobile homes and motorcycles, it's an unbeatable combination. Sellers can place their classified ads, with photos, on BerkshireAds.com for a few dollars, instantly connecting with thousands of potential buyers. Buyers can search for specific items or browse the online marketplace, contacting sellers via email for more information or to complete a purchase.

Since privacy and security are vital to both buyers and sellers, BerkshireAds.com uses a free registration-based system. Users who abuse the marketplace are quickly identified and removed, allowing legitimate users to shop with peace of mind.

Each BerkshireAds.com media partner will participate in marketing the website, introducing BerkshireAds.com to its audience. An extensive advertising campaign is poised to begin. Even before the official "launch" and advertising blitz, the BerkshireAds.com community is growing as Internet users discover the site.

"Working with this group of media partners was an energizing experience," said Osmin Alvarez, CEO of Boxcar Media. "We went into this committed to finding a way to use our combined strength. In the end, we built a dynamic website that works for both buyers and sellers."

Corydon Thurston, CEO of Berkshire Broadcasting, believes that BerkshireAds.com will quickly become a relied-upon resource for local consumers. "This is a great model for our customers," Thurston said. "I'm excited about the opportunity to work with other media partners to provide complete coverage for our users."

• BerkshireAds.com is cost effective. Individual users can register for free and begin advertising their items in minutes. Dealers may also showcase their products and services at great value for their marketing dollar.
• BerkshireAds.com is easy to use. Internet users are guided through each step of the process, from logging in to placing ads and photos. Users can also manage their accounts, check to see how many times their ads have been viewed and upgrade their ads at the click of a mouse.
• BerkshireAds.com is secure. The free registration system ensures that those who use the resource are legitimate users. If they're not, they're gone. Users can contact the web team via email or telephone if they have questions or concerns.
• BerkshireAds.com is powerful. Through the media partnership - which includes print, Internet, radio and outdoor advertising media - BerkshireAds.com will reach consumers in every corner of Berkshire County and beyond. The combined audience of the media partners is massive and this audience will receive a multimedia message touting BerkshireAds.com. When Berkshire consumers look to buy or sell merchandise, BerkshireAds.com will be the resource they turn to.
• BerkshireAds.com works. This classified advertising marketplace moves merchandise. The BerkshireAds.com format evolved from the groundbreaking RacingJunk.com site, which was developed by Boxcar Media and is used extensively by racing enthusiasts across the country to buy and sell merchandise. In the last 30 days, an inventory of over $40 million in merchandise was posted for sale on RacingJunk.com. Last year, the site achieved more than 75 million page views with over five million unique visitors. Through the media partnership, the phenomenal RacingJunk.com format was fine-tuned and adapted for a regional audience, resulting in BerkshireAds.com.

About Boxcar Media