Jay Babina is many things.
He’s entrepreneurial. He’s passionate about technology. He’s creative.
And he’s a very quick learner.
At 12 years old in the summer of 2018, the young Westporter wanted to make money. He found a few water bottles in the pantry, and tried to sell them on his driveway for $1. A couple of people “pity bought” them.
His father John said, “If you want to do this, do it right.”
They created an LLC in his name: 88mphEnterprises (a “Back to the Future” reference).
He got a permit to sell snacks at youth soccer games, and loaded up at Costco. “Standastic” accepted credit cards. He wheeled his goods around in a wagon for “mobile delivery.”
A young — but entrepreneurial — Jay Babina.
A couple of years later at an estate sale with his father, he saw Healthkit radio meters for $10 each. Jay bought them, then resold them on eBay. He learned a lot about listings — and here is his thriving online store today.
He branched out to Amazon, and just hit the $100,000 mark.
That business funds his Westport Tech Museum.
One of the most fascinating hidden gems in town — and it will stay that way, because it’s not open to the public — the museum is a large attic filled with over 500 computers, video games, calculators, cameras, radios and more.
Jay Babina’s Westport Tech Museum.
From a Commodore Amiga 1000, Osborne 1, Apple IIe and an original Macintosh, to a 1914 Victrola that still plays, 1910 Edison light bulb that still shines, and a 1905 crank telephone that still rings, Jay scoured the world (and eBay) to find rare, important, classic, quirky and historic products.
(Read all about it here. Then click here, for a virtual tour.)
Last spring, Jay’s dad bought a photo scanner, to scan family photos.
You or I would say, “Meh.” Jay thought: Ka-ching!
He ran the numbers, researched the competition, and developed a pricing model.
No matter how the photos were taken, Jay can digitize them.
He tested the concept with family and friends. He quickly realized they wanted more than just photo scanning — for example, transferring CDs to thumb drives.
Some of the types of media Jay accepts for digitizing and transfer.
And it wasn’t only photos. Someone asked about scanning old documents. Jay bought a flatbed scanner, for that service.
Jay Babina, at his workstation.
Jay is now a sophomore at Manhattanville College. He devotes weekends to his new business. He calls it Scans by Me.
Yes, that’s an homage to the Ben E. King classic. Jay is not only creative; he’s also a fan of great music.
(To learn more about Scans By Me, click here; email jay@scansbyme.com, or call 475-444-3040.)
(“06880” often covers businesses in town, the creative endeavors of Westporters — especially young people — and, like today, their intersection. Please click here to support our work. Thanks!)
Incredible! I’m sure we’ll hear more about him in the future.