Hot Tubs Galore   Greater Vancouver  (604) 787-4441  hottubsgalore@gmail.com


Our Story

My name is Steve Anonby.  In 1997 I was working full time as a pastor at a multi-denominational church at UBC.  During that time, I began my used hot tub venture on the side as a money-making hobby.  

Being raised as a missionary's kid and having traveled all over the world, it has always bothered me how people in North America throw things away instead of repairing them, so I found it fun and satisfying to salvage and recycle unwanted hot tubs in my spare time.

As my knowledge grew, and as my contacts increased and my reputation improved, my hobby gradually developed into a respectable little business.  Eventually I ended up working full time for my company and serving part time as a prison chaplain, and now it's my sole source of income.

But let's start at the beginning.  I remember shopping for my first hot tub before I got into the business.  I wanted to shop intelligently and make a wise choice, but the more research I did, the more confused I became because every place I went seemed to have a different spin on what makes a hot tub "good".  I became frustrated and put the whole hot tub thing on hold. 

Some time later I met someone who was in the business of repairing hot tubs.  After spending some time together he began to feel comfortable enough to speak candidly about his experience with the different brand names. He gave me the kind of “inside information” that’s not readily available to the general public, and gave me excellent advice about what to look for and what to avoid.

He explained that since most consumers don't know much about hot tubs, they usually make their choice based soley on advertising, cosmetics, price, and showroom sales pitch, and explained how those things can be very misleading.  He helped me understand why certain hot tubs were overrated while others were "hidden gems".  He told me that the most important things about a hot tub aren't usually even mentioned on the showroom floor.

Based on what I learned from this person who worked with used spas every day, I was able to make an informed decision when it came to buying myself a hot tub.   

Armed with reliable information and practical knowledge, I was then able to help a friend of mine make an excellent choice when he was in the market for a used tub.  

While we were shopping around, it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to start a used hot tub business.  I saw the need for a place where people could buy used hot tubs with confidence.  

It seemed that very few people were doing it anywhere in North America, and with good reason - used hot tubs are a pain in the... neck to deal with.  They are hard to find, dreadful to handle and tend to break down and/or spring leaks if they are moved.

But I thought that “used hot tubs” would be an interesting niche market, so I began buying, fixing up and reselling hot tubs as a hobby.  The venture was really shaky at first.  Sometimes I came out ahead, and other times I lost money.  The first couple years it cost me more than it made me.  My friends and family called me a “sucker for punishment”, but as I kept doing it, I began to gain experience, refine my skills and acquire equipment that made the job faster, easier and more profitable. 

As business increased, I had to move twice to larger facilities.  I could no longer handle the volume so I had to hire staff (that's a fancy way of saying I offered to pay my friends and family for help).  

I decided to take formal training on hot tub repair and was fortunate to be able to find a couple hot tub repair specialists that I liked and trusted who were willing to work for me.  Since we had all the tools, parts, equipment & expertise necessary, it only made sense to start a repair shop.  So we did.

In the beginning, we used to pick up cheap "fixer-uppers" from the classified ads and refurbish them when things got slow at the repair shop.  But through trial and error, we slowly came to the conclusion that if a hot tub needed major work, it was probably best to retire them with dignity rather than trying to unnaturally extend their life. 

As the business evolved, we decided that rather than reviving the dead and dying, we would focus on finding the alive and well.  Today we almost exclusively pick up hot tubs that are already in excellent running order.  We mostly seek to acquire top quality products that have been well maintained.

Running a repair shop and buying and selling used hot tubs helped us understand what sorts of things are important when choosing a new hot tub, so we knew which retail stores to recommend and which ones to warn against.  

After years of referring people to other places, we finally got smart and looked into selling new hot tubs ourselves. We didn’t sell very many, but each occasional spa we sold was a nice bonus.

After a while, for reasons explained in the “How We Do It” page, we decided to significantly drop our new hot tub prices, making a new hot tub a realistic option for people who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to afford a quality spa.  As a result, we now sell more new hot tubs than we do used ones.

Hot Tub suppliers have suggested that if we had a nicer showroom and hired professional sales staff, it would inspire more confidence and generate more sales.  They're probably right, but we feel there is a market for a more "real" and personal approach to the hot tub business.  Besides, it allows us to keep our costs and prices way down, and it's more fun this way.  

My wife and I are not the kind of people who long to get rich - for us, this venture is more about freedom and flexibility than materialism.

I've had a couple retailers express dismay about our low prices, and some have even hinted that we might be doing harm to the overall hot tub business in the Lower Mainland.  But with so much business to go around, I seriously doubt our little company poses a serious threat to the other hot tub guys in BC.  Besides, I would guess that for every shopper who finds us on the internet, there might be twenty others who never even find out we exist.  And that's OK because we can only handle so many clients in a month anyway.

We like to think of ourselves as catering to the more discerning shopper – we tend to attract the kind of people who do a lot of research before buying.  In fact, if you're still reading this, it probably means you're more literate than the average Joe (flattery, flattery)!

As an experiment, just for fun, to see how many people bother to read this page in its entirety, as long as this paragraph is posted, I'll throw in a free LED upgrade (value of $200) with the purchase of a hot tub if you mention this offer (on applicable models).

We're excited about how things continue to evolve.  As a small business owner, I take pride in my work and find satisfaction in offering what I believe is a valuable service.  

As we continue to develop and improve, we are open to suggestions and advice, and invite any comments or insights you may have for us.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. 

Phone us at (604) 787-4441 or email us at hottubsgalore@gmail.com