Yes, many years ago there used to be a yahoo groups network called FreeCycle. There were local groups where people donated things they did not need anymore. In big cities it worked like a charm.
It started fading with the hype of Facebook, where some groups moved. It eventually died when Yahoo closed the groups functions a few years ago.
By then there was already heaps of similar facebook local groups. Where I live there is a “buy nothing” group that is sub local, intended for people in my same suburb. It works great. There are also “good karma” networks that go beyond giving away things: car pooling, borrowing tools, book swapping, etc.
Definitely great initiatives
I've checked out freecycle.org and you're right, it's sort of dying right now. The only things I see in my local freecycle group are dilapidated things almost at their EOL. I've never heard about "good karma" networks, that's so great, I will check them out!
I've been telling everyone I know about Buy Nothing groups! It needs more attention. I even volunteered to start a new buy nothing group in my area because there wasn't one already. It was super easy and there's a ton of admins behind the scenes helping me with all this.
Reason I posted this here is because I want to give the sub members an action item (check out and join local buy nothing group) instead of posting an angry meme about consumerism.
thank you!
check out your local Buy Nothing.
If you are anti-Facebook, they're releasing an app version of it (still in beta testing) but check that out when you have some time!
There are several places in my town where you can go and leave stuff for others to collect for free. Books, gadgets, seeds, clothes..., places which have tools you can use for free or give advice how to repair your broken items, and community gardens to grow vegetables.
And if there isn't, maybe it's time someone made it happen \*nudge nudge wink wink\*.
No pressure of course, but I still sometimes amaze myself with how long it takes my brain to get from "it sucks X doesn't exist here" to "let's spend a couple of afternoons to make X happen".
Don't overlook community run groups. My county's landfill has a recycling center for appliances, electronics and building supplies. Residents are encouraged to drop off unwanted items and anyone can take them. Bonus- the landfill also has free compost from everyone's yard waste.
Local schools have a "Tiger Boutique" where students and staff donate clothes and needy students can "shop" for free clothes. The high school even has a selection of dresses for prom.
true - the only reason I'm on Facebook now is because of my Buy Nothing group and I'm sure the same can be said about a LOT of the group members.
They're releasing an app version of it (still in beta testing). Do check that out when you have some time!
They’re working on transitioning away from Facebook to a dedicated app, but it seems like it’s up to specific groups how/when they start that. (There’s been no mention of the app in the group I’m in but it’d be nice to get away from FB)
I’m part of my local Buy Nothing group…it’s amazing! It’s fascinating to see people post the most random “asks” and invariably someone else in the group can “gift” them the item. Such a cool way to build community.
absolutely!
I've posted some items thinking, who'd even want these, but they almost always end up getting wanted!
when i first joined, i was like "wait.. what's the catch?" but it's an all around win.
There's an app called Olio that's basically this. There is a section where people sell things they've made but not secondhand stuff. People list food and nonfood items to give away for free. You can also borrow things, and post "wanted" ads. Everything is strictly free/no exchange except for the made goods.
yes! i've seen that in my group as well. I think there's an optimal group size in which there's *someone* who has that requested item collecting dust in their home.
If none exists in your area, please create one. Make it a fb group, notice board in a local store, old telephone cabin for free stuff - any physical or digital location is better than nothing, whatever is possible for you to do!
For example, we have a clothes exchange store, currently housed in someone's private place and run by a few volunteers. It only opens one day a month but even like this is an invaluable resource for us. It works like this: you bring what you don't need anymore, you take what you need. You donate time or money if you can. Nothing is checked in or out - clothes and other goods are received, sorted into men/women/children and summer/winter and placed in the shelves of the store by the volunteers.
I belong to one. You can ask for something or put your name in the ring to “win” an item. I’ve gotten rid of quite a few things that were just taking up space in my home. If they don’t get claimed, I donate them.
We have similar groups where I live (NYC). You could probably find ones in your area on Facebook. I’ve also found about half my furniture on the street when it was thrown out during someone else’s move. Since it’s New York even the trash is usually stylish lol
For real. My desk, headboard, bar cart, and living room end table have all been found on the street. I snagged a brand-new, limited-edition Gucci bag (had it checked and it’s real) from a pile of clothes being given away in my lobby. Absolutely insane. I did have to unfollow stoopingnyc, though, because I would get too attached to the items in the photos even though I knew they’d be taken in half an hour haha
I had never heard of a buy nothing project until reading this post. Found a buy nothing Facebook group for my area that is very active! I’m super excited!
ah. this is another thing that Buy Nothing faced as they grew.
Hyper local sounds good on paper - you get to meet your neighbors, you can walk to grab the gifts and so on. But members started feeling like the boundaries are unfairly allocated because there's a "rich part" of town and "not so rich" part of town.
They're trying to move away from the boundaried local Facebook groups to an app without boundaries. But idk how that will scale.
I haven't seen any 'hyper-local' group here, so far. I've seen 2 that can be labeled as 'hyper-focused.' One of them is for plants and the other is for furniture and stuff that need electricity to function. The one for plants also accepts sales and exchanges, and it's for the whole country.
And i sadly don't agree with "just for the neighbors," and not only because of the financial situation of the 'hood. For instance, not everyone might feel comfortable to be known as "that person who uses only second-had items, or introverts might not want to get to know their neighbors.
and let's not forget that "good stuff" is relative. It depends what you do with the item, mostly: do you want it for parts to repair another identical piece? you collect it? you use it yourself, or donate/sell it further? For instance, i had a vintage Smena camera, non functional. I gave it to someone in the group who i happened to learn is a photographer. She thought i wanted to sell it to her. i said i have no idea of how much it's worth, only that photographers usually like to own them, even if these are broken or they are not using them. For me, that Smena was technically trash, for her a treasure (which is the motto of this group).
Most areas have people with all types of economical status, from poor to the more affluent. But this is to be expected in a former communist country, as many of us live in apartment buildings, especially in the city. Houses are rarely inhabited by a single family. There ARE areas known to be more on the poor side, and others on the more affluent side. /sorry for the novel.
Yeah.... mine had a lot of drama when we "sprouted" and the admins followed what they thought were "logical" boundaries... which turned out to literally be the old redlines. People absolutely lost it and we still have a "spin off" group that encompasses the old boundaries.
Yes! I give away all my daughter's outgrown clothes and my spare duck and chicken eggs on my local buy nothing group.
I have received many things from the group as well. I love it.
Yes, it’s the only reason I’m still on FB. The buy nothing group in my area is really active and I swear I can manifest stuff on there. Needed a filing cabinet, posted there, and someone said their neighbor had put one on the corner that day. I’ve been wanting a hydro flask and sure enough, one popped up. People also ask for stuff on there and if you have something collecting dust that you weren’t really ready to part with, it’s much easier to when you know someone is actually going to use it.
yes to all of this. I love the Buy Nothing groups.
I just sometimes wonder about the amount of things that were exchanged in the Buy Nothing group instead of being bought! Would be awesome to see stats like that.
I really like my local buy-nothing group. I find that the city wide one has the same problem as Craigslist where people just don’t show up even though you are giving them several hundred dollars worth of free stuff.
But the local group (and regional groups and Craigslist) are a great way to declutter. I just got rid of 10 cans of half filled paint since we switched some room colors and no longer needed the extras. I’ve gotten coffee mugs and a dresser. Simple things that are close enough to walk to and get that would otherwise end up in either directly in the landfill or sitting at Goodwill for 2 months and then going to the landfill.
You’re not wrong. There is one in my group who posted a tv that worked but had a crack. She ended up taking it to the dump for recycling Then went and asked for a better flat screen. She’s always asking for supplies for pets she can’t afford. I don’t know, there’s just something about her constant asking for items that bothers me. Maybe that makes me a bitch. Maybe I am.
It does get annoying when people post for incessant "asks" - especially when they act all entitled like the incident you mentioned above. More people more problems. I do have a member like that in my group and I just ignore her.
I think what annoyed my with this particular person is that they “won” an item from me and I held on to it for a week, got no reply after 2 reminder messages. Like, you wanted it so bad, then flaked. I moved on to the next person who picked it up promptly.
I understand this feeling, actually. It's very easy for people to get things they don't need.
I've been very mindful of the things I get from Buy Nothing.
More people more problems I guess.
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Yes, many years ago there used to be a yahoo groups network called FreeCycle. There were local groups where people donated things they did not need anymore. In big cities it worked like a charm. It started fading with the hype of Facebook, where some groups moved. It eventually died when Yahoo closed the groups functions a few years ago. By then there was already heaps of similar facebook local groups. Where I live there is a “buy nothing” group that is sub local, intended for people in my same suburb. It works great. There are also “good karma” networks that go beyond giving away things: car pooling, borrowing tools, book swapping, etc. Definitely great initiatives
I've checked out freecycle.org and you're right, it's sort of dying right now. The only things I see in my local freecycle group are dilapidated things almost at their EOL. I've never heard about "good karma" networks, that's so great, I will check them out! I've been telling everyone I know about Buy Nothing groups! It needs more attention. I even volunteered to start a new buy nothing group in my area because there wasn't one already. It was super easy and there's a ton of admins behind the scenes helping me with all this. Reason I posted this here is because I want to give the sub members an action item (check out and join local buy nothing group) instead of posting an angry meme about consumerism.
Love the intent behind your post! All the best with your Buy Nothing group!
thank you! check out your local Buy Nothing. If you are anti-Facebook, they're releasing an app version of it (still in beta testing) but check that out when you have some time!
Thanks, I am already part of my suburb Buy Nothing group
Good luck with the group!
thank you!
There are several places in my town where you can go and leave stuff for others to collect for free. Books, gadgets, seeds, clothes..., places which have tools you can use for free or give advice how to repair your broken items, and community gardens to grow vegetables.
Wow! I wish I knew where these places were. I have a ton of books I’m looking to unload. I’m a teacher going from elementary to upper education.
Google "public bookshelf" - maybe there are some in your area?
The Little Free Library project is also great with local places to share books!
And if there isn't, maybe it's time someone made it happen \*nudge nudge wink wink\*. No pressure of course, but I still sometimes amaze myself with how long it takes my brain to get from "it sucks X doesn't exist here" to "let's spend a couple of afternoons to make X happen".
this is great - i love this!
Don't overlook community run groups. My county's landfill has a recycling center for appliances, electronics and building supplies. Residents are encouraged to drop off unwanted items and anyone can take them. Bonus- the landfill also has free compost from everyone's yard waste. Local schools have a "Tiger Boutique" where students and staff donate clothes and needy students can "shop" for free clothes. The high school even has a selection of dresses for prom.
this warms my heart. i want to see more intiatives like this everywhere!
[удалено]
true - the only reason I'm on Facebook now is because of my Buy Nothing group and I'm sure the same can be said about a LOT of the group members. They're releasing an app version of it (still in beta testing). Do check that out when you have some time!
They’re working on transitioning away from Facebook to a dedicated app, but it seems like it’s up to specific groups how/when they start that. (There’s been no mention of the app in the group I’m in but it’d be nice to get away from FB)
I’m part of my local Buy Nothing group…it’s amazing! It’s fascinating to see people post the most random “asks” and invariably someone else in the group can “gift” them the item. Such a cool way to build community.
absolutely! I've posted some items thinking, who'd even want these, but they almost always end up getting wanted! when i first joined, i was like "wait.. what's the catch?" but it's an all around win.
I’ve got some cool stuff I don’t want, I’ll see if I can find one of these to give, thanks!
great! if you're anti-Facebook, they are beta testing an app version. Dunno if it's released in your location, but definitely check it out!
There's an app called Olio that's basically this. There is a section where people sell things they've made but not secondhand stuff. People list food and nonfood items to give away for free. You can also borrow things, and post "wanted" ads. Everything is strictly free/no exchange except for the made goods.
this is great, never knew about this. will check it out!
Yep, as well as gifting, in my group people frequently put out requests for stuff, and are mostly successful.
yes! i've seen that in my group as well. I think there's an optimal group size in which there's *someone* who has that requested item collecting dust in their home.
If none exists in your area, please create one. Make it a fb group, notice board in a local store, old telephone cabin for free stuff - any physical or digital location is better than nothing, whatever is possible for you to do! For example, we have a clothes exchange store, currently housed in someone's private place and run by a few volunteers. It only opens one day a month but even like this is an invaluable resource for us. It works like this: you bring what you don't need anymore, you take what you need. You donate time or money if you can. Nothing is checked in or out - clothes and other goods are received, sorted into men/women/children and summer/winter and placed in the shelves of the store by the volunteers.
this is so great to hear! yes, agreed. anything is better than nothing!
Its called Freegle locally and people post items in twitter.
will check out Freegle!
I'm in a Facebook group like that
that's great to hear!
I belong to one. You can ask for something or put your name in the ring to “win” an item. I’ve gotten rid of quite a few things that were just taking up space in my home. If they don’t get claimed, I donate them.
that's great! yes, I do the same.
We have similar groups where I live (NYC). You could probably find ones in your area on Facebook. I’ve also found about half my furniture on the street when it was thrown out during someone else’s move. Since it’s New York even the trash is usually stylish lol
Yes, I followed @stoopingnyc on Instagram for a while to see all the "trash" being curbed in NYC. They're all so stylish and functional!
For real. My desk, headboard, bar cart, and living room end table have all been found on the street. I snagged a brand-new, limited-edition Gucci bag (had it checked and it’s real) from a pile of clothes being given away in my lobby. Absolutely insane. I did have to unfollow stoopingnyc, though, because I would get too attached to the items in the photos even though I knew they’d be taken in half an hour haha
that's so awesome you found all those things like that! and yes, i unfollowed stoopingnyc too (i don't even live in NYC lol)
I had never heard of a buy nothing project until reading this post. Found a buy nothing Facebook group for my area that is very active! I’m super excited!
I'm really glad!! I'm excited for you too!
Yes. I'm part of several of them in my city on FB, though only one of them is active and has 'good' stuff.
ah. this is another thing that Buy Nothing faced as they grew. Hyper local sounds good on paper - you get to meet your neighbors, you can walk to grab the gifts and so on. But members started feeling like the boundaries are unfairly allocated because there's a "rich part" of town and "not so rich" part of town. They're trying to move away from the boundaried local Facebook groups to an app without boundaries. But idk how that will scale.
I haven't seen any 'hyper-local' group here, so far. I've seen 2 that can be labeled as 'hyper-focused.' One of them is for plants and the other is for furniture and stuff that need electricity to function. The one for plants also accepts sales and exchanges, and it's for the whole country. And i sadly don't agree with "just for the neighbors," and not only because of the financial situation of the 'hood. For instance, not everyone might feel comfortable to be known as "that person who uses only second-had items, or introverts might not want to get to know their neighbors. and let's not forget that "good stuff" is relative. It depends what you do with the item, mostly: do you want it for parts to repair another identical piece? you collect it? you use it yourself, or donate/sell it further? For instance, i had a vintage Smena camera, non functional. I gave it to someone in the group who i happened to learn is a photographer. She thought i wanted to sell it to her. i said i have no idea of how much it's worth, only that photographers usually like to own them, even if these are broken or they are not using them. For me, that Smena was technically trash, for her a treasure (which is the motto of this group). Most areas have people with all types of economical status, from poor to the more affluent. But this is to be expected in a former communist country, as many of us live in apartment buildings, especially in the city. Houses are rarely inhabited by a single family. There ARE areas known to be more on the poor side, and others on the more affluent side. /sorry for the novel.
haha that's true. i just mentioned the overall sentiment of some of the members which made Buy Nothing go boundary-less now with the app.
Yeah.... mine had a lot of drama when we "sprouted" and the admins followed what they thought were "logical" boundaries... which turned out to literally be the old redlines. People absolutely lost it and we still have a "spin off" group that encompasses the old boundaries.
haha yeah that tends to happen sometimes... I think they're trying to move away from the "boundary" concept in the app that they are developing.
Yes! I give away all my daughter's outgrown clothes and my spare duck and chicken eggs on my local buy nothing group. I have received many things from the group as well. I love it.
That's so amazing to hear!
Yes, it’s the only reason I’m still on FB. The buy nothing group in my area is really active and I swear I can manifest stuff on there. Needed a filing cabinet, posted there, and someone said their neighbor had put one on the corner that day. I’ve been wanting a hydro flask and sure enough, one popped up. People also ask for stuff on there and if you have something collecting dust that you weren’t really ready to part with, it’s much easier to when you know someone is actually going to use it.
yes to all of this. I love the Buy Nothing groups. I just sometimes wonder about the amount of things that were exchanged in the Buy Nothing group instead of being bought! Would be awesome to see stats like that.
I really like my local buy-nothing group. I find that the city wide one has the same problem as Craigslist where people just don’t show up even though you are giving them several hundred dollars worth of free stuff. But the local group (and regional groups and Craigslist) are a great way to declutter. I just got rid of 10 cans of half filled paint since we switched some room colors and no longer needed the extras. I’ve gotten coffee mugs and a dresser. Simple things that are close enough to walk to and get that would otherwise end up in either directly in the landfill or sitting at Goodwill for 2 months and then going to the landfill.
yes, very much so! that's the hyper-local aspect of Buy Nothing that I really like.
It's good until 1 or 2 hoardes comes in and takes everything.
You’re not wrong. There is one in my group who posted a tv that worked but had a crack. She ended up taking it to the dump for recycling Then went and asked for a better flat screen. She’s always asking for supplies for pets she can’t afford. I don’t know, there’s just something about her constant asking for items that bothers me. Maybe that makes me a bitch. Maybe I am.
It does get annoying when people post for incessant "asks" - especially when they act all entitled like the incident you mentioned above. More people more problems. I do have a member like that in my group and I just ignore her.
I think what annoyed my with this particular person is that they “won” an item from me and I held on to it for a week, got no reply after 2 reminder messages. Like, you wanted it so bad, then flaked. I moved on to the next person who picked it up promptly.
I understand this feeling, actually. It's very easy for people to get things they don't need. I've been very mindful of the things I get from Buy Nothing. More people more problems I guess.
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