Both my husband and I are hoarders. Not in a totally extreme way (plus which we only have a two-bedroom apartment at present, which restricts how much stuff we can realistically fit in it), but we do tend to accumulate stuff around us, and get emotionally attached to it, and only rarely do we get up the emotional strength to admit that no, we are not actually using it and should get rid of it. Most of this stuff is things like pretty clothes in good condition that I just never wear, or a backpack he got for Christmas and never uses, that we can donate to his church’s annual rummage sale and be reasonably sure that it will go to someone who will appreciate it more.
But then there are the “specialty” items, that are too nice to throw away but that we hesitate to give to the rummage sale out of fear that the right person won’t see it – like the half-used jewelry-making supplies I’m not using anymore because of the chemicals in it while being pregnant (uh, yes, I’m over-paranoid), or the camera B&W filters we don’t really use now that we have digital cameras and Photoshop… My husband pointed out that he thought the chances that some photo enthusiast would think of the church rummage sale as “perfect place to pick up B&W filters!” were kind of low. So they just sat in a corner for ages, taking up space.
Then I remembered I had signed up to be part of a Freeycle list a long time ago, when I was basically on a student salary - nowadays I filter out all the emails, because there are just way too many. So I just posted the filters and the supplies on the list… three hours later I had emails from multiple people who wanted them. Wow. I’m going through more stuff this weekend to see if I can find more stuff to post to the list, this is great! Having that extra impetus of knowing I am making someone else’s life better by getting rid of our crap might be exactly what I need to get going on this…
What other creative ways do you have of getting rid of stuff you don’t need, or forcing yourself to get rid of it?
I followed your Freecycle link and read the FAQ, but it doesn’t really explain how it works. Does someone oversee transactions? Do you have to donate X amount of stuff before you can start taking stuff? What stops someone from grabbing everything that’s offered and selling it all on eBay?
It sounds good on the surface, but I’d like to understand it a bit.
We don’t have this way of getting rid of things, but my husband’s best friend has an awesome way of getting rid of stuff. He has a policy (that he of course only applies selectively) that if you touch it, its yours. You don’t get to back out of it, he will literally pick it up right then and there and put it in your vehicle. (as I mentioned he’s selective about it, so don’t get all silly.) For the most part, I think it applies to anything in his big barn. (farm house livin’!)
So no vehicles, not the house, spouse or kids, not the good equipment, etc, etc. If he says “hey check this out” we approach with our hands behind our backs!
Taking the points in order, there is a moderator/s for your local group who will basically ensure that the posts follow the groups rules but the actual transaction is at the discretion of the poster who is offering the item/ service/ doohickey.
It is considered polite to at least offer some item before requesting anything, but it is a guideline rather than a rule. (Some charities use it to request equipment/ help so they would not be expected to offer anything first).
Some people do try to grab stuff to re-sell but they do become known and as it is at the discretion of the offerer to decide who to give it to, they tend not to get very much (and the moderator/s will expel them if they continue after being warned).
The main thing to remember is that everything is offered for FREE to try to reduce the amount of stuff going to landfill.
My SO and I have been using it for a few years, lately for the newest grandchildren and have even got to the stage of passing on things we’ve been given once we no longer need them.
Freecycle is awesome. Got a like-new leather couch to replace the old torn one last month on freecycle. Passed along the old one to another freecycler. Asked for a TI-83 for my high-schooler, received one the next day. I have also been given: a universal remote control, 2 skateboards, covered litter box, computer mouse & keyboard, convertible loveseat, houseful of good-condition used carpeting, TV, TI-83s for 2 other high schoolers. Things I’ve given away: old laptop, Israeli computer keyboard, wi-fi adapter, hamster cage, worm bin, ping pong table, dresser, bedroom vanity, and slide rule.
Love it! I’ve only taken a cell phone (basic model, my SO has a habit of wrecking his in strange ways) but I’ve given away so much stuff! Old lawnmower, old snowblower, the patio table whose glass top had shattered, ashtrays when I quit smoking, 4 large houseplants that almost froze (had them outdoors all summer - simply don’t have room for them now) and the list goes on. I don’t care if people take stuff for resale - I just wanted it gone.
But you get no shows, too. I kept some old veggies for some woman who wanted them for her chickens. I held onto them for some time and then they sat out on my driveway for 3 days before I finally composted them.
I’ve been using freecycle to get rid of the empty boxes as I unpack, saving me from having to take them to be recycled. Generally I’m able to do this just by checking the listings (I opted to get batched rather than individual emails) for people looking for moving boxes, although occasionally when they start piling up I’ll post my own listing, and almost always get a response within a day or two. I’ve got a few other things I probably should list, like my old vacuum cleaner. Haven’t picked up anything on it yet, though.
I’m a Freecycle group owner! It’s a great way to reduce clutter and feel good about giving it away. You can also find items that you can use that someone else is done with. The point of the organization is to develop a free recycling community within a small area. Groups are local so that there isn’t excess fuel used to exchange items.
I’m about to hook up a used HP printer/copier/fax I just picked up. When I do and I know it’s working fine, I’ll list my old printer/copier on the group and “pay it forward”. Someone who either doesn’t have a printer or has one that doesn’t copy, can then upgrade to mine without spending a penny. I don’t have to worry about my old one sitting around taking up space or chucking it into a landfill when it’s still usable.
And people recycle all sorts of things. You never know who can make something out of something you have, even if it’s broken. As long as you’re honest in your description, you’ll usually find someone who can use what you’re giving.
There are downsides to it and running the group is not always fun (and it’s purely voluntary, so you can get crap from ornery members for FREE, too!), but overall it’s a great concept.
Most of the items offered have little instrinsic resale value. Things I have freecycled:
-an old futon mattress, without the frame (the frame I sold on craig’s list)
-a half full 40lb bag of “Black Oil” sunflower seeds suitable for birdfeed (not human consumption)
-a pressed fiberboard desk computer desk that would not survive being taken apart and put back together for the 4th time
-an old faucet-coupling dishwasher that really didn’t get dishes clean, and tended to redistribute the dirt besides, and needed to be brought down a steep flight of stairs. (apparently the people who took it only needed it for sterilizing baby bottles and such - getting to sterilizing temps was indeed the only useful thing the dishwasher could do.)
So you see, no sane person would have paid money for these items, but they are useful to the people who took them. From what I’ve seen the vast, VAST majority of freecycle items are along these lines.
The only thing of value I have freecycled was a box full of 78 records I got at a farm auction for $10. I pulled about 20 of the least-scratched nonreligious records out for my grandma (the reason I bought the box), and toyed with the idea of selling the rest, but realized I was just too lazy to deal with selling them. Maybe the guy who picked them up got awesome treasure - maybe he got a bunch of picked-over scratched warped 78s from the backroom of a farmhouse. I don’t know, or care, except that I’m glad they’re gone!
I once responded to someone who was looking for containers to use (IIRC) for freezing homemade dog food, which she apparently made up in large batches. Packrat that I am, I’d accumulated a stack of plastic containers and lids from ordering take-out Chinese soup over the past year, which I left in a plastic bag on my front porch and she picked up.
I love posting something I have available to give away, and then reading the responses. Some of them are so illiterate and demanding that I can’t figure out why the person in a million years would even dream I’d choose them. And it’s really painful when I post something I think is junk, and people are desperate for it. Such as carpeting I specify is suitable only for a barn or garage, and people are desperate for it for their bedroom.
I’ve used Freecycle a bit, but it gets to be a pain in the ass because I’m required to subscribe to an email digest listing all offered items. If I don’t check 5+ digests every day, they just pile up in my email account. Most of the items offered are fairly small things, so it hardly seems worth the gas to drive there unless it’s on the way to somewhere else you’re driving.
I did luck out one time and got a big UPS worth several hundred dollars, though.
The upside of Freecycle is that people are less flaky than on Craigslist.
I don’t get it. It’s not even a real website, just piggybacks on Yahoo! Groups, itself a crappy-design website. Craigslist’s “Free” section seems to be the same thing, except it’s easier to search and doesn’t require you to register for Yahoo. What am I missing?
My Freecycle is more local - Craigslist covers a huge area, and most of that area is in Minneapolis or its suburbs. My Freecycle is my Western WI county.
I have a filter on my email account that sends all the freecycle emails to a separate folder.
Yeah, ours is managed through Yahoo Groups as well (and yes, I agree, Yahoo Groups has pretty crappy design). Functionally you’re right that it’s equivalent to Craigslist’s free section, but in practice, in my experience at least, there tends to be a greater variety of better-quality stuff on Freecycle, with more people who are interested in it. I’m not sure why that is – or even if it is generally true and not just a possibly biased local observation - anyone else have experiences? – though I’ve noticed that I experience Craigslist as less personal, and thus would be more wary of saying, “Hey, here’s my address, I’ll leave the stuff outside and you can pick it up,” than I am with the moderated Yahoo group, which feels at least a little more like a community.
I have to say that I don’t think I have ever actually picked up something from someone else on freecycle (partially because on my local list you have to act super-fast), but it seems really awesome for getting rid of stuff.
Love Freecycle! When our hot water heater went out last year we requested one in a “Wanted” email and within hours we picked up a nearly new, never been used heater from someone’s garage! They actually had a choice of 3, we picked the newest looking one.
I have used it to get rid of lots of accumulated stuff that is still good but too much trouble to sell on ebay or in a garage sale.
I tired freecycle four times so far. Three times the person who was giving something aways wasn’t there, and the fourth one gave me an address to a closed gas station.
At least in Chicago, I think they are playing way too many games. I’m sure it has legit uses but four times and all failed? That’s just a little too co-incidental for my liking. I mean my time is valueless and yeah I know you’re getting something for nothing, but if you try this be prepared to get the run-a-round and such.
The guy that started Freecycle lives in Tucson, and I’ve met him coincidentally. I’ve given a couple pieces of furniture, but haven’t attempted to get anything yet.
I love our freecycle, too. I’ve given away a wedding dress, a dresser, lots of magazines, a microwave, a coffeemaker… Received a sofa, an over-the-toilet shelf unit, some other stuff.
I get maybe 10-20 emails a day, and they are automatically sorted into their own folder. My group requires the item to be listed in the subject, so it’s a simple matter of scanning the subjects and deleting the ones I’m not interested in.