Freecycle: What Do You Want? What Have You Got?
Freecycle is a grassroots project where people are giving (and receiving) stuff for FREE in their own towns.
It's like a mini-eBay, only it's categorized by regions, so you "join" the group that's in the same city or county as you. (That way, it's easy to GIVE or GET items to one another.)
Basically, "joining" means that you are given private access to the website which lists items that are either "wanted" (being sought by others) or "offered" (being given away by others).
You can post your "wanted items" or your "offered items" for FREE at any time.
Remember, it's all about the "FREE"... not a penny can be charged or earned.
Instead of keeping your eyes glue to the website, you can also choose to receive individual e-mails (as items are posted) or daily e-mails (summarizing all of the new postings for that day). This way, you remain on top of what's available at all times -- because FREE stuff often goes quickly!
After hearing about this on the news, I signed up. There are nearly 1,200 "members" in my little town alone!
RELATED:
- It's Like A Random Act Of Kindness...
- A Fun Way To Pass On Your Old Books
- Kids' Toys Kicked To The Curb
- Tag, You're It... Passalong Some Fun Stuff
- 8 Etiquette Tips For Curbside Freecycling
UPDATE 2/27/05:
If you're interested in the Craigslist site that Phil mentioned in the Comments below, it's here:
http://nashville.craigslist.org/zip/
There is some good "free stuff" there as well. And I've found Craigslist to be a great way to find things (like house cleaners) in the local area as well.
UPDATE 10/6/05:
Found something in Oprah Magazine ("Take It, It's Free" by Justine Van Der Leun, Feb. 2005) about how Deron Beal started Freecycle in July 2003:
As an employer of a non-profit recycling center in Tucson, Beal would cart bulky stuff that businesses no longer wanted -- disks, fax machines -- from charity to charity until he found a taker. He realized this was not the most efficient system, so in July 2003, he started freecycle.org, a grassroots website open to individuals, charities, and companies in his hometown. The concept was simple: You list your dumpster-destined toaster, and a toaster-needy neighbor arranges to pick it up. In less than two years, freecycle.org has spread through 1,800 cities and more than 40 countries. Now, every day, more than half a million "freecyclers" keep 33 tons of good stuff out of landfills.
UPDATE 7/20/08:
Don't overlook the fact that some of the things you might want to give to Freecycle (or to places like Goodwill or the Salvation Army) might not be in the best condition. If that's the case, some of those items might be put to good use at your local animal shelter instead.
Check out this Animal Shelter Wish List for more ideas.
"LOOKING FOR A LAB"...I've been surfing cyber world and asking around if anyone has (preferably)a Black Lab Puppy in need of a home. I too saw those adorable Lab Puppies on the previous page and fell in love with them. After 14 1/2 yrs. we lost our Lab(mix) to doggy cancer. We have a nice big yard that's fenced in. And a walking path 2 blocks up from us. I walked my Harley dog almost every day on that trail since along with both my kids when they where babies (in a stroller). Harley loved her walks. And my next dog will love that trail too. Also my next dog will have her spot in the house as well. I'm not sure if I'm posting this correctly..? But it's a long shot. I live east of Pasadena, Ca. I hope to be hearing from someone...until then my search is still on.
Sincerely Lisa
PS. I can send updates on the puppy/dog too for peace of mind.
I get what he had to say, but I, for one, would like to keep my searches local,since I don't want to ship or mail anything. I would rather have my donations picked up. And I do not want to search through distant places to find things I might like to have. Picking up can be done at the curb or completely off-site if arranged, so you don't have to worry about strangers coming to your house. If the item is really large, and inconvenient to leave outside, perhaps another site would be better.
While the Internet does indeed open up distances between people, it does not need to do away with community efforts when deemed more appropriate.
Maria - You'll want to join the (free) Freecycle group for your area:
http://www.freecycle.org/group/United%20States/New%20York/New%20York%20City
Hi I live in a home in Long Island and I'm looking to start downsizing. I have some furniture, sof, dishes, stemware, books, and a lot of stuff to giveaway...
I have gently used toys that I am looking to donate. I would be more than happy to send them to you. Please email me back if you are interested. Best of luck!
I HAVE A DAYCARE AT HOME I JUST START I NEED DAYCARE TOYS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. ANY THING THAT IS USED FOR CHILD TO PLAY OR LEARN WITH.
i have books to give away
cute puppies on the other pages
I have three office chairs (green) swivel - Long Island, NY. anyone interested
Here are all the FREECYCLE GROUPS IN MISSOURI.
Vera -
Here are all the Freecycle groups in Connecticut. (Plus, they add more all the time!) Simply choose the county or town nearest you, and you're all set.
Happy freecycling!
Where can we donate in or near Wallingford, Connecticut?
My take: despite their millions of members, they didn't get it quite right. The system is based on several thousand local groups, all exchanging free stuff within their locale. Did I miss something here? I thought that the internet was a network without boundaries, a way to reach out beyond your little enclave and get your message (or that used toaster) out to millions. But no, they have a group for Denver, Boulder, Arvada, North Denver...what the h*!! were they thinking? Why limit the system geographically?? I put a toilet on eBay for free and had people asking about shipping across the country. If I wanted to list an item locally - I could quite easily post it on a slip of paper at the library, or local coffee shop. So great idea, but zero points on execution. They've done a great job of removing every advantage the internet has to offer!
If that weren't enough....they've got a media relations person trying to keep people from using Freecycle as a verb! Now they've pushed the bounds of ridiculous. Why do you think google is the number one search engine these days? simple interface, sure (you don't have to join a local google group to search for webpages, that's for sure) but no! "Google" has become slang - ever hear of anyone "yahooing" or "lycosing" or "altavistaing" anything? Of course not! But we google everything, and we google all the time. In my not so humble opinion, the makers of Freecycle could hope for nothing less from their concept...if everyone in the country thought, "hmm, why don't I freecycle that old bike rather than trashing it," we would be a bunch of serious freecyclers. All I have left to say about that is "freecycle on, my friends!"
So in light of all that, for now, I think I'll stick to craigslist (obviously geographic limits make sense for apartments - "and how would you like that 1BR 1BA for $450/mo to be shipped? UPS?") and eBay.