Freecycle

[Twinky]

Just in case some of you are not aware, there is a group/organization called FREECYCLE where you can get, or get rid of, just about anything – free. It is arranged in individual cities or areas and if you googled Freecycle and the name of your city or area that would bring up local groups.

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,338 groups with 4,887,000 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by entering it into the search box above or by clicking on “Browse Groups” above the search box. Have fun!

www.freecycle.org

I have benefited so much from Freecycle – mostly getting stuff (having just bought a house) but also getting rid of clutter and stuff I've beenable to upgrade. Only stipulations are that everything has to be free and cannot be animals (pets). It can range from cars, household furniture, plants, egg boxes, surplus homegrown veges – even a dozen odd socks were offered which were gone within a couple of hours (suggested use was as glove puppets). It's useful to get rid of ends of materials – little bits of plaster board or ½ tin of paint for example. Some people even donate their services.

Also I have asked for things on loan for a week or two and have asked for advice about one or two things and folk have emailed with responses or pointed me to websites that answer the question.

In the last couple of months, I have among other things received:

2 carpets (one of excellent quality and only a few months old)

2 rugs (one made of silk, looks old and valuable)

A trio of hands-free telephones (a big need, that one)

2 complete computers PLUS boundless computer support by the man who made up one complete internet-ready computer for me from old but serviceable parts

A pedal cycle

1/3 cubic metre of gravel (to re-lay garden path)

Service for my sewing machine

2 complete stereo sets

Plants for my garden

...plus loads more stuff

For friends I have located:

Pianos

Beds

Household furniture

Weird stuff I have given away:

Clay from my garden

An assortment of plastic boxes (for storage purposes)

Garden plants/seeds including one tree

And everyone I have met has been a really nice person and usually very helpful.

If you are short of funds yourself, help out disadvantaged people, need something unusual, or just need to get rid of something that still has usable time left in it – give it a try.

If you're already a member of Freecycle, what are your success stories?

If you haven't tried it yet - sort out your old junk and see what you can get rid of.

[bowtwi]

I've subscribed for at least a couple years, since Belle turned me on to it. I haven't used it yet, but almost did when some thick blue shag carpet was offered. It was the icy part of winter and I wasn't up for the adventure it could have provided.

I'm preparing for a garage sale now and I think I'll offer some of the leftovers as freecycle - LOVE the concept! I've seen good working electric stoves, matching tires, yard furniture, baby supplies by the case...

Ours also includes pets - maybe they actually understand what self-governing, self-propagating means.

[Twinky]

Yeah, lots of baby/small kid stuff - clothing, toys - the stuff that's only needed for a few months and then it's outgrown.

Great idea to Freecycle your garage sale leftovers.

[jen-o]

well... i have a success story!

i have only known about freecycle for about a week (thanks to twinky, who posted something about it on another thread) :~)

but already i have used it, and found a nice dining room table with 6 chairs for a family in my church... actually, i volunteer with the homeless ministry at my church, and we just met this family a couple of months ago... but last month we set them up in an apartment, and i went to freecycle to find them some of the furniture they still needed... and voila, i found them the table & chairs... and i also found them a desk... so now i am a big freecycle fan!... and i will be using the site from time to time to help the folks that we meet thru the homeless ministry...

thanks again, twinky, for sharing this information with everyone!

peace,

jen-o

[Twinky]

Well just for fun... I am now Freecycling (out) ... my LAWN. I must have had a dozen replies and two or three people want to come and help me lift it.

Then I will be Freecycling (in) some hoss muck. For the vege garden, y'know.

[Bramble]

I like freecycle, too. It is handy when you clean out a closet( I recently found toys from gradeschool in a basement closet!) People come right to your house to pick things up...very convenient! We also got a decent desk for one of the kid's through freecycle.

Our area also has a yahoo garage sale group for things you want to sell.

[Belle]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE FREECYCLE!!

Got my brother and my dad using it, too! I think Daddy really just likes going on to see what people are giving away and what they are asking for more than anything else. I know he has given some things away, but it's more entertainment for him, I think.

I think they are getting rather legalistic at the actual "freecycle.org" site, but there are yahoo groups who "used to be" freecycle and now continue on separately and without all the rules.

My brother signed up to see if he could get some much needed kitchen appliances and they said he had to give three things away before posting for something he wants.... they also asked for tons of information whereas when I signed up they just wanted an e-mail address. I hope they don't ruin the whole thing by micro-managing it.

[jen-o]

hi belle,

i just signed up 2 weeks ago, and all they wanted was an e-mail address...

but then, i haven't posted a "wanted item" yet...

i do need to do that though because i want to find a bike for someone at the homeless ministry...

so, hopefully, they don't ask me to give 3 things away before i can do that...

(i give things away all the time, but they usually go to the homeless)

anyway, i'll let you know what happens...

peace,

jen-o

[Twinky]

Jen-o, you will find yourself on moderation for just a little while, till you get the hang of it. They want people to share, not just take (fair enough). Sometimes you come across "dealers" who collect stuff they seem to intend to sell at a garage sale or market stall. Those people aren't very popular and it is against the ethos of the site, although really no harm done, the "seller" gets rid of something they don't want and the "taker" keeps it from being landfill.

My lawn looks nice in its new location a couple of miles away, well at least the half that's gone looks nice; the rest will go tomorrow.

Tonight I disposed of an old mirror that must have been in an old wardrobe door. The silvering is a little crazed and there is quite a bit of discoloration there. The taker is really pleased with it. No idea what he intends to use it for.

[jen-o]

hey twinky,

do they really know who gets what?

i have only contacted one person (via e-mail) who had offered the dining room table and chairs... we later exchanged phone numbers, and she offered me a desk, too... but that has been the extent of my involvement so far...

i do understand what you are saying about it being a site for sharing, and i do have things that i can put up as an offer (and i think i will do that soon) because i don't want people to think i am just taking things from the site... although, as you know, the things that i am taking are not for me, but for the homeless ministry...

i do love the concept and think it's a wonderful site!...

peace,

jen-o

(edited to add p.s.)

p.s. belle, maybe it depends on the moderator of each individual group as to whether or not you need to give away 3 things first or how much information you are required to give...

Edited April 27, 2008 by jen-o

[Belle]

Jen, indeed it could be the different moderators. My bro is in San Francisco whereas I'm in Orlando. I belong to quite a few Freecycle groups because the area is so large, but in my brother's area, you can only belong to the one group specific to your zip code - maybe it's California nazis running their program? *shrug*

I've given away things I didn't dream anyone would want and I've given away things that I was moved to tears over being able to help someone in real need. Some people give their items away to the first person, but I collect e-mails before deciding who I think should get the item in question. Two of my favorite memories with freecycle are giving a VCR to a house-ridden senior citizen who had lots of videos and could not afford to start all over with a DVD player and DVDs. I delivered that VCR to her personally and cried all the way home.... and giving my soft-side waterbed to a Marine coming back from Iraq to live with his parents who were strapped for cash, helping elderly parents and the Marine had been sleeping on the floor in an empty room since coming home (long story there). I've also received some really kewl things, too.

Different areas have different needs and dishonest people can ruin a good thing for everyone depending on how things are handled. Overall, I think Freecycle offers a great service and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. I wish I had enough time and money to let all garage sale hosts know about it so they can continue to help others by donating items when the garage sale is over.

[Twinky]

I gave some skincare products to a woman who works with a homeless project. I wondered if she used Freecycle to locate items that the homeless might need (clothes?) - especially if they are trying to help them back to more normal living (with furniture).

Belle, it is nice to choose the recipient (if you get more than one taker), and the pleasure in giving and meeting a need really is enjoyable in itself.

Having finally got rid of my lawn today, what do you know but someone is freecycling a load of topsoil. Just exactly what I need so it is now in bags on the remains of my garden path.