|
|
Post by Peach on Jul 14, 2009 9:18:16 GMT -5
Frequently members mention getting rid of things via Freecycle. For those of you unfamiliar with this global movement, it is a very easy way to "give away" your stuff. Whatever you don't want, post it on your local group Freecycle website, people WILL respond, give them your address, put the item on your front porch and they pick it up. Very easy. No lifting and transporting of heavy items elsewhere for disposal. You just give it away. Here is the website: www.freecycle.org This morning I gave away ~150 books collected over the past 40 years that I no longer need. Items currently on my porch awaiting pickup are: 4 unfinished hooked rug projects, bag of 30-40 refrigerator magnets, 2 old manual typewriters, 1 old Samsonite briefcase, 8 baskets, and 1 large stuffed animal. Within the past 3-4 months we have also disposed of a lovely triple dresser with matching end tables, a couple beatup dressers and a large DR table that DH dragged home and used for awhile. A person who likes to tinker with old cameras took our 10 non-working cameras accumulated over the past 30+ years. You name it, people offer it for free. It's very liberating to just give away stuff. We offer a few items at a time and they're usually gone within hours. Here's a thread that documents my adventures with freecycle: takeonestepatatime.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=action&thread=6222&page=1 |
|
louise
New Member
Joined: September 2008
Posts: 96
|
Post by louise on Jul 14, 2009 10:22:57 GMT -5
I agree, freecycle is great! But I find I have to list something as soon as I decide I want to get rid of it, otherwise it just get's put to one side to do later. Of course that later never arrives! But if I list as I come across things they're usually gone within a couple of hours.
There are plenty of things that I really should have ebayed as they were worth quite a bit, but taking photos, working out postage and writing a good, honest description was just too time consuming when I have so much clutter that needs dealing with. I love that with freecycle you can just send a quick two word email saying what the item is and it's general location and within minutes in some cases you have multiple emails from people asking if they can take it away!
|
|
|
|
Post by sunshineshouse on Jul 14, 2009 12:59:08 GMT -5
I didn't want anyone coming to my home, so I arranged to meet people at Dunkin Donuts at a particular time. Of course, these were items small enough to fit in shopping bags! I gave away many bags of kids' clothing and other miscellaneous house stuff.
|
|
|
|
Post by canna on Jul 14, 2009 16:13:59 GMT -5
I like freecycle. I've only used it twice; to give away 2 old "needs work" movie projectors from '50's; and lots of issues of one of my favorite magazines "The Sun" (which I thought were, um, "too good to just throw in recycle bin"-ha, and still think so). ALL were taken within 2 days! I now get emails from the two local freecycle groups listing items, and its just interesting to see the free stuff.
|
|
|
|
Post by yearning4order on Jul 15, 2009 0:32:47 GMT -5
Thank you for this--I no longer have "custody" of the truck we used when I was married, and I've been worried about how I might unload some of the larger things waiting for me on the back porch, the garage, etc.
You have reminded me that Freecycle could be the solution.
|
|
|
|
Post by Meme on Jul 15, 2009 1:28:08 GMT -5
I too will not allow strangers to come to my house - I do not feel that it is a safe venture for a widow- my girl friend can as she is in an apartment and meets down in the foyer(sp).
the concept is great but do use caution.
I notice that folks will set things out on the sidewalk or by it and put on a FREE sign.
|
|
|
|
Post by bigtimetroubles on Jul 15, 2009 4:06:38 GMT -5
our local group of freecycle broke about 8months ago from freecycle and became the reuseit group which is basically the same but has less troubles with things that freecycle as a group was forcing upon the local group who rebelled against its influences. I have used to my advantage to get rid of great stuff that was totally usable by someone else...example two cell phone holsters.....I have gotten so much good stuff too...I got a stereo and four great small speakers...a tv and much more....my latest was a gingham shirt of light yellow squares in 2X which fits nicely. It is a long sleeved shirt for winter months.... I am not saying anyone who is a hoarder needs to get involved in collecting stuff but I am not a hoarder to the best of my knowledge....I enjoy giving and getting and sometimes laugh when someone posts a wanted ad asking for a car, truck or BMW motorcycle ect....or some expensive item like a video game console that is the hottest item in stores today....I have never asked for something too expensive or not needed. My recent ask for was a set of corelle dishes....mine are mostly broken now and I have not got enough to keep my from paper plates..... hugs bigtimetroubles  |
|
|
|
Post by Peach on Jul 15, 2009 10:42:37 GMT -5
I do agree with Meme and Sunshineshouse about using caution with giving out one's address. In my case, I feel okay with it because we live in a gated retirement community with nosy neighbors who keep an eye on everything - in this case I don't mind  If I lived alone or out in the country, I would be more leary. I always make sure to mention DH in pre-pickup email so the person is aware that a man lives here. Of course, one can fake that tidbit of info. No need to advertise that one is single or lives alone. A primary appeal for me of Freecycle is that the picker uppers ARE strangers. They never get past the front porch, or driveway, or curb - wherever you put the item for them to pickup. There is no expectation for them to even see you. I sometimes think of offering an item, that is too large for my car, to a friend but there would definitely be the expectation that they be invited into the house. I have only done that when my birds were being rehomed because there was no choice. One way you can "screen" picker uppers before giving out your address is to look over the list of items on your local group's site. Look for the prospective PUer's username next to items being offered or wanted. If someone is a longtime user of Freecycle, I feel okay with giving my location. I always ask that pickup occur during daylight hours. Remember, the person is usually in a hurry and just wants to quickly pickup the item(s) you have put out for them and be on their way. They do not expect to see or talk to you in person. |
|
|
|
Post by grungygeorgie on Jul 23, 2009 20:35:23 GMT -5
I recently subscribed the unsubscribed.i could tell which direction
I was going ingetting instead of giving.I can't resist free things and
don't need one single thing.I did give away adresser my daughter never used since our move.The Mom who received it was over
the moon,it made me happy to give away something that was appreciated!.
gg
|
|
|
|
Post by serenitynow on Jul 24, 2009 17:55:18 GMT -5
 .. one lady wanted a hot water bottle for her son and I had to stop myself from going to WalMart to get one for her!! A tad too caretaking am I. I've responded to some and received some but so far I haven't offered some. A number of people around here are scooping up and reselling things in yard sales- which is a definite no no with freecycle. serenitynow |
|
|
|
Post by Peach on Jul 24, 2009 23:00:50 GMT -5
I believe we have scooper uppers and resellers here also - that probably is an unfortunate sidebar with freecycle, especially in these hard times with many folks unemployed and turning to other means to raise money.  That does not bother me. My goal is to remove still serviceable items from my home quickly without resorting to trashing them. I do not want to store items for the 1-2 garage sales allowed per year in my community. Actually, we tried that for 2 years and it is just too much of a hassle. I do not want to haul it all to a flea market and rent space.  Ditto for lugging stuff to Goodwill, other than clothing. I try to weed out those who sound too businesslike in their emails and go with those with a down-to-earth feel. That is the best I can do without adding to the local landfill. The concept of giving away makes me happy. My stuff might flow through a middle person (a reseller) before it reaches its new home but that is okay with me.  The few $$ someone made might be needed to feed a child or furbaby. |
|
|
|
Post by clutterfree on Jul 25, 2009 17:27:36 GMT -5
I've never used freecycle, but I do take things I don't want down to the curb and tape a FREE sign above them on the electric pole. I don't care if people use them or sell them, as long as someone else who can benefit from them gets them. It's the best way I've found to not put off gettinng rid of things. I do donate clothing rather that leave it in a pile, but I've recently done this with a breadmaker that I couldn't give away --no one including me wanted it though it was in perfect condition--my daughter's outgrown bicycle, glass vases, a vacuum cleaner, a fry daddy, a box of glasses ( that I'd had for 16 years--good lord).
I don't have to list anything or do anything but take it down my driveway. And if no one picks it up (they always do) then it's already there for garbage pick up on Tuesdays.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peach on Jul 25, 2009 20:56:43 GMT -5
Clutterfree - We also put items on the curb. In fact, before discovering freecycle, that is what we did. And, like you said, usually it disappears into a passerby's vehicle. We found that works well for large, easily visible, items. Now that we are single-mindedly focused on cleaning out the entire house, rather than sporatic spots, there is just too much stuff to place at the curb without looking like a yardsale. We are in a community with rules about such things. Single items that disappear quickly are tolerated by the neighbors (but just barely, sometimes we get comments). But, no way, we would get by with lots of stuff out there at once. As DH or I decide an item is history, we post it on the FreeCycle Network, and it's gone within hours. We have no chance to change our mind. That is why freecycle works for us. It's an efficient assembly line approach to moving stuff out of our house with zero expense in additional time and gas. We also still put items on the curb - right now we have National Geographic magazines out there and on freecycle. Looks like they'll end up being hauled away Monday by the recyling truck |
|
