Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Swap & Shop Parties




Swap & Shop Parties



I was catching up on my magazines this weekend and came across an article that falls right in line with my repurpose, reuse, recycle, and upcycle philosophy. The January issue of BHG has an article called Swap Till You Drop. BHG says clean your closets,grab your friends and trade your stuff at a party where everybody leaves happy and nobody spends a dime.



They further state that swap parties are popping up all over as a fun, free, and green way to get rid of what you no longer want and take home something you do. Here's how it works: Invite a few friends and ask them to bring items to swap. Lay out the loot, allow browsing time, then take turns choosing one new item you bought. The only rule is that everything up for swap is clean and in good condition.


They list tips as:


Invite guests- Let them know how many items they can bring. Five guests, each with 10 items in tow, is a good size for a party.


Tag each item- Have a stash of tags ready and have them write a description and "selling point" for each item.


Set up a claim system- They suggest a clothespin marked with individuals names. To claim an item, clip a pin to its tag, if multiple people want the same item, put all the clothespins in a hat and draw a winner.


I further researched swap parties and found numerous links:


Planet Green Host a Clothing Swap Party


Real Simple Host a Swap Party


Girlfriend Celebration's Guide to Swap Parties for Frugal Girls Nights


Winifred and Bance Swap Parties


Oxfam in the UK Swap It Parties


Some of these are in the UK, but I thought they had some nice tips.


I hope this inspires some of you to swap instead of pitch.

20 comments:

Melissa B. said...

This sounds like a lot of fun...and a GREAT way to clean out my basement! SITS sent me by, and I'm glad they did...

Snow Daze

Unknown said...

I'm going to one later this month and am so excited!!

Tiffany said...

Love your blog! Thanks for stopping by mine! New follower now too! Check out my giveaway today - it also has a discount!

Christine Macdonald said...

Great ideas! Thanks for stopping by and following. You have a follower in me!

Gotta LOVE SITS!

Donnetta said...

What a GREAT idea!! Thanks for stopping by!

Charlene Juliani said...

I'm now following you...thanks for stopping by my blog today and leaving such nice comments :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for stopping by Frugal Follies! You have a great site! The swap party is a great idea!

The Drama Mama said...

Stopping by from SITs. I'm a freecycle addict, so I really love this idea. I hadn't heard of it before, but I think I really like it!! Thanks for the idea!!

Unknown said...

I just got invited to one of these, it sound like fun!

Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird said...

Huh, that sounds like a lot of fun! I may have to check one of those out!

Dee said...

That is a great idea! Sometimes I have things that are still good, but I simply don't want.

Confessions From A Work-At-Home Mom said...

I've been a part of a "swap" party-- for clothes. It was great! Everything that went unclaimed we donated to Goodwill. Shopping and charity at once? Who knew???!?

~Elizabeth
Confessions From A Working Mom

Kelly Miller said...

I love swaps and rely on them for my kids' clothes. I'm lucky to have friends with kids just a bit older and just a bit younger than my two, so there's always something we can swap.

I've never done the clothespin or hat draw. Those sound like great ideas!

Unknown said...

What a fabulous idea! I'm going to have one of these!

Holly Lefevre said...

I have never done a swap party but always wanted to. Great idea to share with everyone.
Holly
504 Main

Hannah Gold said...

Happy Friday Follow! I am a new follower! My blogs are numbers 166, 167 and 169!

I love your idea!

http://whatsfordinner-mommymommymommy.blogspot.com/

bizzimommiofboyz said...

Sounds fun!

Happy Friday Follow!


Following you from...


http://bizzimommi.blogspot.com

Freely Living Life said...

I found you through the "Friday Follow" and decided to follow you with Google Friend Connect. I look forward to further exploring your blog! Come on over and visit the Freely Living Life Family when you get a free moment. Happy blog hopping! <3

ThinkFeminist said...

Hi, I am your latest follower from FF, I am a tadbit late on the follow. I will hang around and read for a while. Hope you can follow me as well on my blog at www.safehomehappymom.com

sweetjeanette said...

ok, I officially LOVE this idea! I'm thinking about taking this to another level and hosting one (round-robin style). When the kinks are worked out, wanna play??? LOL

jeanette
sweetjeanette.com