Knick Knack Round-Up

Today, I participated in my first Freecycle™ exchange!

Although I discussed Freecycle™ early on, in Join A Freecycle™ Group! I had not as of that time actually exchanged anything through it. However, recently a request came over my Freecycle™ list serve, which I thought I could help out with. It was from a teacher who was planning an end-of-year party to reward their students for their hard work during the year. They were looking for "any knick knacks you may have in good condition . . . that a child . . . may enjoy."

Identify

Well, you can be sure any Packrat worth their name has got knick knacks aplenty! I contacted this person to let them know I might have a few things they could use, and to find out when they would be needed.

Mind you, I had already liberated quite a few of my chatchkis at the Freecycle™ Freemeet last week, however as you also know, a Packrat can never quite get rid of everything all at once. Often something is held back so, I still had a few things on hand when they emailed me to follow up.

Some of the items I had ordered a number of years ago through one of those offers they stick in your credit card bill. I had some vague notion of using them as stocking stuffers, grab bag or Secret Santa gifts, but they got stored away and I forgot about them. Some of the other things I had simply accumulated over time (as packrats tend to do), and just faced up to the reality that I probably wouldn't use them, at least any time soon!

Gather

Thus, my second knick knack sweep included the following:

1. 3 combination digital alarm clock/picture frames
2. a wallet
3. wooden picture frame
4. set of 5 flowered pencils in matching case (so not-used that they had never even be sharpened!)
5. a nice pen with an embroidered holder
6. lacquered stick/hair ornaments, still in their original packaging

I gathered everything up and placed it in a nice gift bag (more reuse at work!)

Remove

The teacher and I spoke briefly by phone to arrange a pick-up time, and the hand-off was made earlier today!

Every little bit helps!

Spring Cleaning - The FREECYCLE™ NYC FreeMeet

Identify

Sometime last month, I received an email regarding a FREECYCLE™ sponsored FreeMeet. This event was described as a

. . . chance to unload unwanted, but usable items, take home things you can put to good use and meet other folks from the Freecycle community. Anything leftover at the end of the event will be donated to local charities or recycled to the extent possible. As the name suggests, the Freecycle™ FreeMeet is FREE and open to the public!

You don't need to bring anything to take anything (though a tote bag might help). Please bring portable items only and leave furniture and other heavy stuff at home (log on to www.Freecycle.org to find people who can pick these items up from you).

The FreeMeet was sponsored by a local YMCA, Freecycle™ New York City and the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education (OROE).

Well! My eyes fairly danced at the thought of such a DeKluttering Extravaganza! This would be an opportunity to get rid of an assorted collection of items in one fell swoop, sans some of the difficulties associated with the typical Freecycle™ exchange or other swap strategies that I have previously discussed (see Join a Freecycle™ Group! or Throwing Away at Throwplace.com® for the particulars).

However, my glee was short-lived. Unfortunately, I had another activity scheduled later that same day so I wasn't sure I would be able to attend the FreeMeet and then get home in time to get ready for my other event. Never the less I passed the information on to a friend who is also trimming his klutter. He said he would probably go and graciously offered to take my stuff along, so it worked out.

Gather

I had already identified a variety of things that I planned to part with and had gathered them together in a shopping bag, so all was in readiness. By way of inspiration for my fellow hoarders out there, here's a list of the accumulated objects that I hoped would find happy new homes:

1. Snowflake candles (3)
2. Christmas candle
3. Apple candles
4. Liz Claiborne purse
5. Daffodil bookmark
6. Scooby Doo bookmark
7. Pair of patent leather red thongs
8. Ballerina finger puppet
9. Personal organizers (paper based - 2)
10. Cloud address book
11. Ice scream scoop
12. Fanny pack
13. Coaster
14. Washington DC marble/pewter paperweight
15. Stationery set
16. Kiddy kalculator - (2)
17. Samsonite garment bags (2)
18. Wallet
19. Camera (non-digital)
20. Cosmetic bag and mirror set
21. Plastic lei
22. Assorted paperbacks (9)

Assorted Paperbacks

1. Connecticut - Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to a Unique Place
   
2. Possessing the Secret of Joy - Alice Walker
   
3. If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin
   
4. The M.D. - Thomas M. Disch
   
5. The Dark Tower II: The Gunslinger - Stephen King
   
6. With a Tangled Skein - Piers Anthony
   
7. Native Tongue II: The Judas Rose - Suzette Haden Elgin
   
8. Dragon's Egg - Robert l. Forward
   
9. The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands - Stephen King
   

Not a bad haul, eh?

Remove

At the appointed time my friend swung by and picked up my stuff and proceeded to the FreeMeet.

Later he called to tell me that it was pretty easy. He was met at the door by volunteers, who took the things he had brought and whisked them to the area where the actual swapping was taking place. He didn't even have to stay or go down to the swap area. However, he did go just to take a peek to see how it was set up.

I don't know if all FreeMeets are organized in this manner, but this format certainly worked for us!

Join a Freecycle™ Group!

When I first made a serious decision to reduce my clutter, Freecycle™ was one of the first options I considered. I found out about them while poking around on the NYC Wa$tele$$ site several years ago. For a number of reasons I didn't actually end up using Freecycle™ (or as it is formally known The Freecycle Network™), but I'd still like to mention this option first, since others may still find it to be a particularly helpful and convenient decluttering solution.

Freecycle™, a national nonprofit, is only 4 years old, but has already spread like wild fire across the globe. It was originally started in Tucson Arizona in order to promote waste reduction in their downtown area and to help preserve the desert landscape which was in danger of being taken over by landfills. However, it is now essentially comprised of individual groups, not only in this country, but all across the world! Their sole and simple purpose is to enable people to exchange or get rid of unwanted stuff.

One of the precepts of eco-friendliness is that one's local actions have global effects. So the things we do (or don't do) within our own communities, for better or for worse, can have far reaching implications in places distant or remote to us. With that in mind, the basic philosophy of this organization can be viewed as uncomsumption at its easiest and local best, since each group is set up in and tends to serve a particular community.

Membership in Freecycle™ groups is free and the stuff you are giving must also be free as well as "...legal, and appropriate for all ages." Freecycle™ groups are moderated by volunteers. You essentially sign on to a list serve and group members post their various needs and wants. If there isn't a group in your area, Freecycle™ suggests that you might consider starting your own (click on "Start a Group" for instructions) and provides various resources to help the newbie get started (see the
FAQ).

For more infomation, their contact information is as follows:

info@freecycle.org
The Freecycle Network™
P.O. Box 294, Tucson, AZ 85702

So, in keeping with the twigghugger mantra: Identify, Gather and Remove, a simple strategy using Freecycle™ might be:

1. Identify (but don't yet move in any way) those piles of sweaters you've been meaning to give away
2. Join a Freecycle™ group
3. Send an email to your Freecycle™ group's email list
4. Wait for responses to the email
5. Select a recipient
6. Make p/u arrangements with your chosen recipient
7. Then, and only then Gather those sweaters and place them in a shopping bag
8. At the appointed time, Remove sweaters from your premises and transfer to their new owner!

And We're DONE!