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I am addicted to Freecycle. I have been on it for two days, and I have given away many things. I am meeting someone tomorrow to hand off a box of books.
So, I may not see you guys for a while. I will be busy giving away everything I own.
It feels so good! It feels so much better than dumping stuff in the Salvation Army box, knowing most of it will be thrown away.
Does anyone else have this nonproblem?
[ June 14, 2005, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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i know what it is. Do you, by any chance have a fedora you want to give away? Or old medical books? Or really cool marbles? Or a 128 mb video card, nvidia? Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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ITs this program that you sign up for.. and you find a group that lives near your house. And when you have something u want to give away you post a message saying I dont need this anymore. Does anyone want it? And then u give it to them. Its kind of odd. I just googled it
Posts: 332 | Registered: Apr 2005
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It is kind of like Ebay. But free. And I don' really see what is odd about it, I think it is cool. (obviously. part of the addiction and all)
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I'm a moderator in our local group - haven't given anything away yet, but I should be getting a working sewing machine next week. Posts: 2034 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I signed up for freecycle, but have been NOT reading the emails -- I'm moving soon (I hope, at least), and can't be accumulating more stuff.
I can't believe I hadn't thought of getting RID of certain things through it! *smacks forehead* I know one thing I'll be doing in July! (Some of the stuff needs to be sorted, etc.) Much better than trying to get over to Goodwill.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Thank you for sharing this! I just joined for both my own town and my mother's town (maybe I can get her to start unloading too...)
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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I think some people do ned a support group! I guess it is not bad to be addicted to giving, right? Right? I do not want a single thing right now, because we are in a major purge mode. I think I am even getting rid of a broken riding mower.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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My wife is addicted to this stuff. I myself refuse to endorse it.
Sure, we've cleaned out a lot of junk from our house, including a 12 year old AM car radio that came with my wife's first new car, which we kept since installing a better one in that car. We just couldn't throw it away even after we sold the car because someday it could have been useful. Now some car-geek has it installed in his hand made work bench that resembles a car dashboard.
Sure, a Physical Therapist suggested we buy a mini-trampoline to help Sasha's leg strength. Instead of spending big bucks for one my wife found one for free.
Sure there are many not so good books given away, and many pretty good books added to my collection.
But the cost...the terrible dangerous cost.
I was the one that was sent to the deepest darkest woods, with actual wolves/coyotes howling in the distance, to pick up a bunch of stuff. I was given only the most rudimentary of directions, including "Go 2 miles down Highway O". No address. No working Odometer on the vehicle. No last name of the donator.
I was given a phone number to call. Too bad there was no reception in that part of the booneys.
I stopped at three different houses and asked them if they were the person I was looking for.
Three times I was met with people who looked like they were going to shoot first and give directions later. After a hurried explanation I read in there eyes I was no longer considered a threat. A clueless schmuck yes, but not a threat.
When I found the right house I passed it. I slowed and turned around and debated if it was the right house.
A couple of girls walking down the road at the time thought I was stalking them and ran to the house to find yet one more country marksman with a gun.
I survived. I even got 8 boxes of chicken themed stuff that we gave to a friend. But folks, I have to warn you. Sometimes the free stuff just isn't worth the price.
(I don't even want to tell you about the heavy, very heavy, gas drinking heavy antique stove I have sitting in the back of my van)
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Cool. I have almost no furniture... my place looks like a rat's nest and I should do something about that using free and cheap furniture.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Well, I dropped off the books at a house with the most anally kept, beautiful garden I have seen in a while. They left me two heirloom tomato plants. Some Polish sauce tomato.
So I'm feeling pretty good.
Dan, I laughed very hard when i read "chicken themed stuff."
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Oh wow, thanks Elizabeth! Ithaca's group posts over a thousand messages a month! I can't wait to get started! Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Well, that is a risk you have to take, Tater. You can just re-gift it.
I did just pick up a full bottle of Hugo perfume and it was labeled "TESTER". I wonder if it wasn't stolen.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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Tater, you don't have to take it. I got a bunch of moving boxes, and took all of them, but only needed a few. I gave some away, and we took the rest to recyling. I was thinking they were going to be uniformly shaped boxes that you pay for in a store, but they were just a bunch of boxes.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I love Freecycle too. About every two months I go on a purge cycle and get rid of boxes and bags... I got rid of two broken mowers that way (yes I advertised them as broken)! But somehow no one wanted the sing and annot Elmo my aunt got Andrew for Christmas.
I have gotten a few cool things too....a crock pot, some Rubbermaid storage things, a math book.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Neat, I have my first pickup coming out today! He's getting six wooden crates and two tall ceramic lamps. Hope he shows up and takes them! Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Zeugma, the groupie in me is thinking I should move to Ithaca just so maybe one of my beloved musicians would stop by top pick up some junk.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Lol! See, what's not to like about Ithaca? Great people, great food, great parades involving a Volvo Ballet, and the possibility that one of your favorite musicians might come by to pick up your collection of TV Guides! Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I didn't think Ithacans watched TV, Zeugma. ha ha. But I would subscribe to Vegetarian Times just to offer them in the hopes that Tara Nevins called. I am that pathetic. Volvo Ballet, and there are some other funky things in the parade, too.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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So, I put our chain link fence up on Freecycle about an hour ago, and I have four offers already.
One is for a woman who is in the hospital, who has a dog grooming business. Her daughter wants to surprise her with it when she gets home.
Another is a name I recognize, a local dj whom I have been trying to get to play one of my favorite musicians, but who never writes me back.
So, I am going with the woman in the hospital.
At first, I would offer to the first person who responded, thinking that was the fair thing. But then there was a discussion that it is better to wait a bit, so the same people do not always get first dobs just because they are on their computer all the time.
So, it is getting more complicated to give!
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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My mother has forbidden me to tell my retired-in-two-days father about this, afraid he will give away all her good stuff. (which he probably would)(like the time he sold all of my sister's new school clothes that she had bought on sale the year before)
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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My pickup went great yesterday; he even took this weird Chinese box that we got for our wedding that we don't have room for. Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Well, if it is for your dog, forget it. Our mostly Malamute blew thre it in the first day we got it. (We never could contain him, and eventually stopped trying) That is what I told the woman whose mom is in the hospital. I want her to have it, but I explained about the baby gate-reinforced section. We'll see.
(He actually pulled the links straight, he was so strong, and so intent to escape)
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Yesterday I got rid of a big bag full of kids' clothes, and Saturday someone's picking up a couple patio chairs from me!
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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We are in this as well. Last month, my husband found a taker for an almost brand new motorcycle helmet.
I also heard him in the office a couple of mornings ago fussing that someone had offered a welder overnight and he missed it. When I asked why he wanted a welder - you guessed it: "So I can weld things, of course."
Posts: 142 | Registered: Jan 2005
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I was rejected from posting to another Freecycle group because I am out of their area. How rude. It is OK that I TAKE from them, but not give to them?
Oh well.
Our chain link fence is coming down today, I think. But I just realized that my clematis and trumpet vine will have to come down as well! Ouch.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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I joined a couple of freecycle groups in the Phoenix area a couple of weeks ago and did my first offer last week. Now, to just gradually continue to go through my stuff and get rid of it. First - the lights I took down, tomorrow - the world!
Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I got that message too, Elizabeth. So I had to withdraw from Brookfield.
And actually, I think your comment about "it's okay for me to take but not give to them" is kind of where the problem came in that caused them to demand the home group only thing. Theoretically, you'd be expecting people to drive out of their own town to your house to pick-up, which would make it unfair to the people that do live in that group's area to pick up from a "foreigner".
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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True, Goody S, except that we aren;t really that far. It's the old "gotta draw the line somewhere" thing.
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