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Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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Posted by Kelly_Slocum sw WA state (My Page) on Wed, Aug 4, 04 at 19:35
| Craig's list is a web site on which people post items they are giving away and/or selling at garage sale prices, and FreeCycle is a web site on which folks post items they are giving away. The lists are regional in nature, so log on to http://portland.craigslist.org/about/cities.html to see if your community has a Craig's List group, and log on to http://www.freecycle.org/display2.php to see if your community has a FreeCycle group. If they don't, contact the site managers about how to set up these wonderful groups in your area!
I'm relandscaping my property and have gotten the following items free of charge from Craig's List Portland and FreeCycle Portland:
Pressure treated lumber
gravel
rock
lots and lots of great soil
sand
two mature rhododendron bushes
three mature hydrangea bushes
wheelbarrow
concrete step stones
I have given away the following materials on Craig's List and FreeCycle Portland:
A metal bunk bed in need of painting
an old webber grill
all of the lumber and concrete footings after deconstructing my deck
These sites are gold mines for frugal gardeners and those with a creative eye for using someone elses un-needed items. You cronic recyclers would likely find a tons of useful items! Check 'em out!
Kelly S |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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Thanks Kelly. I just joined FreeCycle in the Kansas City area. Haven't asked for anything yet but I plan to.
TrowelGal |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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I'm an active member on the freecycle for this area. I've given away many things like working fax machines, plants, trees, answering machines, piano music, furniture, clothes, chickens, etc. It's a great outlet to find people who could use good items without the hassle of advertising in a newspaper. For safety's sake...I conduct all giveaways outside in my open-area driveway.
As far as receiving items, they go fasssssssssst! I managed to get a hose for the local school garden, and I'm waiting to hear about pea gravel. People give away some very premium items...even working laptops. |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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| There's a new network called the Give and Take Network on MSN groups that was started by some gals who didn't like the strict rules at Freecycle. They just started, so they don't have many groups, but there's one in Florida. http://groups.msn.com/giveandtakenetwork |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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| I like the Freecycle site here in Columbus, and I've given away a bunch of things. But I have to say, I'm a little taken aback by the kinds of things some people want. A car, video games, a mountain bike, tickets.... You don't get if you don't ask, I suppose; but it kinda surprises me what some people are willing to ask for. |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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| Greetings! I was on two of the freecycle groups in my area, but I have removed myself from both of them. One of the groups was not moderated well enough and we had people spamming the group with pyramid type scams. The other worked resonably well except the moderator was a little too critical and tried to restrict people from "asking" for things he considered unrealistic. The idea is good, but does not always work well. It just depends on where you are and what your moderators are like. |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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| Plant Manager, that goes for all sites, I guess. The moderator is always the key in how well a site does. Freecycle denied someone on one of the sites I visit ownership of a freecycle site because the mod of one of the sites she would have been competing with badmouthed her. I've noticed lots of people "lurking" on these places. The claim over 2 million members, but many of those are duplicates who have joined several groups close to them. It always seems to be the same people posting the "haves" and the lurkers snatching them up. |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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Alison...you're right about some posters wanting what I would call unreasonable items for free...cars, vacation time, boats, purebred puppies with papers, etc...
The people who've come to get my items have genuinely been people who would care for and accept even the little things that they're picking up...then you have the other side with some posters...greedy. |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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| And I'll second that, Dicentra; the people I've met seemed very nice, and really pleased with the items they picked up. I listed a pair of 20 year old skiis, and responded to requests for a food vaccum sealer and for empty baby food jars. All three were lovely women, and I felt good about finding a new home/reuse for my items. And I admit I don't know the circumstances behind some of the requests. It's just that asking for a moped or a Nordic track seems.... Ah, I always have the option not to read them, and I think the sites do provide a great resource. |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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| Greetings! The posts I was referring to that the moderator considered unrealistic were asking for baby related item, such as baby beds, and other items like that. I saw nothing where people asked for time share spaces that were not being used etc. I think that the idea is great and that most people really need the things being offered. We do have people here who would grab everything listed and go to the flea market with them to make a quick buck. I guess I am just a little too idealistic when it comes to those things and don't like the grab the bargain at any cost mentallity. So, I did what worked best for me and just signed off of the sites. Some of the ads the moderators should have never listed in the first place as they were pyramid schemes. Don't list and then tell everyone not to send in those type of posts. A good idea that needs better controls. |
RE: Are you folks familiar with Craig's List and Freecycle?
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| well, i had never heard of freeshare, and i think it sounds like a wonderful idea! i just found my city (only 5 members!) but plan to email everyone i know in town and get them to join. i also linked the page to all my out of town friends who would benefit from checking it out. and by benifit i mean by both giving away, and getting stuff. i know i have alot to give away. usually i just leave stuff at the curb, and its gone the next morning, or sooner, but currently we have 2 rental apaartments to disband and have fridges and stoves and junk. and i dont want to haul a fridge to the curb, besides, people would just think it junk, and not know it works. so, thanks kelly for suggesting the site. |
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