To give and receive

I lovingly arrange my treasures on the twin bed, the hot pink comforter providing a vibrant backdrop to showcase each item. “My shop is open for business!” I call out to my sister as I step back to admire my merchandising skills.

We each leave our own bedroom and enter the other, passing each other in the hallway. Eyeing the offerings displayed on her bed, I shop for new treasures to replace ones I no longer want or need.

*****

“Store” was a favorite pastime for my sister and me when we were growing up. I loved to get rid of things I didn’t want, and I loved finding new treasures to replace them.  We exchanged no money, just items that had lost their appeal.

Decades later, I’ve found a grown-up version of Store. It’s on Facebook – that outlet that is both the bane and the saving grace of our existence.  I joined earlier this year (I think…time during a pandemic is a bit blurry), after seeing the group in my feed because a few of my neighborhood friends are members.

The Buy Nothing Project

While I didn’t know it at the time, The Buy Nothing Project is a worldwide social movement. Local groups form on free social platforms, for two simple purposes. Gift anything you want to give away, lend or share. Ask for anything you would like to receive for free or to borrow. No money exchanged, no bartering, and no evolving (or devolving) into other discussions that can occur in other groups. College parent pages, I’m looking at you.

There are group members who offer items consistently;  I imagine it is cathartic and practical to purge treasures no longer needed or wanted.  I have only gifted a few times, but the de-cluttering makes me embarrassingly happy.

To give and receive

I’ve gifted my children’s old sports equipment, surplus school supplies, and random household items (Why do we have a metal camping mug, anyway?) My most coveted offer in this year of distance learning and working from home was an extra office chair. I probably could have sold the chair, but it was easier and more gratifying to simply give it away.

My favorite way to gift, however, is when I’m able to fulfill a specific wish from another member. Jane wants makeup sponges? I have a whole pack minus one, languishing in my bathroom closet since my daughter’s first and last role on the high school stage.  Jane saves a few bucks and a trip to the store, and I make room in my closet without clogging up the landfill.

I’ve also thrown my hat in the ring for some items, and I’ve received a few things. Who knew that being randomly selected to be gifted a set of dumbbells would be so exhilarating?

People don’t suck

Beyond the group’s practical goals, our local Buy Nothing community is proof that goodness and generosity still exist in this cloudy sea of humanity. Gratitude posts are encouraged, and the page is sprinkled with thanks and photos of how recipients repurposed gifts. At a time when my Facebook feed causes angst, these posts from kind and giving strangers restore a bit of hope and optimism.

I’ll also admit this experience is a fascinating study in human behavior.  Why is one person’s cast off another person’s big find? Why are so many vying for that Tupperware container missing a lid? Sometimes a member will post a photo and say “I have no idea what this is, but maybe someone else does.” And sure enough, people do! There are over-sharers, as is common on social media and in life, and I’m sometimes perplexed and amused by what a person will divulge to a group of complete strangers.

But maybe that’s part of the magic of this group. Built upon mutual goals of sharing our bounties and helping one another, it is a social media oasis. There’s no judgment (even when my daughter says, yes, she’d love to be considered for yet another houseplant), and there’s no negativity. Just 623 people within a ten-mile radius, bringing new life to old treasures and making this pandemic life a bit brighter.

If you’d like to join a Buy Nothing group in your community, check out the Buy Nothing Project’s website here.