I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season – and are looking forward to a spectacular 2011. peace. love. swap has been organizing swaps now for over a year and a half – and - we are excited to say that we will be hosting our 50th swap coming up in the first part of the new year. Please help us spread the word about p.l.s by joining us (and inviting your friends) on Facebook and by sharing our videos on YouTube. If you have friends in other areas of the country that might be interested in starting a swap, please send them our way. One of our main goals for 2011 will be helping moms everywhere start a successful ongoing kids swap in their neighborhood.
As we grow and evolve, it is inevitable that we need to make a few changes. Although the core idea of each swap will remain the same, each swap might have minor variations to accommodate that venue. Please make sure you check the page of the swap you will be attending (here) and fill out the form on the swap page so that your name will be added to the updates list. We don't send junk mail, just a reminder before the next swap and any updates such as cancellations or time changes etc.. It is important to either be on the email update list or follow on Facebook so that you aware of any changes.
One new "rule" that will be changing in the new year is the “take as much as you need” rule. Up until this point there was no rule on how much you can take at the swaps, but, unfortunately, we have found that many people have different ideas of what the word “need” means. Since “what you need” varies so much from person to person – we will be vigilant about looking for hoarders and people taking more than they could possibly need. There is simply no reason one person needs to take everything off of one rack – or take all of the larger ticket items like pack and plays, strollers and highchairs. Does this happen at all the swaps? No. Does it happen all the time? Definitely not. However, It’s something that has happened from time to time at a couple of swaps, and it will no longer be tolerated in 2011. If the swap organizer or a volunteer sees someone taking more than what seems normal – they will be asked to put some items back until all swappers have had a chance to go through the items – probably about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the swap. Again – I know this is subjective, but the point is that the swaps are about sharing, getting rid of your unused stuff that is still in good condition, and picking up a FEW new to you items in exchange – after the swap, items go to charity, so if you feel you are in dire need, contact us and we can arrange for you take stuff after the swap & before stuff goes to charity.
Also, please do not bring your junk. The swaps are not a dumping ground. No dirty, broken, badly stained, or torn items. I actually had someone bring in a highchair that was duct taped together. Newsflash: nobody wants that. Bring stuff that you would want, but have no use for anymore (ie. Clean, “gently used” items.) Charities do not want items if they cannot be used or sold in thrift stores. NOTE: Items that are brought in that we can see are in really bad shape will not be taken. If you are wondering if something is not swappable – email your swap organizer and ask.
Well, that said… I think most swappers will be okay with these new “rules” as it is meant to help evenly distribute the items at the swap. The ones that are not okay with it are probably the ones that were bringing in junk and taking too much stuff to begin with. : )
Next swaps up:
San Francisco East Bay on January 9.
possibly Sacramento & Cameron Park CA the last part of Jan (check website for details)
Grass Valley, CA February 5
happy swapping...
meg
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