Cool. I just joined one in my town.

humphrmi

Freecycle is awesome! We got a swing set for the kids from some people moving out of town, and we have a plastic outdoor patio set up there right now.

jczarni

I've used Freecycle twice to give away items and it was such a hassle I'll never use it again. The first time I gave away a washer and dryer which was very sought after but most people were so freaking lazy and wanted me to deliver it too. The second time I gave away a couch and had the same problem mixed with a bunch of no shows. I could have sold all of them and easily made $1k but chose to give to those that were less fortunate. What I got out of it was a lesson that people don't appreciate what they get for free.

Bevill

The admins for our local freecycle group were taking the good stuff and selling it, so I dropped out. It sucks when a few people screw up something that could be good for many.

WhirlyBird

We still have an Earth Day?

AD8BC

I also found the freecycle list in my area to be poor quality. Maybe I have my standards set too high from other on-line trading experiences, but the one time I actually tried to claim an item, I e-mailed the person asking about their specific location and availability for pickup. Their answer worked for me so I said "Great, if it's still available I'll take it."

Never heard back.

Wrote again the next day.
That same day the person made a post to the list that the item was claimed by someone.

Would it have been too much trouble for the person to reply to my e-mail saying "Sorry, someone else claimed it."?

I can't waste my time with those kinds of people.

Troy F.

Wanted to throw in a hearty pro-Freecycle vote. My wife is obsessed with it and we've had very good luck in quality of items and the reliability of participants. We've given away TONS of stuff, including materials leftover from home remodeling, and the folks are usually happy to come and pick it up. (Those that aren't don't get the stuff, IMO.)

monster79

I like the idea behind freecycle, unfortunately, I think their implementation is a mess. After many unsuccessful attempts to use it, I've given up. I would hope a stronger competitor comes along. anyone, anyone?

dognose

I dropped out of ours because it just turned into a welfare line. 30 different requests a day for free stuff. Nobody was giving, everybody was just posting what they wanted free from others.

Sad.

christian ross

Hmm - was about to try it out but after all the complaints, I think I'll pass. Perhaps a club built around people trying to get things for free wouldn't be composed of the most ambitious or organized people.

OX4

I also dropped out of ours because too many people were begging. One person wanted a "nearly new top of the line laptop" for their high schooler. The free stuff usually went to the people who had the biggest sob story. It's a nice idea, but it doesn't always work.

SabrinaFaire

How does one report a freecycle offender? This gal I used to date (just friends now and even that is stretched), was showing me all this stuff she got via Freecycle. Unknown to me, I check out the website and realize, she's getting this stuff for free! But she was selling it on ebay!! That is Effed up!

SigmundTheSeaMonster

The problem with these kinds of things is that they pretty much have to self-regulate. Haven't paid much attention to the two local groups I've joined, but they seem to at least be pretty decent about booting the abusers.

drjayphd

I've had great luck just using the free stuff section of craigslist. Anything I've posted there has had 10 replies within an hour and people are prompt about coming to pick it up, because they know a hundred other people are right behind them in line. As for freecycle, I've found it a much smaller community with a much smaller item and traffic pool.

baglunch

a walk around my tow, keeping an eye on the curb>freecycle.

Spaceboy

I use freecycle a lot and love it. I've given away tons of stuff, so much easier than loading it up in the car and remembering to take it to Goodwill. Every chapter has its deadbeats and those trying to abuse the system. The key seems to be the moderator. Strong moderator=successful chapter. If you haven't tried it you really should.

Sanshie

I'm all about freecycling, especially if you have a good group in your community. You can usually get to know people who don't like to let good things go to waste and get rid of your clutter at the same time. As you make friends, sometimes people will take things not for them, but for people they know as well. :)

As for people selling things - hey, if you're getting rid of it, what do you care what they do with it? I know, I know, it's still stinky, but if you put it in the trash and someone grabs it, cleans it up and sells it, you can't possibly be mad, can you?

For those folks who don't like the idea or have had a bad time with freecycling, check out SecondRotation, especially if it's electronics you're trying to get rid of:
[www.secondrotation.com]

There are tons of communities and services like SecondRotation that will help you get rid of your stuff, find a good home, and sometimes pay you in the process.

phoenix

@phoenix: if you put it in the trash and someone grabs it, cleans it up and sells it, you can't possibly be mad, can you?

No, but there is a difference between putting something in the trash and offering it up to a community of people who are ostensibly using the community as a way to save money and reduce waste *not* as a way to drive a profit.

Troy F.

I gave away a ton of stuff until the local Freecycle group changed administrators.
She started requiring all members to receive "important" messages via email from administrators, which seemed to be mostly polls about whether or not puppies or coupons other such crap should be listed.

I always pick the web only view on Yahoo boards because I get enough email without some power mad bitch making me get more.

It's degenerated into a gimme list for rednecks begging for stuff.

I'll throw the things I don't want away from now on.

WV.Hillbilly

I was a Freecycle admin for our area and then quit for all the reasons listed above.

Then I heard the inventor of the concept had taken a six-digit job with a big national waste management company all because of of the fame his idea had created. I still can't explain why it bothers me exactly but it felt like a dude profiting from the efforts of his volunteers.

They need some sort of user rating system that tracks how many times a person accepts something and then doesn't show up on time to pick it up.

We've switiched to www.golsn.com which I thinkw as started by some local folks. Free listings like Craiglist but very localized. Sold about $200 worth of stuff in 24 hours the first time we used it.

I also watch Craigslist for several of the large cities around us via www.crazedlist.org

I set up RSS feeds for the items that are important to me and check those feeds daily.

busbodger

@Troy F.: I agree, I agree, but you see what I'm driving at right? Isn't it a waste of energy to worry about what someone does with something when you get rid of it?

@WV.Hillbilly: See, that's the real problem here - the point is to create LESS waste, not just chuck it in the trash can when someone could use it or it could go to good use. That's sad to hear.

phoenix

I enjoy freecycle, have been an avid use of it for years.

Given way old couches, and I have received in return printers, a rabbit with cage, TV stands, and other misc. types of furniture.

I think it depends on location. Some areas are very good, and then there are some areas where there are more "beggers" than givers.

rdn98