Currently, I’m working on a story for BabyCenter.com related to this blog, and in researching this story I discovered that many people still aren’t familiar with Freecycle. Since I’ve been using Freecycle for the past two years, I have a hard time believing that more people aren’t like me as Freecycle fans. So I got to thinking: it’s about time to survey people on their familiarity with Freecycle. Thus, the poll below. I hope you’ll take it, and pass the link to the posting and poll along to anyone else you know. I’m really curious to see what the results of this poll bring.
P.S. Back in November, I gave Freecycle a Suddenly Frugal Seal of Approval, in case you’re interested.
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Freecycle is the easiest way to find new homes for your stuff you don’t need. Most items I put up on Freecycle are gone within the day. So cool!
I like Freecycle and give away stuff several times a year, but get frustrated by the people who say they’ll come and then never do. I once had to go through four people before someone actually picked up their stuff.
I’ve had mixed luck with Freecycle. For some reason, too many people say they’ll come pick things up and don’t show. So I’ve had to start giving deadlines.
I normally don’t try to get things because the people who have the things I want live too far away. But I did get a great set of Crate & Barrel dishes from someone who lives nearby.
I’ve done a curb alert on Craig’s List but never listed anything on Freecycle
I joined the Freecycle yahoo group for where I live, but then quit because I just kept getting spammed. The way they do their listings is inefficient at best. I don’t know if that’s how all groups do it, but I didn’t want to try and wade through it. I’d rather do a simple posting on Craigslist.
I guess Freecycle really can be hit or miss. Thanks for posting a comment.
Hi, Shay:
Just so you know there are off-shoot groups that people formed because they were fed up with Freecycle. They often go under the name of “reuseit” or “recycleit” in case you’ve ever looking for a Freecycle-like resource without dealing with Freecycle red tape. Thanks for posting a comment.
Yes, freecycle is kinda hit or miss. I use it a bit less than craigslist nowadays. But with gardening season around the corner, I’m compiling a mental list of perennials to offer/want for both freecycle and craigslist.
I voted option #1 since there wasn’t an option for people who know what it is and have used it some. I’ve given a few things away, but I’ve never gotten anything … if that matters.
My husband and I just completed a web site that is similar to Freecycle. It has some additional features that we wanted to see for this type of service. For example items are searchable by location, distance and keyword and you can see the number of requests. Plus, you can track the status of items you’ve requested on your home page. I would love to hear thoughts and feedback about our site from people who are looking for alternatives to freecycle. You can find our site at http://www.pixielist.com. Thanks!
Keri:
Thanks for letting us know. Good luck with the site!
Leah
[...] that most people probably haven’t heard of. This story was the reason I’d posted that Freecycle survey last week. Turns out that 60% of those who had taken the survey either had heard of Freecycle but [...]
I’ve given away far more than I’ve received from Freecycle (or its alternate in Toronto called FreeTOReuse) but this is OK with me. I find that unless I have enough stuff to sell in a garage sale, or unless the item is particularly high value (so that someone is likely to buy it from me on Craigslist) time is as valuable as money, and carting said goods to Goodwill or Salvation Army becomes less attractive over time. So I give it away and usually the person in question is thrilled!
When it comes to failed pick-ups, it’s first-come first serve — if Monday’s pickup is a no-show I go to the next person who said they could come get it Tuesday. Conscientious Freecyclers know that they need to move fast, and show up when they say they do (or risk not getting picked the next time they see something they like from me).
I read a lot of Freecycle postings, as I have a blog about them, and I found someone’s standard spiel for posting offers. Some great ideas there that s/he has posted, such as “3. When asking for an item, don’t make it sound like you know you’re going to be selected or that you’re the only one who wants the item. That’s rude. And when you’re rude, the only way you’ll be selected is if you’re the only one replying and I’m in a good mood.”
http://www.wantforfree.info/2009/04/nifty-standard-spiel-for-posted-items.html
Thanks for posting a comment!
Leah