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How to Organize a Swap Meet

Hosting a swap meet is a wonderfully sustainable way to pass along gently used household items to a person who needs them. It is economical, less wasteful, and generates a sense of community. If you have items in your garage or attic that are just collecting dust, here is how you can organize a swap meet of your own.

Garage Sale vs Swap Meet

You might wonder, why organize a swap meet instead of a community garage sale? Most people end up just donating what does not sell during a garage sale anyways, and those donations often end up in a landfill. Aside from the desire to not contribute to waste, swap meets engender a sense of camaraderie. You can feel good knowing that you are helping out your neighbors, you are building trust between each other, and you are also benefiting by scoring items that you need for free.

How to Get Started Planning

The easiest way to schedule a swap meet is by creating a local Facebook group or posting on Nextdoor. In your post you will want to include details such as:

- Date and Time

- Who Can Attend

- What Items are Allowed

- How Swapping Works

- Swapping Etiquette and Rules

Arranging the Exchange

Depending on the size of the meet and how well you know the people that are joining will help you determine how to swap items. If it is a smaller group, trading directly can be easy. You can simply walk up to someone and say “I have this blender that I will trade you for your golf clubs.” For larger gatherings, it may be best to have a ticketing system. For every item that someone brings to the meet, they get a ticket. They can trade these tickets with others. Like value items may be assigned certain colored tickets to keep things fair.

After a successful swap, all that is left to do is cleanup. Be sure to ask for volunteers to help with this well in advance and not on the day of the swap.

Overall, giving items that have no use to you to someone who is excited to have them is a rewarding experience. Get some cool new stuff yourself, get to know your neighbors, and have some fun!

Handler Homes builds in desirable communities throughout Delaware. Find a community that you can call home here today!

By Handler Homes 6-22-2022