I Have An Idea For A Swap Meet...What Do You Think?

Some call them swap meets, yard sales, tag sales, thrifting, flea markets etc...whatever the name, I know we all love them. Why do we love them? The Hunt! The hunt for that perfect item to add to our decor, to add one more item to a collection, to find that perfect sweater that you would never find in a store, to find that beautiful vintage necklace, to find fabric that they don't sell in your area. What ever we are looking for, it's usually "The Deal" that makes "The Hunt" all the better. So I was thing...what better deal is there than "FREE"!

Why not broaden our area for swap meets by having one here at Sew Many Ways! This is what I was thinking...

• every weekend I will open up a Linking Party for any and all who have something that they no longer want or need, but will Swap with someone else.
• you can also swap new items that you may have in an Etsy store or that you have online
• swapping is like the bartering system
• NO MONEY will be exchanged at all for the items...hence the word Swap
• the 2 people in the Swap agreement will only have to pay the shipping to the other person.
• you must meet up with your other swapper on your own, through your blog or emails
• agreements must be made that the items being swapped are similar and/or of equal value to each person
• it doesn't have to be the same item. Someone could have a beautiful handmade purse that she is willing to swap for that Pottery Barn pillow that you have that doesn't match anything in your house...you both just have to agree.
• Sew Many Ways is just the middle man by hosting the linking party to get every one together.

This is how it will work...(I hope!! LOL)

• The Swap Meet will be held here every weekend. It will be like going to yard sales in your pajamas with a warm cup of coffee by your computer!
• the week leading up to it, you will have posted the item on your blog that you want to swap. Have a picture or pictures and a detailed description of the item...new, old, handmade etc.
• when the swap party opens up here, you will follow the linky steps to post a thumbnail picture of your item and the link back to your blog for the item's description.
• all during the week people will contact each other working out a deal for the swap...such as location of the items, shipping, etc. For example, you may not want to swap with someone in Australia from the US if you're not will to pay the shipping. But what fun it would be to swap fabric with someone from around the world!
• plans will be made to ship the items in a timely manner
• and the swap will be made!!

Suggestions for items to swap...

• fabric
• handmade jewelry
• handmade items...aprons, baby items, quilts, purses, scarves
• pottery items
• scrap booking items
• clothing items
• baby clothes
• china...do you collect tea cups? How about one from another country?
• cookbooks
• magazines...2 people could agree to swap a magazine each month. Great to read a different magazine without the cost of a subscription and Media Mail (books, magazines etc) through the Us postal service is super cheap
• Books...I know we all have books that we've already read and are just collecting dust. A book swap is perfect.
• sewing or quilting patterns. We all have a pattern that we've already used, but who wouldn't love another one.
• toys
• craft supplies...rubber stamps, candy making supplies, etc
• how about all those shaped cake pans that you've made for you children's birthday
• the list is endless...

Just wanted to put this out there now to see what kind of response it would have.
Let me know what you think and I can start one this weekend and see what happens. Couldn't hurt right?
Thanks in advance for your input,
~Karen~