How to Host a Swap Meet
Getting Rid of Odds and Ends While Having Fun
People buy greeting cards and usually get an extra package, in case someone is forgotten, or you have more friends than the average greeting card contains. That often leaves people with a few spare cards lurking at the bottom of the box, alone and un-used: Who wants to send the same greeting card they did the year before – just in case someone is keeping tabs?
That’s when it’s time to organize a swap meet. Gather your friends around you, and ask whom among them is willing to trade greeting cards? If only three or less are left in the box, and you may feel it’s hardly worth swapping, try asking if anyone would like something else in exchange.
Consider cookie dough; usually it makes multiples of six, and some recipes don’t double easily. The end result is an excess of cookies – though that’s seldom a surplus for long. Consider swapping your extra dough with the baking instructions. That way, if the recipe is a family heirloom, its secret is still safe.
Setting up the Swap Meet
Email is probably one of the more efficient methods of reaching everyone, and having people contribute their suggestions. While the “To” function will show everyone on your message everyone else’s email, consider those who prefer to keep their email private. Ask before sending out a mass email. For those who don’t want to receive an update on everyone else’s reply, putting his or her email in the “BCC” (Blind Carbon Copy) function may be a solution.
About Online Invitations for a Swap Meet
While there are electronic invitations available, like Evite, some may be suspicious of such free programs, and feel it may use their addresses for spam. Keep in mind, some friends may not recognize the electronic invitation company, and delete it. Other friends may have filters that would delete it before they even have a chance to see it: Keep it personal, if you can.
If you are on an online social networking program, like Facebook or MySpace, there is the advantage of making the event open to friends of friends; this can be a mixed blessing, depending on the size of one’s home. Keep in mind, not all your friends may be on an online network, and using email as a backup and reminder may be the most efficient, after all.
Getting Rid of Odds and Ends
Be clear about what you have to give away: It might not be fair for someone with spare cookie dough to show up and find everyone is giving away unwanted skeins of yarn. Keep in mind, that not everyone may have the same leftovers or unwanted goods. If you leave room in your invitation for everyone to list what they would like to get rid of, it will give folks a chance to assess what they can contribute or pick up.
Here are some typical items found at swap meets:
- Seasonal clothes (in good condition)
- Hair products (shampoo, conditioner, etc. – avoid hair rollers or brushes for sanitary reasons.)
- Extra cookie dough
- Spare cookie cutters or moulds
- Leftover greeting cards
- Books
- Attractive containers or cookie tins
Let your friends know what everyone is offering; ultimately, it’s a chance to meet, relax and get rid of any clutter in the home…and possibly pick up new junk while you’re at it.
Trading parties are a fun ways to de-clutterize
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Home & Style
Latest Articles