Picked up a "gently used" sofa from a post here last Tuesday and woke up with bites all over my arms Friday morning. Has anyone else dealt with this and found a way to check furniture without bringing it inside first?
I was at the Little Free Library swap spot on Cedar Street and saw one person drop off three full bags of kids clothes but then grab two bags of adult stuff for herself. Is the point of this group to cycle things out freely or are we supposed to keep it more balanced so everyone gets a fair shot?
For months I was hauling dressers and chairs to people's houses, wasting gas and an hour each time. Then last Tuesday I put a solid oak table on my front porch with a "free, come grab it" sign. It was gone in 3 hours and I didn't have to talk to anyone or coordinate schedules. Now I won't do any other way for bigger stuff. Has anyone else switched to porch pickup and never looked back?
I grabbed it on a whim and it actually makes perfect loaves. Problem is now I have way too much bread and no idea who to give it to. Anyone else ever end up with more stuff than you know what to do with after a curb find?
I saw a post yesterday offering a blender that 'just needs a new motor' and it got me thinking. It's a Buy Nothing group, not a dumpster. If it doesn't work, why make someone haul it away for you?
I listed a working slow cooker on here last month and a woman took it, then came back two days later saying it was broken. I felt bad so I offered to take it back, but when I tested it again it heated up perfectly. She just didn't want to deal with the cook time. Has anyone else had someone claim something was broken when it wasn't?
Before the mods asked for exact item names and pickup windows, half the posts just said 'random kitchen stuff' and now people are actually listing out brand names and saying 'I have a blue 2015 OXO salad spinner' which makes scrolling through the swap way faster since I can skip the stuff I don't need, has anybody else found it easier to find things now?
I was about to drop off my old bread machine at the thrift store yesterday. It's one of those Zojirushi models from like 2006 that still works perfect. I decided to check eBay sold listings out of curiosity and almost dropped my phone. People are paying $120 to $150 for these things used. I had it listed on our Buy Nothing group this morning but I'm gonna pull that post and sell it instead. Has anyone else found stuff they were about to give away that turned out to be worth real money?
I found this fancy looking Breville on Marketplace for $200 back in June. Thought I was getting a steal. First week it made great shots. Then the steam wand started sputtering. Then the pressure gauge went nuts. Spent $80 on a replacement pump and another $45 on a gasket kit. Still never got it working right. Ended up tossing it after 3 months. Should have just saved up for a new one or asked on here if anyone had one collecting dust. Anyone else get burned by a used appliance that seemed like a deal?
I bought it during that lockdown phase where everyone thought they'd suddenly become a homesteader (you know, like making jerky and dried apples). Used it exactly once. The bananas came out chewy and gross, and the clean-up took forever because of those sticky trays. After that it just collected dust. Finally put it on this group last week and someone actually took it. Has anyone else bought a gadget with big ambitions only to realize you'd rather just buy the finished product at the store?
I spent $30 on a fancy wooden proofing basket for sourdough and it just made my loaves stick like crazy no matter how much flour I used. Anybody else find that a plain mixing bowl and a dish towel works way better for free?
I used to keep every empty jar and random bolt because "you never know when you'll need it." Then my basement took on water last March and I spent 14 hours sorting through three garbage bags of stuff I hadn't touched in years. That moment hit me hard because none of those things were actually useful, they were just clutter. Now I give anything I haven't used in six months straight to this group instead of storing it. Has anyone else had that moment where you realized your hoarding was just bad habit?
Three times this week I saw someone post a "gently used" blender with no mention that the lid seal was cracked or a lamp that worked but had a frayed cord. Then you show up and have to figure it out after hauling it home. If you know the thing has a problem just say it so nobody wastes 20 minutes driving across town for trash. Why do people think hiding damage is somehow gonna make it disappear?
Pulled out my old commuter bike to save on gas, and fixing a tiny pinhole leak in the rear tube turned into scraping off crusty glue for an hour before I even got the patch on. Has anyone else had a simple fix spiral into a whole afternoon project?
I’ve been trying to give away this heavy oak dresser for weeks on here with no takers. Then I realized I was just posting a photo and saying ‘come get it’ without offering to help load it. Last Wednesday I added a line saying I’d help carry it to their car, and two people messaged me that same evening. Has anyone else found that offering a tiny bit of help makes stuff vanish way faster?
I posted my old Breville machine from 2019 (you know, the one with the grinder built in) in the group last Tuesday. I figured someone would grab it fast since these usually go for $300 used on Craigslist. But after 3 days with zero takers, I realized people here probably want simpler stuff like basic coffee makers or just plain drip machines. I ended up hauling it to the electronics recycling place instead. Has anyone else run into this where something you thought was a hot item got totally ignored?
I was scrolling through my old posts and noticed I've given away 50 things through this group since joining. It felt pretty good to realize that much clutter went to people who actually needed it. Has anyone else hit a milestone number they didn't expect?
I cleared out my garage last Tuesday and listed an old bookshelf, a broken bread machine, and a bag of orphan socks on the swap. By Thursday evening everything was gone and I didn't even have to meet anyone because they all just took them from my porch. Has anyone else had a week where the giving side just somehow worked out perfectly?