Closest Closet….So this is like Freecycle? Uh, no.
Oh man! Not again. Really? Again? No. We aren’t Freecycle, although there are some similarities, we are very different. I hear this question quite a bit, so I thought I’d take a minute in a half or ten, to explain how Closest Closet is different.
First and foremost, I love Freecycle. I’m a member, and I have been for years. I think Freecycle will continue to exist, and I wouldn’t dream of wishing them gone. I’m a lover, not a hater. And when I say I’m a lover…well, that’s a story for a different post. This is the quickie version (I like quickies and longer versions, but for this post, I’m feeling a quickie coming on) of how Freecycle works. Members utilize Yahoo group’s email system to post to and be alerted by members when items are available for free within that geographic group. Freecycle in one sentence, now THAT is a quickie.
Closest Closet is similar to Freecycle in that we recycle unwanted items for free with other members, however recycling is only a small part of what we do. We aren’t limited to recycling unwanted items. We are a one stop shop for much more than that. And if Freecycling is all you want to do, then that’s where you need to be. Not everyone is meant to be a Closest Closet member, because Closest Closet members commit to things that other free services don’t require.
At Closest Closet, we each participate in this online community by making a commitment to a green, local, cooperative lifestyle. We aren’t hopping on a green bandwagon, we are here to live a green LIFESTYLE. We don’t just recycle, we share things too. For instance, why should 40 people in one neighborhood ALL have to own a lobster pot? Or a copy of the same book? Why do we need to leave these things sitting, unused? So, we don’t.
Closest Closet works by requiring that each of us participate in the community. We each SHARE ten things. And we get to pick what they are. If you don’t want to share that expensive video camera, then by all means, DON’T! But there are surely 10 things that you can share….books, toys, movies, baking supplies, party supplies….those things that you don’t use all the time, that’s all.
We can also skillshare as part of our ten things. I know a lot about maternity (I’m a Labor and Delivery Nurse by trade), so there are certain things that I don’t mind helping my neighbors with, like a colicky baby, or swaddling, or babysitting. You might know how to knit or sew. You might be a carpenter or a web developer (oh, by the way, if you area web developer interested in sharing some of your very developy skills….send me an email). Surely there’s things you’d be able to do once a month for a skillshare.
At Closest Closet, there’s no excuses. We ALL give, so we can ALL receive. It’s pretty simple. No points. No money. No barters. No swaps. No nothing. Just share your ten, and ask for what you need, when you need it. It’s about reputation, not cash. It’s about getting back to basics and living in a community of people who all PARTICIPATE in that community.
So, if you want to recycle, there’s plenty of places for you to do that, and I hope you do. But if you want to make a commitment to using less by sharing more, Closest Closet is where you need to be.
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I have to say, before I joined I was skeptical…seemed too good to be true! Also, it meant interacting (ACK!) with people!!! Strangers , no less! But I liked the idea and so I watched the group. Yes, I’m a stalker by trade (LOL you have to to be a good nurse!). I kept tabs on Craig’s list, facebook and the website. I really thought it would disappear in a few months.
After studying this group since January, I went to my first swap this month. I brought my five items to donate (no it was 6- I didn’t want anyone thinking I was “cheap”!) and I don’t think I talked to anyone except to ask what to do with my stuff. I’m the type of person that is VERY anxious until I feel comfortable, but you know what? No one cared! I watched as people were friendly with each other, listening to the conversations around me, and taking in the atmosphere, and that’s when it made sense. This is a real community. Nobody is keeping tabs, there is no “justifying” why you are there or what you’re taking. All they ask is that you bring stuff in and you can use what you take.
Most importantly, I found out that there are other people who think about value like I do. My Facebook picture is a sheep wearing an eye patch and pirate hat, with a caption underneath that says “Frank was not like the other sheep….” What I have taken away so far is that Frank may not be like the other sheep, but there ARE other sheep like Frank! And the flock gets together once a month to swap stories and wool and just bleat at each other! I am grateful to not feel like the black sheep anymore!
That is so sweet Angie, and so true. There are so many of us “black sheep” out there, but none of us have ever had a way to really “network” the way we can now. Times, they are a changin’. And I’m happy to be a part of it! Thanks so much for your participation and sharing this with us.
No Joanna…Thank YOU! And you can use my post however you see fit!