Safari #22: The Swapaholics

You bring a bag of gently used items (clothing, accessories, shoes, and housewares, etc) to exchange for other items at little or no cost.  It sounds unbelievable.

The above scenario describes a "swap," where retail therapy, recycling, and charity all come together.  Last Thursday, I attended a clothing swap at the Arts at the Armory in Somerville compliments of the Swapaholics, an group dedicated to inexpensive thrifting and low cost fashionable style.

For $10 (discounted ticket cost) and a small bag of clothes, I walked away with some awesome finds including a puffer vest, pencil skirt, trail running shoes, and a blouse - all in excellent condition.  At the end of the event, all remaining items were donated to charity.

Interested in swapping?  You should be.  Check out the following sites to learn more:

• Visit the Swapaholics. Follow them on Twitter (@swapaholics) and learn more about their organization and upcoming swaps. 
• Check out Swap.com - List items you have and items you want, and get swapping with other users for the cost of shipping.  Pretty cool.
• Start Local.  If you're not ready to swap on a larger scale, organize a swap of your own with friends.

*Swapaholics logo borrowed from the website.