Swap Party

Tired of the accent pillows on your couch and wishing for something different to spice things up again? Need new to you outfits for the kids, but don't feel like forking over a fortune to buy a whole new wardrobe? Call up some of your friends and have a swap party! A few weeks ago many of the moms in my homeschool group did just that and boy was it fun!

We took a week or two to look around our houses, go through closets, clear off the curriculum shelves, and gather up all those gently used items we liked too much to toss, but not enough to keep in our homes any longer, brought it all to one central location and let the trading begin. I for one walked away with a carload of steals and deals, including 2 large cubbies for storing homeschool/craft supplies in my craft room, a tape recorder and headphones for our listening center, and enough gorgeous dresses and shoes to keep Spice looking good for the next year or two. Here's a small sampling...

 

Our swap had very few rules. In fact, I think there were only 2: bring stuff you don't want anymore and if you want to sell it instead of trade, put a price tag on it. Oh and of course there's always that unspoken rule when women get together: Bring food!

It was a very successful evening, although a little too short for most of us. If you plan to have a swap, make sure to set aside enough time for everyone to arrive and display their wares, time for all swappers to "window shop", and of course time for all the actual swapping. Don't forget about the need to socialize and munch too. We had very few rules, but you may want to draw numbers to see who goes first or assign points for items based on their trade value.

Depending on the size of your group and the space available, you may also want to limit the swap to certain types of items - clothing, homeschool materials, kiddie items, holiday decorations... The Nester recently hosted a housewares swap in her home. (Oh how I would have loved to attend that one!)

HAving a swap party worked for me. To find out what works for others, head over to We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday.