Free stuff.Mamamia Marketplace

I am in the middle of a massive chuck of STUFF. I do this regularly. I seem to accumulate vast amounts of STUFF and it makes me feel a bit sick. The space it takes, the dust it collects, the effect on the environment, the money spent. Assuaging my guilt somewhat is the act of giving it away. I’ve found it can be quite hard to donate unwanted items – even if they’re in great condition – to charities. They often have a lot of rules about what they can and can’t accept.

But I always prefer to give things away whenever possible. I don’t have the patience for ebay and I love to know that things I’ve bought and regretted (or bought and loved but no longer need – like baby clothes etc) can have a new life in a new home.

As I was sorting through cupboards recently I caught sight of this really interesting statistic which just made me sort harder and faster.  Did you know that the average power tool is only used for 8 minutes?  Ever. Incredible statistic, that.  Imagine all the money spent on power tools that are used for only 8 minutes.

Other interesting facts

• the average child goes through 1300 items of clothing by the time they turn 17
• Australian households spend $1250 each year on goods that they don’t use

So….. I was thinking about this and then I remembered  an email that I received from wonderful MM reader Kate who writes

In the commentary on the “any excuse for a party” post it seems as though there are people who might need some things for their new or impending babies that they can’t afford/justify.  This has made me wonder whether there’s a way to sort of anonymously donate stuff that is no longer needed and still in good nick, from one Mamamia reader to another.

For example I’m getting to the end of the stage of needing some nursery furniture and other like items that are near new, that were pretty costly which I’d love to give free to a needy home, knowing that they were going to someone who would use them rather than to being sold on for profit elsewhere.

And I also remember that Mamamia is one of the kindest and most supportive online communities.  And so we thought we’d see if Mamamia Marketplace has legs (if not, we may be able to drill some on with an unused power tool).  Here’s how it works:

If you have something that you no longer need that you think someone else might like, please leave a comment with a brief description (and maybe attach an image). The only condition is that it must be free – consider it an act of pay-it-forward karma.

It can be anything – clothes, shoes, furniture, appliances, books, whatever.

If you see or read something your interested in, leave a reply to that comment. Ask as many questions as you want.

When a match is made, both parties email marketplace@mamamia.com.au with the item in the subject line, along with your details and we will put you in contact with each other and you can take it from there.  Lord I hope it is as easy as it sounds. Needless to say while we’ll do our very best to get everyone hooked up, we can’t be held responsible for what happens after that.

So who’s first?

[The Marketplace is now closed, if you have any issues you can still email marketplace@mamamia.com.au. The marketplace will be back in a few weeks time… so get Spring Cleaning]