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senseless freecycle rant

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ChadTower:

The Salvation Army takes pretty much clothes and cash here.  No goods.

SithMaster:

--- Quote from: ahofle on February 06, 2008, 06:06:59 pm ---I only recently found out about freecycle around here.   How does freecycle compare to giving your stuff away at say Goodwill or the Salvation Army?  It just seems like your donated items would be more likely to end up with someone who really needs them rather than some ---meecrob--- bag on the internet looking for free corvettes.

--- End quote ---

most of the time (at least around here) someone posts something reasonable.  Maybe a request for a pc monitor or for a book or something.  Depends on the area and who knows about it.  Ive told two of my friends and one doesnt check it and the other well i dont know what hes up to but i dont think hes asked for 360s.  If someone who wants to abuse the group finds out about it they will ask for 360s or cars and check every minute for something they just want to sell.

DrewKaree:

--- Quote from: ahofle on February 06, 2008, 06:06:59 pm ---I only recently found out about freecycle around here.   How does freecycle compare to giving your stuff away at say Goodwill or the Salvation Army?  It just seems like your donated items would be more likely to end up with someone who really needs them rather than some ---meecrob--- bag on the internet looking for free corvettes.

--- End quote ---

You have to take your stuff to those places.

They may not accept what you're wanting to donate (I had an O-L-D Nordic Track they wouldn't accept, for instance). 

You will be giving your stuff to someone who WANTS it, instead of just giving it to an organization, which may or may not throw it away (I have to deal with a Goodwill twice a week, and I've been in "the back".  They DO throw stuff away, no matter what they may tell you)

You are giving your old stuff to someone free of charge.  Goodwill/Salvation Army is essentially a middleman who charge for the ability to shop a store if you so feel like it.

Some things, such as what Chad has picked up (was it an oscilloscope?), would sit, taking up space at a Goodwill because they might not be recognized for what they are, requiring either more shelf space or tossing something else that might need that shelf space.

Finally, if Freecycle DOESN'T help you get rid of your stuff, you can always fall back on Goodwill/Salvation Army.

:dunno 

My local Goodwill no longer accepts computer monitors, but whenever I am given one, I can easily Freecycle it.  My local Goodwill DOES accept printers, and therefore has eleventy brazillion of them crapping up their shelves.  NOBODY has ever taken the 3 printers I put up on Freecycle (I took 'em to Goodwill).  I found out about Goodwill tossing stuff in the trash when I told the folks sorting donations, and they told me "If you ever NEED one, just ask.  We throw away about 4-5 a week because we have too many.  We try to take the oldest ones and pitch 'em, kinda sorting 'em"

ahofle:
Thx for the explanation.  Can freecycle "donations" be used as a tax deduction like Goodwill?

ChadTower:

--- Quote from: ahofle on February 06, 2008, 09:31:28 pm ---Thx for the explanation.  Can freecycle "donations" be used as a tax deduction like Goodwill?

--- End quote ---

You can only deduct your Freecycled items that go to an actual charity.

I've given away hundreds of things, literally, over the last few years.  I have also received some awesome stuff - 27" RGB monitor, a vid and two pins, a whole testbench full of nice electronic diagnostic equipment, countless game consoles...  I actually don't respond to much of the stuff that gets offered.  Sometimes I wonder if when I do I get chosen more often than others because I run the list.

One slight drawback is that my town is so small that much of the membership knows where I live now.  Last year I made a request for a 17" monitor and two people dropped them off on my porch without even contacting me.

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