As an alternative to hosting a yard sale every Saturday to get rid of crap you don't want, then driving randomly around every second Saturday looking through other people's crap for stuff you *do* want, we present the "Junk Exchange Lottery": a program whereby you are almost guaranteed to at least get *something* you want every weekend *and* get rid of your current pile'o'junk.

Visit our website and, after you've told us who you are and where you live, simply fill out the Items form, listing all the stuff you want to trade, including for each a (short) description as well as weight and size.

Then tell us the minimum and maximum Weight and size of items you're willing to take in exchange, and the roundtrip distance you're willing to go to deliver and pick them up. Also include the times on Saturday and Sunday that you'll be available. Then sit back and relax.

Every Friday night our proprietary software rummages through all our clients' lists from the week and calculates the best fits for exchanges based on weight, volume and travel-distances. If you've entered a list that week then by Saturday morning you will have received a personalized route map to print out, giving times and places for rendevous' with other members of this elite club. If you've checked the "Family Outing" box we'll include a stop at a local landmark. You'll also receive a tag for each of your items new to the network: please affix it to the corresponding item before venturing out to trade.

Now, after spending the day meeting new people and seeing the parking lots of new places, you can retire to your own abode and sort through your wealth of new junk. Our database can give you a history of your new items' travels as well.

Don't want some of it ? Simply put it onto your next week's list. In order to keep from accidentally returning items to a previous owner, when making up the new list, just enter the item's tag-ID#; that will save you some typing as well as adding to its rich history.

For items that you deem as having a monetary value, simply fill in the "Certified Appraisal Value" box (after, of course, having it certified by a professional appraiser of such items) and we'll only match the item(s) up with other item(s) of comparable value. All certified items must be accompanied by the appropriate paperwork at time of trade.

We regret to inform you that household, hospital, military, industrial or hazardous waste materials of any kind are *not* eligible for inclusion in the Lottery at this time, however you may want to check out our "Double or Nothing" Corporate Exchange Program.

All items must be cleaned prior to swapping.

Coming Soon: Odd Socks Without Borders Exchange Program
-- FlyingToaster, Feb 13 2010

Freecycle Network http://www.msnbc.ms...ns/business-retail/
There are a variety of national/international groups like the Freecycle Network that provide a slimmed-down version of this idea, without the lottery and weight/volume elements. There isn't really any gamble in their idea, so it may reduce your amusement in participating. [jurist, Feb 13 2010]

For people who aren't intrigued by the serendipitous gamble and data-matching offered by this idea, there are simpler versions offered by groups like the Freecycle Network <link>.
-- jurist, Feb 13 2010


//Freecycle//
Ah, so you can spend the entire week hoping somebody will call about your left tennis shoe autographed by Alfred Einstein and poring through the website, over and over and over, in search of getting something you like before somebody else calls.
-- FlyingToaster, Feb 13 2010


I think that with my idea there's more of a chance of getting stuff you didn't know you wanted until you get it. The database could be open to free/bidding but that would lessen the probability of a surprise find.
-- FlyingToaster, Feb 14 2010



random, halfbakery