Whiptips craft advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. Whiptips archive here. Questions to whiptips@gmail.com.
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janelle wrote in with a question about organising a fair fabric swap.
Hi Whip-uppers!
First let me say that the site is a daily read for me, I can always find great links and inspiration here. I pass the link onto all my friends looking for
great craft sites! I now come to you and the readers for help.
My sewing collective, Philadelphia Sewing Collective, is having our 2nd annual fabric swap meet in April. It consists of tables with vendors selling fabrics and notions (mostly used) and also info tables. By request of the public, we are also going to try out an
actual swap area. Where members and non-members could bring materials supplies to swap – with no money involved.
We are trying to brainstorm how to structure this swap/fabric trade in a fair way with as little chaos as possible. I am asking the whip up contributors and the readers for suggestions or ideas on this matter. Thanks for your help!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hiya, at the clothes swap at the Melbourne Museum (coming up soon, check their website) the deal is that you hand over your items to swap and in return, get a token for each of them. You then can swap one token for any other one item.
Depending on how you wanted it to work, you could allow just one-on-one swapping, and let the swappers decide what’s fair. The swappers could even work out more complex swaps (Person A’s fabric goes to person B, and person B’s goes to Person C, whose stuff goes to Person A) if they desire. But you leave everything up to the swappers themselves. Just like on swap boards, but IRL.
Or you could have people “check in” before entering the swap area with their stuff. Their stuff is assigned a certain number of points (maybe like 1 point per yard for cheap fabric, 2 points per yard for nicer fabric, 5 points per yard for super nice stuff, etc) and then they get a ticket for each point. You’d have to label each item with its point value, but then all the swap items sit out on a table, people shop, then check out, exchanging their tickets for items. Leftovers are donated at the end of the day. More of a hassle this way, for sure.
hi!
sarah – the point system is something we were thinking about. . but were wondering if that would get to technical. That seems like a good way to be fair if someone brings in 2 yards of nice silk versus 10 yards of muslin. . it is tricky. . We will defiantely have moderators to help out though.
janelle
I suggest checking out http://www.swaporamarama.org. Wendy Tremayne is the brilliant mind behind this huge community clothing swap, and she has lots of inspiring and helpful ideas on swapping. I organised a very successful Swap-o-rama-rama here in Vancouver with the help of this site.
Martha Stewart Living had an article a few years back about how to organize a plant swap. As I recall, basically the people in charge need to set the point system. Then you are issued tickets for how much you brought, which you are allowed to spend at the tables.
The key, of course, is to not get trapped at your own table, and be able to spend before what you want is gone!