Swap Vintage is a unique online community set up specifically for members to be able to swap vintage items (20 years old or older) with one another - while it has a lot of the features of a regular social network, the main focus is to facilitate trading of items.
Why did I start Swap Vintage?
I knew that trading was a growing trend, especially in this bad economy. I also knew that most vintage collectors inevitably have items that they don't particularly want or need anymore - either their taste or decorating style has changed, or they picked up a box lot at a sale or auction to get that one certain thing and they don't know what to do with the rest, or they have duplicate items in their collections, etc.
Also, if you are a dealer, you often have items that never sold, or that weren't quite good enough to be listed to begin with, but are still good things. Instead of selling these unwanted treasures at a yard sale or giving them to charity, Swap Vintage allows folks to use them to get items they really do want, or need for their collections. It's a win win situation!
I also have categories on the site for artists and crafters who use vintage supplies in their work - there is a popular term - destashing - which means to purge your studio of supplies you've been hanging onto but you won't ever use. Swapping is a great way to destash and get new supplies at the same time!
As a swapper, what kind of goods can one expect to find there?
The Forums, where the swaps are initiated, are divided into categories by type of item - Clothing & Accessories, Costume Jewelry, Housewares & Decor, Vintage Linens, Craft & Sewing Supplies, Dolls Toys & Games, Paper Ephemera, Books & Magazines, Gardening, Vintage Holiday, and Collectibles. Hopefully these cover most of the types of items that folks will want to swap - though I anticipate these will grow and change over time as the needs of the community dictate.
