By: Nina Meyer
In the current times of everyone fantasizing that their dusty pile of trash is worth a gold mine on facebook, I’m worried we’ve strewn too far from the joy-filled art of just giving your crap away.
I personally love to give things away. I’ve always felt like if I purchased something, got my use out of it. Then I felt like it served it’s purpose, I’m fine with it moving on. I’d rather not fill the dumps with my used worths, but if someone else wants it, then that’s wonderful.
I no longer need that thing which I paid for, it was worth the price I spent on it, so I’ll find someone who needs it next.
Now this does not mean that I WON’T accept money for a re-sale of an item, I too have sold many a vintage rug on facebook marketplace for a crisp bill. But, it more means that I don’t HAVE to. I’m perfectly fine with letting that item pass on to someone else who can get use out of it some more. This in fact makes me feel really damn good. It brings me joy.
Guess what also brings me joy:
A little ditty the town I reside in provides which is called...
BIG TRASH DAY
There are two days a year in the small midwestern ville in which I dwell that are my 3rd and 4th favorite holidays (after Christmas and Halloween of course) - BIG TRASH DAYS.
Oh my poor husband, how he loves hearing me dance around the house pronouncing up and down the halls the up and coming BIG TRASH DAYS:
I even have it listed
My Holiday Order:
#1 Christmas
#2 Halloween - a VERY close, almost equal to Christmas
#3 Fall Big Trash Day
#4 Spring Big Trash Day
#5- idk like thanksgiving or something - I don’t care, all other holidays are pretty much equal, fight me.
Oh joyous Big Trash Day. (Big trash day has a name, it's large city cleanup or something boring. Whatever IT'S BIG TRASH DAY)
Now I know what you’re thinking, “But Nina, you said you didn’t want to fill up dumps... Isn't that literally big trash day!?” I will get to that, please be patient. It’s rude to rush people.
Continuing... now, Big Trash Day is technically more of a week…. You never REALLY know which day they’re going to show up, those beautiful Trash Santas on their insatiable stinky sled.
Generally it’s around Wednesday-ish. Which is great! Because A: you get to check every day, “DID THEY COME YET?”
But most importantly B: the POINT of big trash day, is absolutely NOT filling the dump with your attic fodder, (I told you I was getting here) it’s to give your crap away to people who view it as TREASURES.
IT’S AMAZING.
You put things out on sunday and every day, all day, fortune seeking pirates pervade the town, driving from street to street to check out your stash.
And they’re so happy when they find something. Believe me, I know, because I stare out my window and update my husband constantly with little squeals, “SOMEONE IN A RED TRUCK JUST TOOK THE FISHING ROD!! SHOULD I TELL HIM ITS BROKEN? He can probably tell, I bet he knows how to fix it, he has a red truck.” And then I wave at them like forest gump. So proud of myself.
It’s modern day legal piracy at it’s finest - and most polite. Listen guys, it’s fun.
I had a mother and daughter stop once and ask about my old wine racks; telling me her daughter was about to move into her first apartment in college and wanted to know if she could take them to use as book shelves. She then told me all about how well her daughter had done the semester before and how proud she was to have a daughter on the Dean’s list blah blah blah, it was cute, we bonded.
Another time I put out a large oil painting I'd produced in college but just wasn’t feeling anymore. A Gentleman almost leapt when he saw it and said, “Are you sure?? But this is art! I’m putting it up in my living room!” and I was like, “I am sure, I am sure that is exactly where it is supposed to be.”
I have had so many people call me over and ask me if it’s ok if they take things and then light up when I tell them OF course! It’s FREE! Enjoy. I love the idea of those things which have served their time in my home moving on to have another life. That’s all the exchange I need.
So anyways, by the time the trash trucks actually show up, all that’s left is my stick piles and my feel goods. Which is the point.
And yes, granted, getting money for your stuff is great too. If you have the patience and time then good on ya. There absolutely isn’t anything wrong with that, AT ALL. I just personally feel like sometimes facebook marketplace and other selling platforms add this very cold and impersonal aspect to these exchanges. You don’t get the excited mother telling you about her daughter’s GPA in her first semester when you’re arguing with a profile picture of a cat over whether the wine rack was worth $4 or $6. No one jumps for joy about your oil painting, when they’re trying to talk you down to half price. Those connections and interactions just aren’t the same.
And all I’m saying is, sometimes those interactions are worth something too.
The end.
