Give-away shop
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Give-away shops, freeshops, free stores or swap shops are stores where all goods are free. They are similar to charity shops, with mostly second-hand items—except that everything is available at no cost. All goods are freely given away, although some operate a one-in, one-out–type policy (swap shops). Free stores constitute a form of constructive direct action that provides a shopping alternative to a monetary framework, allowing people to exchange goods and services outside of a money-based economy.
History
[edit]The anarchist 1960s countercultural group the Diggers[1] opened free stores that simply gave away their stock, provided free food, distributed free drugs, gave away money, organized free music concerts, and performed works of political art.[2] The Diggers took their name from the original English Diggers led by Gerrard Winstanley[3] and sought to create a mini-society free of money and capitalism.[4]
Similar phenomena
[edit]Another recent development in the give-away shop movement is the creation of the Freecycle Network. It began in Arizona for the purpose of connecting people who had extra belongings to get rid of with people who needed something, organized as discussion/distribution lists, and usually hosted on one of the free websites. Similar concepts emerged in Israel via the Agora Project in 2006, and in Australia via Ziilch in 2011.[5] These websites allow for goods to be freely listed and acquired by others at no cost.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ John Campbell McMillian; Paul Buhle (2003). The new left revisited. Temple University Press. pp. 112–. ISBN 978-1-56639-976-0. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ Lytle, Mark Hamilton (2005). America's Uncivil Wars: The Sixties Era from Elvis to the Fall of Richard Nixon. Oxford University Press. pp. 213, 215. ISBN 978-0-19-029184-6.
- ^ "Overview: who were (are) the Diggers?". The Digger Archives. Retrieved 2007-06-17.
- ^ Gail Dolgin; Vicente Franco (2007). American Experience: The Summer of Love. PBS. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
- ^ Sheftalovich, Zoya (20 December 2016). "Selling and trading your things online". CHOICE. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
