When I was a kid I used to do a fair bit of swapping. I would swap football cards (oh yes!) and I would swap pretty erasers and I would swap hair slides. I would even swap crisps for chocolate bars out my lunch box.
Swapping meant you got something new and so did someone else with no money changing hands. It’s actually a very simple and cool concept.
They even created a TV show around kids swapping stuff they had grown out of/grown tired off and it made Noel famous and was on each Saturday rivaling Tiswas and bringing in huge audiences.
I think what people like about swapping is the secret sneaking belief that they are getting a better deal but swaps are essentially win win situations and usually both parties are happy.
It is at heart a form of recycling and reusing that avoids more consumerism and more expense. It is of course better for the environment as items get their full use.
Swapping can be in terms of goods or services and can really help you keep a thrifty home. Recently I swapped my husband for my friends husband (it’s not what you think)hers fixed our blind and mine fixed her computer…very useful. We did swap back again!
The most memorable swap I have ever made was a free holiday. Some friends of ours stayed in our house and had a city break and we had a coastal break in theris. Brilliant.
Do you still play swapsies ?
