Freecycle!  I read about this in the paper today, and so I finally checked it out tonight — it is a great idea.  Basically, it does the old trick of turning your trash into…well, someone else’s gold.  All for free!  It serves two purposes: 1.) keeps junk out of landfills that are still useful to someone, and 2.) gets people free stuff they need.

It’s the type of site you wish exists when you move.  You think to yourself, “do I really want to hang onto this lamp?  I don’t want to throw it away.  I could just leave it here, but who knows if the next tenant won’t just throw it away anyway??”  Perhaps you haven’t been in that exact same position, but I have.  I took the lamps and now they sit in my parents basement – they didn’t make it to the new apartment.

It has been around since 2004, though, which I was not aware.  I am already signed up for the Amherst group.