Is Your FreeCycle Community Dying with the Rising Gas Prices?
By Pigglies
@Pigglies (9329)
United States
July 29, 2008 11:09pm CST
I've noticed that FreeCycle has gotten really slow out here on a lot of the groups. I think maybe it is due to the rising gas prices. People used to drive relatively far to get what they wanted. Now less people are listing things. And when I listed a few items, I found that unless I listed a large group of items, people didn't want to drive and pickup what they used to have no problem coming out here for.
So is this just my area, or are other FreeCycle communities slowing down as well?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@Barbietre (1438)
• United States
30 Jul 08
Not at all here, but everything is fairly close and if I want something I would go to pick it up in my own town.
1 person likes this
@Barbietre (1438)
• United States
31 Jul 08
Well ours covers all of Nassau county, which is large, however each town runs right into the next.This is a very suburban area. So in reality we are not talking more than 15-20 minutes to most places. And besides there are ALOT of people in this area.
I had a HUGE bag of craft items I wanted to get rid of. I posted it and within 5 minutes I had it promised. I spent the rest of the day responding to people even after I had it posted as taken.
I actually think it is beginning to catch on, especailly with people having money problems. But the only thing that bothers me is the amount of WANTED postings that have increased. We are not supposed to ask for something unless we have already given away some items. Some people seem to get around this by putting small single items up. But hey, that is not my problem. If it helps me get rid of things, then I am good.
@freak369 (5112)
• United States
30 Jul 08
We are doing a lot of "pass it on" these days; if we know someone is going into someone else's neighborhood we'll ask them to drop something off. We always return the favor and we've got a nice little network set up. It seems to be running smoothly for the moment.
1 person likes this
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
31 Jul 08
That is pretty cool. I have had people ask me if I could bring items to them at their church and stuff like that. But it's never been anywhere that I would actually go. I don't deliver my items unless it's something where they want to pick it up from me at work instead of at home. Then I'll do that.
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
30 Jul 08
It seems there has to be something of value, not just magazines or books. I would guess that the prices are impacting that. I live in a pretty small town and we are not having too much of a problem. It does seem that the bigger the amount the faster it goes.
1 person likes this
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
31 Jul 08
Yeah, I've never been able to get rid of magazines or books though. Except for the one time where I did it with a bunch of books that were brand new that I had received as gifts over the years. I gave away probably 100 new books. I have great difficulty reading so I knew I'd never read them. But now that I know how easy it is to sell books online, I really wish I would have tried that first instead.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
31 Jul 08
I've been on Freecycle for over a year. I have seldom been willing to drive to the other side of town for just a small object. Now, the TV, the vacuum and the laptop computer, I drove for them... Mostly I only go in the areas around me, once I drove to a very nearby town, but I stopped on the way home (actually on the way to pick up the roommate) and dropped in on a friend (well, I did call first!) I will pick up on the way to my mom's, around my client's place and on the way to the roomie's job, and will even go out for something special, so long as it isn't too far.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
31 Jul 08
Wow, you've got good stuff on your group! I always get angry at people asking for laptops. But I don't think anyone ever gets one on our group.
I'll drive pretty far for a big bag of clothes, but that's about all I will drive for. And even then, if they aren't very nice I'll make a note about it so that I will remember later not to ever drive out there again. But mostly I've gotten bags where at least a few pieces were wearable.
1 person likes this
@freedomg (1684)
• United States
30 Jul 08
The Apollo Beach one has shown signs of slowing down as well, and I think you are right. I know I haven't been going after stuff because we need to be careful about how much gas we burn.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
31 Jul 08
Yeah, I haven't really been going after things as often either even when I do see them. I'll see something I might have picked up before, and then think about the distance more and the gas. But it seems like there are also less offers now too since people aren't going to pick anything up anymore.
I used to drive pretty far to get stuff I wanted. But still, I always have offered far more stuff than I pick up.
