Schools

Here's a Way to Get Back-to-school Clothes, Supplies For Free

Elmhurst families can sell or trade the stuff they no longer want for things they need with a national pool of swappers. Bonus: The company is headquartered right next door in Addison.

A company in Addison is making big waves across the country with families who not only like to save money on back-to-school items, but actually get them for free.

The company, www.swap.com, is a no-waste, low- or no-cost alternative to traditional back-to-school shopping. Just have the kids clear out the stuff in their rooms they no longer want, pack it up in boxes and send it or drop it off at the Addison warehouse. Once the items are listed, set a sales price for them, and they can then be swapped or purchased by others.

Swap.com accepts baby, kids and teen clothing, books, DVDs and games that are clean and in good condition. The criteria is listed here.

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Categories listed on the site are:

The original owners retain ownership of the items until they are sold or swapped, and swap.com stores them and photographs them, making trading, selling and buying convenient and secure for all parties. Items that don't sell can be returned to the owner, stored at swap.com for a fee, sold to swap.com or donated to a good cause.

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This new kind of shopping is going on in homes from Boston to Chicago to Raleigh, N.C. The company was recently featured in a report on ABC News in San Francisco as a great alternative to traditional back-to-school shopping. 

Elmhurst resident Marta Jimenez-Lutter works at the Addison warehouse.

"The concept of swapping items can be beneficial for a family with limited resources, without sacrificing quality," she said. "And, it's an environmentally friendly alternative to buying new things."

While getting rid of clutter is one added bonus, Elmhurst residents have another: Because the company is right next door in Addison, there's no need to ship the items. Just drop them off at the warehouse

The Addison logistics center is located at 715 W. Racquet Club Drive. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Be sure to register on the site and check the acceptance criteria before dropping items off to make the process goes as smoothly as possible. Of course, shipping is always an option, and shipping information is posted on the site.

For more information, dive right in to www.swap.com. It's easy to get lost there; the kids will want to be part of the act, too.


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