(Image: Emily Han)
Here are the top three things to keep in mind before your first swap:
- What to bring: Bring as few or as many items as you want. You can bring many of the same item or shake it up and bring all sorts of different items. Visit the FAQ page for info on what kinds of things people bring.
- Packaging: Keep in mind that swappers will be examining and picking up your goods, so be sure to package them in a way that protects the food and makes it clear the amounts you want to swap. We encourage reusable, earth-friendly packaging whenever possible. Don’t feel like you need to spend a lot of time decorating or composing fancy packaging unless you like to do it, that is.
- At the swap: Don’t get your feelings hurt if someone says no thanks to your swap item. Food is a very personal matter and a number of factors – like food allergies, personal preference, utility of the item in their kitchen – will influence someone’s decision to swap. Likewise, don’t be afraid to say no to someone. You wouldn’t buy something at the grocery store you’re not going to eat, so swapping because you don’t want to hurt a fellow swapper’s feelings isn’t expected of you at a swap. Sure, you can always swap and give away the item, but only if you have extra items to work with, which will not be the case for people who only bring a few items.
More information: