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Don’t Have A Really, Really Free Market Where You Live? Start One!

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Beaverelli Tip

You don’t have a Really Really Free Market in your city or town?  Then it’s time you took matters into your own hands.  You ask, “what the heck is that?”  Well, you can read all about the San Diego Really Really Free Market here.

San Diego Really Really Free Market

What a great concept!  My biggest regret is when I have items I don’t want or need anymore, but I cannot donate them. Here are some ideas for items that you can take to the Really Really Free Market

  • New or partially used bottles of cleaners
  • New or partially used toiletries
  • New or partially burned candles
  • Cords and cables
  • Trinkets/knick knacks
  • Full or partially used paint cans
  • Wood pieces
  • Canned or boxed food
  • Leftover supplies after home repairs
  • Offer goods and services from your business (baked goods from a bakery, haircuts, put on a little concert)
  • The possibilities are endless!

Why not pick a day, go to a park (check to see if you need a permit) and advertise to all of your friends?  Start with social media, put an ad on Craigslist, start a blog…endless possibilities!  Sure, it will be small at first, but make it a goal to do it quarterly.  If you build it, they WILL come!

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What Is A Must-See In Every City You Visit?

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The local outdoor markets, that’s what.  Whether it’s an open market, farmer’s market, flea market or swap meet, it’s the place to go to find some local culture…and usually at a discount!  I always find that you can learn a lot about the region by doing this.  Not to mention delicious eats from pop-up vendors too.  I enjoy going to the swap meets and farmer’s markets in San Diego, so why wouldn’t I want to find them in foreign lands or cities?  My main focus is usually food and jewelry.

Here is a market we discovered in Florence, Italy.DSC07167-001With plenty of tasty treats.  Too bad we had just eaten and the cruise ship doesn’t let us bring food back.

DSC07160-001DSC07161-001 DSC07162-001Mmmm, mini crepes…

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The produce in Rome, Italy is simply amazing.  All of the colors and freshness.

DSC06976-001DSC06994-001 DSC06995-001 Free Grappa samples…don’t mind if I do…DSC06999-001Our new scarves.  Unfortunately, I think these were made in China.

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Tenerife, Canary Islands, SpainDSC07503-001

Lots of these charcuterie counters OUTSIDE.  There isn’t a lack of patronage here, that’s for sure.Outdoor Market Tenerife

I purchased several pieces of this volcanic rock jewelry…rock bottom prices!volcanic rock jewelry1 volcanic rock jewelry2

 

And right here in the good ol’ US of A, at the Portland Saturday Market.

IMG_20140810_143231_271-001Skip the shopping malls and get outdoors.  The exception, of course, is if you’re traveling during cold winter months, you’re probably not going to find these little spots of heaven.

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Really REALLY Free Market

Facebooktwitterredditpinteresttumblrmailby featherReally, honestly, truthfully…everything’s free!  What a wonderful concept!  Why half of San Diego wasn’t at the San Diego Really Really Free Market is beyond me.  I still can’t decide whether I was more excited to get rid of things and provide someone with my old “treasures”, or acquiring my own special finds.

I dragged Mr. Beaverelli into this adventure too.  “Honey, let’s clean out the ENTIRE house, k?”  We didn’t quite make it through every inch of our place, but we’ll be sure to get it done before the next one in June.  We donate a lot of stuff to thrift stores (mostly Amvets and Goodwill) and while doing taxes this year, we discovered that a lot of the odd items can’t be written off.  Well heck, I’d rather give it away to someone free.  There are also items, like food, that you can’t really donate to a thrift store.  They had a food drive going too!  How about those half used lotions and body washes?  The kind you realize kind of stink…someone’s going to want your old crap, I can assure you.  The most beautiful part was when Mr. B cleaned out the messy one car garage.  There were full paint cans that he used before he moved into our place 10 years ago and a roll of linoleum that just hung out in a corner for 10+ years…ALL GONE!

Here’s some of the old stuff we got rid of.  After being there for about 2 hours, 90% of our stuff was snatched up.  I know it looks like a big, giant mess, but let’s be real, I wasn’t selling this stuff.  If I were to take the time to put everything out nicely, other people were going to take off with the stuff that I was about to throw into my own bag.

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Beaverelli’s finds!  What a lot of fun finds: a corset that made my tiny beaver bumps look like a boy’s chest, a biker babe top, new plates, greeting cards, scrap book paper for my auntie, and shoes my size (I have tiny hind paws)!

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Beaverelli Tip

 You don’t have a Really Really Free Market in your city or town?  Then it’s time you took matters into your own hands.  Why not pick a day, go to a park (check to see if you need a permit) and advertise to all of your friends.  Start with social media, put an ad on Craigslist, start a blog…endless possibilities!
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