The Acton Swap Shop opened for the season Thursday, May 8. Despite the rainy weather, visitors to the Acton Transfer Station dropped off and picked up hundreds of reusable items at no cost to them or the Town of Acton. This begins the tenth year of this local treasure, which is sustained entirely by volunteer efforts.
Before 2010, Acton residents had limited ways to donate reusable items that were of no further use to them but were too good to throw away. Furniture, cooking wares, linens, and mattresses could go to Household Recycling of Massachusetts. Books could go to the Acton Memorial Library or the Citizens Library for their fundraising book sales. Clothing and shoes could go to the American Red Cross, Bay State Textiles, or one of the other used clothing donation organizations with containers at the Acton Transfer Station. But for many other reusables, disposal was the only option.
Seeing an opportunity, Green Acton decided to set up a “Drop-and-Swap” day in the summer of 2010 at Conant School to offer residents a chance to give and take their gently-used goods. The response was a resounding success. Demand (and supply) ran strong at annual Drop-and-Swap days at Conant for the next several years. So at the 2015 Town Meeting, Green Acton volunteers asked the Town Meeting to fund construction of a permanent Swap Shed at the Acton Transfer Station at 193 Mass. Ave. (Route 2). The new building was funded and completed in time to open in September of that year.
The timing was excellent because that same Town Meeting passed another of Green Acton’s Citizen Petitions to start the “Smart Pay as you Throw” program. Residents would pay a disposal fee built into the cost of special trash bags, giving an incentive to reduce trash. “We were nervous that we would be inundated with low-quality items that people donated so they wouldn’t have to use a blue Town trash bag. But that wasn’t a problem,” says Swap Shop Coordinator Debby Andell.. Except for the 2020 COVID pandemic year, the Swap Shop has been open during the warm months of the year ever since.
Visitors have scored thousands of useful acquisitions over the years. “My favorite key ring came from the Swap Shop,” says West Acton resident Frann Addison. “I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but when I saw the cowrie shell with beading, I knew I had to have it. I’ve used it ever since.” Frann says that she outfitted her son Zach’s first apartment kitchen with pots, pans, dishes and utensils from the Swap Shop.
Rebecca Howard has volunteered at the Swap Shop for the last three years. “I have observed many people find treasures, some of those being simple everyday items that they needed and were thrilled to avoid buying, and then others that were exciting surprises … I have witnessed visitors come in and happily catch up with friends and neighbors who have also stopped by to see what is new at the shop.”
Volunteers agree that the hardest part of staffing the shop is when they have to reject a shabby or undesirable item for donation, such as a stained throw pillow or holiday item brought in before September. “Sometimes the donors get angry. ‘You’re forcing me to throw this away!’ But we have to be selective because of our limited space,” says Rebecca. The Shop volunteers keep a bulletin board with an extensive updated list of organizations receiving things not appropriate for Acton Swap Shop.
Some volunteers mentioned that they view the Swap Shop as a place to help needy people and organizations save money on necessary furnishings. Although they feel annoyed when dealers come in and take away good items for re-sale, anyone with a Transfer Station sticker is entitled to visit the Swap Shop.
At the same time, these pickups create more space on the shelves, encourage faster turnover, and keep goods out of the trash. Debby and other volunteers sometimes set aside specific items wanted by individuals, schools, or organizations, of limited means. Several other residents, not volunteers, have also gone “shopping” for a favored recipient.
Volunteers savor cherished moments of delight. On the day of our visit, Debby told the story of a man who brought a barrel full of baseball bats to the Swap Shop. He had picked them up there ten years ago. Now that his own kids had outgrown them, he was bringing them back for another family to enjoy. Debby says, “We’ve seen visitors bring a beloved item that circumstances force them to get rid of. Sometimes, another visitor claims it right away. The donor’s hearts are so filled with joy and gratitude to know that their donation is going to a loving home.”
Another time, a visitor to the Swap Shop was ecstatic to find a small china item that matched a toy tea set she had treasured since childhood. Over the years, she had lost that piece. Now that her set was complete again, she was overjoyed.
Here are some memorable donations that have had brief stays in the Swap Shop:
- Lake Michigan Nautical Chart tray with rope edge trim
- Toys (Hot Wheels, Big Wheels, dollhouses)
- Sporting goods (sets of golf clubs, tennis rackets, skates, rollerblades)
- Harpoon (8’ long) (normally the Swap Shop refuses items that could be used as weapons)
- Photos, artworks, frames
- Vintage LPs, DVDs, VHS tapes, audio cassette tapes
Children take special delight in the toys and sporting goods displayed. “We have the toys arrayed in the same place every week, and kids come in and make a beeline for those shelves. It’s a fun Saturday morning adventure,” says Debby. A girl named Kiara was enchanted on a recent Saturday to find a squeezable silicone mug that featured a pop-up cat. “The Swap Shop is a treasure,” says Kiara’s father Rohit.
Because the program depends entirely on volunteers, open hours can change. If you have goods to donate, the best strategy is to go on a Saturday (the busiest day) and stage your items for quick unloading. Many volunteers find that higher-value donations never make it inside the shed, as other visitors take them out of the donors’ hands. Both volunteers and shoppers will pick up and redirect items to local charitable organizations such as Household Goods and the Acton-Boxborough Resource Center.
The Swap Shop is open from the beginning of May through October 31st and is free to anyone in a vehicle (car or bicycle!) with an Acton Transfer Station sticker. This includes those with a “Recycling Only” sticker, which costs $20 annually. Seniors pay $12.
One of the advantages of helping at the Swap Shop is enjoying treasures for personal use. Volunteer Rebecca, who taught kindergarten in Sudbury for many years, filled her classroom with “a wonderful collection of puzzles, imaginary play items and building blocks that I had collected over time from the shop. Being able to use such high quality supplies without having to use my personal money to purchase them was fantastic.”
Coordinator Debby has also had good luck providing for friends and relatives. “I was hoping to find some [swim] floaties for my three-year-old granddaughter, who is flying in from Germany to vacation with us in July … Someone brought some in [on Saturday]! I’ll then leave them in the swap shop on the Cape after they’re no longer needed.”
Volunteers and visitors give, take, and give again in an ongoing cycle of sustainability at the Acton Swap Shop.
Acceptable Items to donate to the Swap Shop (must be clean, dry and in good working condition):
- Household items (glasses, silverware, pots & pans, folding chairs…)
- Toys, games, puzzles (no broken or missing pieces)
- Tools (garden, mechanical…)
- Lawn and Garden Equipment (bird feeders, hand tools)
- Sports equipment
Items that are not accepted
- Child safety equipment, car seats, cribs
- Sporting and Bicycle helmets
- Large and/or upholstered furniture (Household Goods Recycling takes furniture in good condition)
- Electronics, televisions
- Appliances
- Freon Items
- Clothing, Shoes, Bedding (linens or pillows) (Bay State Textiles or other clothing charities will take dry clothing, shoes, linens and textiles)
- Lawnmowers, Snow blowers, other motorized equipment
- Mattresses (Mattresses without stains or rips can go to Household Goods)
- Carpets
- Books (Library Book Sale or “More than Words” container at Household Goods will take dry books of all kinds)
- Household hazardous materials (paints, varnishes…)
- Demolition/Construction materials
- Food (Acton Food Pantry will take non-perishable food)
- Anything broken or having missing parts
Rob Gogan writes for the Acton Exchange on a variety of environment-related topics, and compiles the monthly Acton Nature Watch feature. He also chairs the Materials Committee of Green Acton.