Swap 'til you drop!

Despite the frigid Boston air, close to a hundred girls waited anxiously in a line that ran all the way down Downtown Crossing’s Bromfield Street on November 18. They weren’t there for a show, or a signing, or even a special event. They were there to swap.

So what exactly does that mean? The Swapaholics, run by Amy Chase and Melissa Massello, is a group that organizes clothing swaps across the country. Based originally in the Cambridge/Somerville area, the idea is simple: donate a bag of used clothing you’d otherwise drop off at your local thrift store or Goodwill, purchase an entrance ticket (the November ticket price was $12), and then you’re good to swap.
 
There’s no minimum on how much you donate, nor is there a limit on how many items leave with. You’re free to pick and choose and take whatever, and anything left at the end of the swap is donated to thrift stores.
 
I arrived downtown at about 6 pm toting a giant Steve Madden bag filled with old clothing that had been sitting at the back of my closet waiting to be donated for months. I was checked in, handed a wristband and advised to be back by about 6:30, when the line was expected to start growing, despite the fact that the swap was scheduled to start at 7.
 
About a half hour later, my friend Chelsea dropped off her items and joined me in line, where we spent some time chatting amongst ourselves and with the other, equally anxious, participants around us. Volunteers walked down the line handing out free snacks as the buzz from the line grew. Passersby checked us out curiously, a few even stopping to ask what we were lined up for. Men mostly looked perplexed, while women asked how they could participate. Typical!
 
As soon as it hit 7, women of all ages, sizes and skin color dashed anxiously through the doors, grabbing at dresses, jeans, shoes and accessories set up on tables and wardrobers throughout the room. By about 7:30, most of the items had been grabbed. After a few more minutes of picking, it was time to find ourselves a corner, sort through our armload of goodies and try on what we’d found.
 
Although both Chelsea and I ended up grabbing a significant number of items that we quickly deemed “no’s,” I still walked out of the swap with a bag full of great finds. The girls who were going through their finds near us added to our “reject” pile, which we then began to sort through once more girls had added their no-go’s to the mix.
  After doing one more walk through and a few more try-ons (tip: wearing tights or leggings and a top that’s easy to pull on & off is definitely key!) Chelsea and I left with full bags, content with our swapping finds.
 

I scored an awesome pair of Joe’s jeans, a black turtleneck sweater dress, a cotton Banana Republic dress, a pair of Forever 21 slacks, an amazing American Apparel dress, a few cotton tees and a great black cowl neck that I’ve already worn twice! Chelsea also grabbed a pair of jeans and an assortment of tops and basic tees. Plus, we got to stick it all in a free nylon swap bag!
 
I am in love with the idea of the swap – especially as a nearly-broke college student who loves to shop but can’t necessarily afford it. Plus, I’m a vintage store-aholic, and will take any chance I can get to spend time in Boomerangs, Goodwill or Buffalo Exchange. Shopping through a room full of great items for a simple $12 ticket and a bag of clothing that I needed to get rid of anyways is a fabulous deal, plus it’s so much fun. I can’t wait until the January swap!

For more information on the Swapaholics, visit theswapaholics.com or follow them on twitter, at twitter.com/theswapaholics.