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Unload clutter and find 'new' treasures
Fredericksburg Free Store scheduled for this weekend
Date published: 11/27/2007
By KIM BAER Most people like free. Why not bring free to Fredericksburg? That's what Sarah Bachman concluded after a friend visited a free store near James Madison University this summer. A free store is just that: People bring in unwanted items and they can pick up new things. Everything is free. "We decided Fredericksburg should have one," said Bachman, a homeschooled sophomore from Stafford County. The first local free store was held in September at The Third Floor in downtown Fredericksburg. About 200 people turned out for the event, she said. Most brought clothes, books or knick-knacks. But there were also more unusual items. One family brought 3,000 small bouncy balls. The balls were gone by the end of the day. Another person donated a working go-cart engine. It was snatched up. Cesar Zurita, a freshman at Northern Virginia Community College, brought three bags of clothes. He then picked up a new wardrobe, including jeans, corduroy pants, sweaters, shirts and shoes. Whatever isn't taken goes to Goodwill, Bachman said. She hopes to get a bigger turnout this time. "There's free music, some people have donated free food," she said. "If you just want to hang out, you can." The free store idea isn't new. The concept originated in San Francisco in the 1960's. The "Diggers" envisioned a society without private property or buying and selling, according to diggers.org. They held daily free food giveaways and organized periodic free stores. Free stores have recently become popular among anarchists, who see them as a way around capitalism. Fredericksburg Free Store organizers don't have a political agenda, but they do like keeping items out of landfills "We're not just throwing away stuff," said Phelan O'Connor, a senior at James Monroe High School. "We're re-using, which helps everyone out." Kim Baer: 540/368-5028
Date published: 11/27/2007
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