Sharing Is Good: How to Save Money, Time and Resources Through Collaborative Consumption (16 page)

•
Insurance?
None.

ClothingSwap.com
— This organization was created to gather fashionable female swappers together in a fun environment where

they can relax, mingle, get pampered, and then swap clothing, shoes and accessories and thus, happily augment their wardrobes. Each

event is planned and hosted by the ClothingSwap team of volun-

teers. On the day of the event, attendees are treated to mini-salon experiences like hair styles or pedicures while munching and sipping on special treats. Finally, all attendees are invited to begin browsing the items others have brought to share. Anything not claimed is donated to a worthwhile charity.

•
Cost to join?
Sometimes. Each swap event is different, but because of the extra treats and perks involved, there is sometimes a flat fee to attend.

What to Share

91

•
One-for-one sharing?
No. Bring all fashionable items that you are ready to let go of. Play dress up and take home your favorites.

Unclaimed items are donated to a local charity.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
No. United States only for now.

•
Who pays for shipping?
ClothingSwap.com facilitates in-person swapping during planned events, so there’s no shipping.

•
Insurance?
No. There are some guidelines about what can be shared, however. All attendees are encouraged to provide feedback and reviews about their experience.

The Swapaholics.com
— This is a faction of Swap.com that exists to help people plan or attend swaps in their community. The

Swapaholics’ stated mission is to “spread the love for secondhand style, and raise awareness for swapping as the new shopping.”

•
Cost to join?
None.

•
One-for-one sharing?
No. However, all attendees are required to bring at least one item to trade.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
Yes. For the past few years, the Swapaholics have co-hosted a Global Swap Day.

•
Who pays for shipping?
Swapaholics facilitates in-person swapping during planned events, so there’s no shipping.

•
Insurance?
No.

RentTheRunway.com
— This is a clothing sharing website designed specifically for those who love high fashion (or just need something fancy to wear to a black tie event). The RTR team works directly

with over 170 designers to provide access to rent dresses, accessories, and more for about 10 percent of retail value. Simply reserve online, wear, and return the item when the event is over.

•
Cost to join?
No. All you need is an email address to register for an account and browse listings.

92

Sharing is Good

•
One-for-one sharing?
No. There’s no limit on what or how many garments you can rent.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
No. At this time, RentTheRunway can only ship orders within the continental United States. Conversely, orders

must also be returned from a US address.

•
Who pays for shipping?
Because this is a garment rental service, the person receiving the item pays for shipping. Standard delivery via UPS or FedEx is about $9.95 USD.

•
Insurance?
Yes. We’ve all been to those parties where a glass of wine accidentally ends up in someone’s lap. A $5.00 insurance charge

included on each item you rent covers most accidental damage;

however, significant damage, destruction, and theft are not covered.

Swapstyle.com
— This is a fashion website where members can shop from each other’s closets and swap (or sell) unlimited amounts of gently used designer clothes, accessories, shoes, and even books, electronics, and collectibles.

•
Cost to join?
No. Registration and use of the Swapstyle platform is free.

•
One-for-one sharing?
Yes. Swapstyle exists to arrange direct swaps between two members. However, some items on swapstyle

are offered for sale and can be purchased without making a previ-

ous swap or sale.

•
Point system?
Yes. Swapstyle employs a feedback token system to help make trustworthy members more visible in the system.

Good feedback improves the number of tokens associated with

your account, while bad feedback subtracts tokens. It does not appear that tokens are a requirement for swapping.

•
International?
Yes.

•
Who pays for shipping?
In most cases, the person sending the item pays for shipping, although Swapstyle allows members to negotiate their own terms for each trade.

What to Share

93

•
Insurance?
No.

BagBorrowOrSteal.com
— A fashion rental site that focuses on accessories like jewelry and handbags. Items can be rented for a

week, month, or an entire season.

•
Cost to join?
No. Registration is free and only requires an email address.

•
One-for-one sharing?
No. Bag Borrow or Steal facilitates direct rental from designers, and there are no limitations on how many

items can be borrowed at once.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
No, United States only. Currently, Bag Borrow or Steal is unable to ship to PO boxes, APOs or international

addresses.

•
Who pays for shipping?
Standard shipping is included in the rental price of any item listed on the site. Return shipping is free.

•
Insurance?
Complimentary insurance is included in the rental price and to cover cleaning and damage but does not cover loss or theft.

FashionHire.co.uk
— This online service operates much like other clothing and accessory rental websites already listed, only this one operates in the UK only.

•
Cost to join?
Yes. Fashion Hire employs a pay-as-you-go membership fee of between £5.00 and £9.95 per month. A minimum

commitment of three months membership is also required.

Premium memberships are available for a higher price, but these

members pay no per bag rental fee.

•
One-for-one sharing?
No. Rentals are direct from designer and there are no limitations on how many items can be borrowed simultaneously once you’re an established member.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
No. Currently Fashion Hire operates in the UK

only.

94

Sharing is Good

•
Who pays for shipping?
There is a flat rate shipping cost of

£12.99 assessed for each rental. Return shipping is free.

•
Insurance?
Coverage for general wear and tear is included in shipping costs.

99Dresses.com
— 99Dresses is on a mission to create an infinite worldwide closet so no woman ever has to wear the same thing

twice! Members upload quality unwanted clothes, shoes and acces-

sories into the Infinite Closet and trade them with others using a virtual currency.

•
Cost to join?
No. There are no fees or commissions associated with the use of 99Dresses.

•
One-for-one sharing?
Yes and no. Since items are “purchased”

using a virtual currency, it’s possible to “buy” from anyone regardless of whether you have something they also want. Still, sharing your own items on the site is the main way to earn this currency.

More about that below.

•
Point system?
Yes. Buttons are the virtual currency used to trade items in the Infinite Closet. Each dress will have a price in Buttons.

If you don’t have enough Buttons to buy the dress you want, when

you click “buy” you’ll be able to purchase extra Buttons for one

dollar each. Alternatively, you can upload and sell more dresses of your own.

•
International?
Yes. 99Dresses started in Australia and has now expanded to the United States.

•
Who pays for shipping?
Postage is a set price in Buttons determined by 99Dresses and is added to the price of the item paid in

Buttons by the buyer. As no cash changes hands, when a sale oc-

curs, the seller pays for the real cost of postage of the item.

•
Insurance?
No.

thredUP.com
— Tired of having to buy new clothes every few weeks when your kids go through a growth spurt? thredUP is an

What to Share

95

online store where parents can shop for thousands of gently used, high-quality garments. Costs are greatly discounted from retail, and many items can be returned through the site on a case-by-case consignment basis.

•
Cost to join?
No. There are some fees associated with using the service.

•
One-for-one sharing?
thredUP is a marketplace for reselling gently used kid’s clothes. There’s money involved, but it’s a fraction of the retail cost. Listing items on the site is not a requirement for purchase.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
No. Currently thredUP can only ship orders to the 50 US states, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico and APO/FPO/DPO

addresses.

•
Who pays for shipping?
thredUP currently charges a flat rate of $6.95 for shipping & handling. Orders over $40 are shipped for free.

•
Insurance?
No. However, thredUP employs a rigorous inspection and certification process to ensure all garments offered on the site are in practically new condition.

Clossette.com
— In the words of its founder, “Clossette is a worldwide closet, a ‘re-lovable’ clothing line, and a personal style blog where you can share what you wear.”

•
Cost to join?
No.

•
One-for-one sharing?
No. Clossete is an online marketplace where members can sell used or recently upcycled clothing. It operates just like any other retail shopping website, so there are no limitations on purchases.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
Yes. Anyone can list or order items on the site.

•
Who pays for shipping?
Shipping costs are paid by the buyer.

96

Sharing is Good

•
Insurance?
No. In some cases, items made and sold by Closette’s founder can be returned/exchanged if found to be unsatisfactory.

ComicSwap.com
— An online marketplace where you can buy, sell and swap comics with other comic enthusiasts on a platform built

specifically with comics in mind. Run by a group of comic collecting friends from Appleton, Wisconsin, but largely moderated by the community itself.

•
Cost to join?
No. There’s no cost to register as a member on ComicSwap, and all direct trades between members are free.

How ever, there is a flat fee of 6 percent assessed on all sales conducted on the site.

•
One-for-one sharing?
Yes and no. ComicSwap provides several different ways to interact with the community. You can list items for sale through an auction (kind of like eBay), a direct sale (an ad with a firm price, no negotiation), or swaps (free exchange

between two people who have mutually desired items). In order

to take advantage of the free swaps, you must be willing to share something of your own as requested by the other swapper.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
Yes.

•
Who pays for shipping?
Shipping costs are arranged between those involved in the trade or sale.

•
Insurance?
No.

Yerdle.com
— Launched on Black Friday 2012, this online platform seeks to make sharing the new shopping. Browsing the site feels a lot like shopping at an online retailer, only all of the products are 100

percent off! The site debuted with over 10,000 items in categories that range from electronics to furniture to food. One unique feature is that members have the option to list items they’re willing to lend as well as give away.

•
Cost to join?
No.

What to Share

97

•
One-for-one sharing?
No. Although all members are encouraged to list items they’re willing to loan or give away, it’s not a requirement for getting things from other members.

•
Point system?
No.

•
International?
Yes.

•
Who pays for shipping?
Generally, the person who is getting the item covers any cost of transport. Yerdle does plan to add delivery features including low-cost local delivery and prepaid mailers to send items to faraway lands.

•
Insurance?
No.

RehashClothes.com
— Rehashing is an easy, fun way for you to trade your clothing, accessories, and books with others online. Community members join groups, socialize, trade goods, and swap green living tips. By Rehashing, you can shop for clothes, accessories, and books without spending a penny, all while helping the environment.

•
Cost to join?
No. Rehash Clothes has no posting fees, so you can Rehash as many items as you want and not have to worry about

site usage fees.

•
One-for-one sharing?
Yes. The site is set up to match those who are giving with those who wish to receive. However, many people

list items to swap without a particular item that they want, so it’s fairly easy to negotiate unique trades.