Save money by swapping instead of shopping

CALGARY - Whenever I'm asked where I got my black patent leather peep-toe slingbacks, I tell the truth: they're the cast-offs of a stranger with size-7 feet and fabulous taste.

Like dozens of pieces in my wardrobe, I procured those shoes at a clothing swap — an event where women (and a smattering of men) ditch garments they no longer want and pick up "new" items in exchange.

In these tough economic times, swapping is one way to save cash. But it's also a way to cut clutter around the house and dump less stuff in the trash. Folks are trading anything from clothes to books to helpful skills — face-to-face and online.

A not-for-profit group called the S.W.A.P Team began hosting clothing swaps in Montreal in 2007, and its Take Off Your Clothes events have now expanded into several Canadian cities and a few U.S. ones.

Since then, some 28,000 items have been swapped, nearly 32,000 items have been donated to charity and 60,000 have been diverted from landfills.

Participants drop off bags of clothes ahead of time or on the day of the swap. They get tickets for each item they contribute, which they can then trade for new pieces.

A bar or a restaurant is transformed into an impromptu boutique for a day. A DJ spins tunes while a throng of swappers claw through stuffed racks and volunteers rush to replenish the stock. Many swappers forego fitting rooms (i.e. bathroom stalls) and try items on right in the open. The atmosphere is frenzied, to say the least.

But the effort can be worth it. At a Calgary swap in 2010, one lucky swapper came away with a Prada handbag, said Necole Hines, the vice-president of operations who started out leading Calgary's S.W.A.P chapter.

"I've been able to get some amazing pieces that I don't have the money to go out and buy brand new," said Hines, who said she picked up a gold vintage dress that's perfect for holiday parties.

"And I know a lot of my peers actually have attended the event because of that — because they were able to get the quality, and they just don't have the extra cash to go out and do that shopping that they used to do five, six, seven years ago."

Swaps can be smaller and less formal. For instance, a friend of mine recently hosted one in her living room for short girls only. For once, we could pick up a pair of pants knowing we wouldn't need to pay a tailor to shorten them.

A lot of swapping is taking place virtually on sites that help match users' haves and with their wants.

Marta Nowinska, founder of Canadian site Swapsity, likens the site to "a Canadian eBay for swapping."

Users list what they have to offer, whether it's a DVD, spare time to shovel a driveway or web design skills. For those who don't know where to start, a swap wizard helps identify things that can be traded.

"This is something that everyone can do, because a lot of people don't realize they have so much to trade," said Nowinska.

Users then put together a "wish list" and the system helps connect swappers so they can start bargaining. In one notable example, members swapped kitchen renovations for a car, leading to savings of $4,000.

There's also the opportunity to share items that only get used a few times a year, like a designer dress, a power drill or a tent.

"We surround ourselves with so much stuff," said Nowinska.

"If you're using it as your currency ... that really saves you from always having to buy new things. So you don't accumulate as much stuff."

Swapsity also hosts real-life swap events, like a huge movie and music swap at the Live Green Toronto Festival this summer.

Over nine hours, more than 3,300 items were dropped off, nearly 2,400 were swapped and the rest were donated to charity. In all, Swapsity estimates participants saved $18,000. At a clothing swap in Toronto last month, swappers saved a total of some $19,000.

Joseph Renzi, CEO of SwapAce, said economic gloom has lead to increased traffic on that Australia-based site.

"I guess people have less dispensable income, so they're looking at ways of saving money, or obtaining products and services without cash," he said.

SwapAce has customers in 150 different countries, most of whom are in North America.

U.S. site Swap.com currently focuses on music, movies, books and video games, but it will soon expand into different items and make the service available outside of the United States.

"Everybody swaps something. We start when we're so young as kids in the lunchroom, and then various people maybe do it at a higher level than others as we go through life," said CEO Jeff Bennett.

The tough economy has intensified the popularity of swapping, he said, but it's not going to go away when the storm clouds clear.

"It's gone on for thousands of years and will go on when the economy improves."