Give-away shop

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Give-away shops, freeshops, or free stores are second-hand stores that are starting to appear in Northern European towns and cities, especially in the Netherlands and Germany. They are similar to charity shops, only everything is available free at no cost. Whether it is a book, a piece of furniture, a garment or a household item, it is all freely given away. They reflect a switch over from scarcity to abundance brought about by increased material wealth due to technological advances. The idea of free goods still carries some stigma, so many people who use these shops are those who are led to either by need (financially poor, such as students, single parents and the elderly) or by conviction (anti-capitalists).

The slogan of the stores is:

There is enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed

The first Give-Away Shop was opened in Leiden (Netherlands), by members of the anarchist Eurodusnie Collective.

Give-away shops are often housed in squats. Naturally the shops don't make any profit, and are run by volunteers only.

In the United States Really really free market groups organize periodic "market days" in city parks. Participants are encouraged to share unneeded items, food, skills and talents (entertainment, haircutting, etc.), to clean up after themselves and to take home any of their own items they were unable to give away during the event. In other cases, used goods are picked up from the donor's homes thus eliminating overhead costs. Donors are often not motivated by financial need or strictly anti-capitalist conviction, but by a desire to get rid of what would otherwise be garbage without adding it to landfills.

Another recent development in the Give-away shop movement is the creation of the Freecycle Network that was started in Arizona for the purpose of connecting people that had extra "stuff" to get rid of and people that needed something, organized as discussion/distribution lists, usually hosted on one of the free websites.