So what do I have to barter? As I mentioned I enjoy fiber crafting so I have a large stash of yarn and an even larger stock pile of fabric, which can easily be transformed into fat quarters or a yardage of your choice. I have some fun old patterns as well. I have quite a pile of beads and some beading supplies I may part with. Many, many stamps both rubber and the postal variety. Then a hodge-podge of other craft items.
I am sure that I am not alone in having a stash of items that sit unused and unloved in bins and boxes. Though I fell in love with them at the time after many years they still sit as other projects take priority.
So, I am not sure how to make the bartering work, but I suppose first someone has to be interested in making an exchange. Let me know if you are interested and what you have to barter, and we will see if we can get a fun exchange of hobby supplies going.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
The spark
My love of hobbies is in my genetic make-up. My father was a stamp collector and a great lover of the outdoors, my mother is a quilter, a crafter, and an artist. So what are the hobbies that I love? Well to be honest there are not many I don't love, but there are a few that get the majority of my time. I took on my father's stamp collection and have found many hours of enjoyment sifting through those little pieces of paper. I also have a few other paper hobbies like book making and scrap booking. I often find myself caught up in bead work and I also really enjoy fiber crafts.
The hobby that sparked the inspiration for creating this blog though is the stamp collecting. It is a hobby that takes a lot of time, a lot of digging and somethings a lot of money. For sure it is a hobby that works best when you have a stamp source. In the past I have been fortunate enough to work for companies that receive a lot of mail, so I had a great time digging through piles of stamps to find my gems. These days I am blessed to be able to stay home with my babies, but that means that my stamp river has slowed to a trickle. So I thought maybe there are others out there who have the ability to collect lots of stamps (of course I am talking about stamps that have gone through the mail and are canceled, so no longer have any retail value, ) and maybe they would be willing to send them off to some women they have never met because they know what it is like to have a strong love of hobbies and a small budget that does not accommodate that love. Which of course that led to the thought, that maybe if I could find people willing to send me some stamps, maybe it would be possible to set up a space where people who loved hobbies could come and find others who might be willing to barter. The whole idea behind this site is to barter for our beloved hobby, I would like to stay away from the selling of items. So of course this is not the place to come if you have something of great value to sell. This is a place to come for the little things we need to keep us going strong.
The hobby that sparked the inspiration for creating this blog though is the stamp collecting. It is a hobby that takes a lot of time, a lot of digging and somethings a lot of money. For sure it is a hobby that works best when you have a stamp source. In the past I have been fortunate enough to work for companies that receive a lot of mail, so I had a great time digging through piles of stamps to find my gems. These days I am blessed to be able to stay home with my babies, but that means that my stamp river has slowed to a trickle. So I thought maybe there are others out there who have the ability to collect lots of stamps (of course I am talking about stamps that have gone through the mail and are canceled, so no longer have any retail value, ) and maybe they would be willing to send them off to some women they have never met because they know what it is like to have a strong love of hobbies and a small budget that does not accommodate that love. Which of course that led to the thought, that maybe if I could find people willing to send me some stamps, maybe it would be possible to set up a space where people who loved hobbies could come and find others who might be willing to barter. The whole idea behind this site is to barter for our beloved hobby, I would like to stay away from the selling of items. So of course this is not the place to come if you have something of great value to sell. This is a place to come for the little things we need to keep us going strong.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Idea behind Hobby Barter
I, like so many of you out there, am a hobby fanatic. I am excited when I pick up a new skill. I am thrilled when I create a wonderful, beautiful or useful new item. I have a hard time resisting the urge to flip through a craft or hobby book. I always check out a new hobby shop that comes to town. I adore craft fairs, street fairs and art festivals and I am always looking at cool, unique and clever items and wondering how I could create something similar.
The big problem is that I dream bigger then my pocket book can afford. Plus my husband and I have just recently embarked on a "Total Money Makeover," and hobbies can be one of the fastest ways for me to be derailed. At the same time the idea of putting my hobbies on hold, (even if just for a short period of time,) when they give me such joy is disheartening.
So I have been thinking to myself how I can come up with a creative way to continue working on my hobbies that drastically reduces the cost and at the same time can provide the same service for my fellow enthusiasts on a budget.
My idea, and I may be crazy here, but how about a place for bartering our hobby supplies. I know that I have many, many craft and hobby supplies that I no longer need that I would happily trade for items that I am looking for. There are many great sites out there that use a similar system, one of my personal favorites being Paperbackswap. What if we set up a place like that for craft and hobby supplies?
What I am offering is a place where you can post your requests and I will help facilitate matching you with someone who can help fill your request. If your post comments contain an item request or an item to barter I will put your comment up on the main page. If I find requests that match up with items I will put you both in contact with each other so that you can work out the details of your barter.
The big problem is that I dream bigger then my pocket book can afford. Plus my husband and I have just recently embarked on a "Total Money Makeover," and hobbies can be one of the fastest ways for me to be derailed. At the same time the idea of putting my hobbies on hold, (even if just for a short period of time,) when they give me such joy is disheartening.
So I have been thinking to myself how I can come up with a creative way to continue working on my hobbies that drastically reduces the cost and at the same time can provide the same service for my fellow enthusiasts on a budget.
My idea, and I may be crazy here, but how about a place for bartering our hobby supplies. I know that I have many, many craft and hobby supplies that I no longer need that I would happily trade for items that I am looking for. There are many great sites out there that use a similar system, one of my personal favorites being Paperbackswap. What if we set up a place like that for craft and hobby supplies?
What I am offering is a place where you can post your requests and I will help facilitate matching you with someone who can help fill your request. If your post comments contain an item request or an item to barter I will put your comment up on the main page. If I find requests that match up with items I will put you both in contact with each other so that you can work out the details of your barter.
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