Students swap stories as well as clothes at CSU shop

Not a single item at the Concordia Student Union Swap Shop has a price tag on it, yet they each have a story that students can exchange.
Only a week has passed since the Swap Shop opened on the seventh floor of the Hall building and a wide array of items have already been donated by students. Items on display at the shop on Monday included plaid shirts, an “almost” prom dress and a hamster cage, according to project organizer and VP Loyola and services Melissa Fuller.
The shop, designed by recent communications graduate AJ Korkidakis in collaboration with VP clubs and space Gonzalo Nieto and councillor Michaela Manson, is a student-run, 24-hour space where students donate items or pass by and take whatever they like. Fuller explained the shop is “a sustainable practice in which items you would likely throw away despite being functional are given a second life with someone else.”
Though it may have a similar concept as a thrift store, the main purpose of the space is to “allow people to experience the value of objects beyond price tags,” Fuller said. The tagging system is unique—students won’t find prices attached to these clothes, appliances or gadgets. Instead, each tag is meant to determine the value the item had to the student. This is accomplished by having each person tag their item with a story or comment, allowing future owners to participate in a non-traditional shopping experience. Fuller invited students who aren’t looking to donate or acquire anything to walk by the items and read the stories anyway.
The Swap Shop is a sustainable approach that helps promote a strong community and culture among students “all while questioning disposable consumer culture,” Fuller said.
Swap Shop rules to follow include making sure all clothing is washed before donating and ensuring that items are fully functional.

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