This Saturday Aug. 15 & Sunday Aug. 16 : Really Really Free Market @Home Edition! NOT at Campbell Park

 

This Saturday & Sunday: Really Really Free Market @Home Edition!  NOT at Campbell Park.  (also, read on: a different kind of market) In the spirit of community, sharing, and reducing waste, some of our market attendees have agreed to have mini-free markets on their front lawns on Saturday.   Their addresses are listed below, but will updated in the given lin For privacy concerns, some of them have not included a specific house number.   Please Join In:  =》By going for a walk and possibly picking up a few new-to-you treasures!    =》OR by joining in and placing items you are ready to part with out on your curb/yard/driveway for others! If you decide to join, please send us your address (by street or by number) before Saturday,  to rrfmarket@gmail.com and we will add you to the list. Tell your neighbour's too. Perhaps they will join as well- the more the merrier!    We will make available a poster available online for you print so as to make yourself known to passers-by.   If not, just visit the listed places and enjoy some FREE shopping this weekend. (Do NOT take anything to these places. It is not a swap event.) IMPORTANT: YOU MAY NOT TAKE YOUR STUFF TO ANY OF THESE MINI-MARKETS. YOU MAY ONLY GIVE AWAY STUFF AT YOUR OWN PLACE.   ALL COVID-19 PROTOCOLS APPLY. DO NOT GO IF YOU ARE SICK. MAINTAIN 2m PHYSICAL DISTANCE FROM OTHERS.   ALL MARKET PROTOCOLS APPLY. TAKE TURNS LOOKING LOOKING AT STUFF AND TAKE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED. REMEMBER TO CLEAR YOUR LEFTOVERS FROM YOUR DISPLAY AREA BY 5 PM IN ACCORDANCE WITH CITY BYLAWS. CHECK UPDATED LIST BEFORE YOU GO OUT SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, at:  https://bit.ly/2PQuXXE CURRENT LIST (as of August 12) RRFM @Home Edition August 15 & 16, 2020  Saturday & Sunday   SATURDAY:   Hemford Crescent and Duncairn Road (nearest major intersection -- Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue East)  9 am to end of day   50 Edgecombe avenue (Avenue road and lawrence- south of lawrence, west of avenue road on west side)  10 am to 2 pm   Laurel Ave between Bloor St and Burnhamthorpe Rd, Etobicoke (Nearest major intersection Blood and East Mall) 10 am to end of day   150 Hampton Ave  (100 m south of Danforth Ave, near Chester station) 11 am to end of day   138 Albany Avenue (Nearest major intersection Bathurst and Bloor) 9:30 am to end of day Marian Engel park, which is between Shaw and Christie, and Davenport and Dupont   (south of Davenport, north of Dupont) 10:00 am to 3:00 pm   SUNDAY:   Keele Street between Bloor and Glenlake (Nearest major intersection Bloor and Keele) 10 am to end of day   150 Hampton Ave  (100 m south of Danforth Ave, near Chester station) 12 noon to 4 pm

Really Really Free Market change of hours due to space constraints during skating season

IMPORTANT: TIME CHANGE
Reduced Hours

December | January | February 2020

10 am - 1 pm

Visit time limit: ½ hour

Please bring your contributions *before* noon. 

We cannot accept any after 12:00.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Please tell others about the time change. 

Thank you, and see you soon!

Treasure Hunting

Treasure Hunting 

Now that summer has come to a bitter end, the cold nights marked clearly with crisp autumn air and school season starting with a hectic rush, the Really Really Free Market continues to do good.

The Really Really Free Market in September provides items to those who are looking for some treasures.

I brought my little dog Leo with me, and discussed the items some of the market goers found as they were looking about the space.

My observation brought me to a young boy who found a slinky; the joy on his face upon discovering this relic of a toy, brought a smile to my face. What joy in the world of kinaesthetic discovery!

Another joyous occasion as a father and his daughters filled their bags. The girls told me about the numerous stuffies they found.

I asked about their favourite find, which instinctually I knew was the giant monkey stuffed animal, so large its face could be seen through the white plastic bag. When she pointed at the bag and said this one I asked if it was in fact the giant monkey, they both nodded, subtly saying it was a joint favouritism.

Next, a young man walking around for some time, I stopped him to ask what he found and he said

I found my fiancee’s favourite book* and pulled out a copy of *love you forever* which is a classic and absolutely a keepsake.

My whole being was filled with joy for this young couple, knowing that someone who didn’t need that book in their life anymore had donated it and they had miraculously found it.

They told me that wasn’t the only item they found, along with some dental items, still in the package, a Costco size bottle of cetaphil face wash, and a very nice shirt for him, they were happy with their market finds.

The market is good for everyone, whether you're donating items you haven't used in too long, or you're hunting for a nice shirt while on a tight budget, there is something for everyone.

My favourite part about the market is seeing the look on market goer's faces when they pull out the items they found. The best feeling is when the items is something I donated.

I always find something for myself as well. This time I found a sealed can of whipped frosting! You'd probably be surprised, but I really enjoyed this sweet treat on some brownies later that night.

Join us for the next Free Market on October 5th, 2019.

I hope to see you there an interview you for my next post!

Blessings,

Kristina




If you enjoyed this piece you'll love checking out my personal blog and instagram page for more inspirational writing.

@philosopherontherun
www.philosopherontherun.com

Summer At the Really Really Free Market!

This is my first year attending the Really Really Free Market as a volunteer, and so it's the first summer Market I've ever been to!

I love the summer Market! There is A LOT more space, everyone is browsing and crowded tables are less so than the winter Markets.

The next Summer Market takes place on Saturday August 3rd, 2019

The first thing you'll see when entering the Market is the Volunteer Table and the information signs. The friendly volunteers are happy to help with any questions about the Market, and will surely make your experience wonderful!

The next sign is a simplified version of the rules:

One Ikea size bag, or one hour spent at the market. It's important to respect the one hour rule, as loitering for better items is not fair to other market-goers. Be sure to follow the rules!

This is the jewelry table, where you will find a volunteer to greet you. The jewelry table is a special place, with beautiful items. These items work with a token system, where you ask a volunteer for two tokens, and exchange the tokens for any piece from the table. There is usually one jewelry item per person. 

One young market go-er found this beautiful necklace! You truly never know what you will find!

Take a look at some of the other items!

A bike seat. some reflectors, and a camera battery charger!

Plenty of books for the avid reader! 

Some home items for those looking for pieces on a free budget! Best deal you could ask for!

VHS's and DVD's!

One Market goer found this really cool hat! She loved it after trying it on!

This really RAD sweater found by another market goer stars Santa and a Unicorn! It even has fur all around the hood! Super cozy!

The children's clothing section has plenty to look at, including a beautiful black and floral patterned skirt! 

 And of course, my favorite find at the Market! Though, this find, was just for pets and scratches, not to take home.

The King of the Really Really Free Market! SANDY! 

I hope you enjoyed looking through the photos, if you didn't find anything in the photos that sparked interest, I hope you found inspiration to come take a look at the next Market! Every market is different and you truly never know what you will find!

With light and love,

Kristina Leis

Grateful Mindset at the Market

                                               Grateful Mindset 

By: Kristina Leis 

Ever wonder if a place exists where no money is exchanged, capitalism is removed and everything being sold is free? Well, the Really Really Free Market Campbell Park has this exact event! It occurs on the first Saturday of each month and they take donations throughout the day. Those donations then get organized into categories and placed on tables. “Customers” are then able to fill their bags with anything they see and like until an Ikea sized bag is full. This sounds amazing, and it is! 

If you’re curious as to whether the market is as crazy as BestBuy on Boxing Day, you can be assured that there is some competition for the nicer items. That being said, the dedicated and hardworking volunteers would appreciate it if everyone waited their turn and chose carefully what items to take. We urge the market goers to choose a grateful mindset over a greedy one. 

The first time I went, I had no idea what to expect. It’s not glamorous or aesthetically pleasing as most capitalist stores are. The event takes place inside of a community building and is quite tight when filled with people, donations, and volunteers. Though the market utilizes the space inside and outside of the building in order to showcase all the donated goods. 

Donation categories include; houseware items, books, movies and DVDs, personal care items, fitness, pet items, clothing, and many more! The left over items then get donated to a charity or church that is willing to accept them. 

With the start of Spring, I urge everyone to do some gratitude thinking and ask themselves if all of the items in their closet, bathroom, and house in general bring joy and spark happiness. The Really Really Free Market is a wonderful place to bring your donations if you aren’t interested in a store gaining profit off your items that are no longer of use to you. It is absolutely wonderful to know that someone will find a dress you haven’t worn in two years and it will spark so much joy for them! Or that coat of yours will keep someone warm during the rest of the winter season.  

If you’re interested in donating to the Market, the next one is happening April 6th, 2019 at Campbell Park! Donations are accepted from 9am to 3pm. Be sure to check out the market, as you never know what you will find. As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

                 

We are looking for a volunteer Blogger!

We need someone to write once a month--or less, or more, but on the average about once a month. The posts can be a few lines or many paragraphs (and photos).

The posts can be about stuff found at the market, about your experiences, interviews with visitors, unusual finds, how the market works, or tips for frugal living and waste reduction. The only requirement is updating the market dates once a month and putting up announcements for changes in the market when necessary.

We also welcome once-only blog contributions. 

Interested? Write to us at rrfmarket@gmail.com

Testing Really Really Free Market at University of Toronto!

We were so glad to be invited to university of Toronto (as an extension of their Ecofair) on April 20th. It was organized by the University of Toronto Graduate Students Union (UTGSU) Environmental Justice and Sustainability Committee.

The students were very welcoming to us market volunteers! They did a great job preparing the location, providing tables and clothing racks, and snacks. Also included in the Ecofair were The Repair Cafe, and Bikechain's Bike Check-up, offering free services for the afternoon. 

We had quite a few visitors. We got the word out to some enthusiastic people who plan to visit and donate to our regular monthly market. Thanks to wonderful the volunteers for the afternoon.

 

See you at the next market!

Content and photo credits: Mim Adams

What kinds of things can you find at the market?

The list is endless. But here are some random things from past markets:

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We only photograph a fraction of the things that come to the market. For example, we often forget to photograph electronics! And pet stuff! And food!

                                          

Praise from a first-time market visitor

It was my first time at the market and had a great time ... I had donated a Freestyle Crochet blanket that i did myself, and saw how fast it went, plus some jewellery i had, and thus will have to remember for next time ...

One of the books that i donated my daughter ended up taking (too funny), not knowing that it was one i donated ... 

Mary  -- First time customer at your great free market

Send us your market photos!

 Here is an impressionistic snap, courtesy of a market regular, Tim. We love those!

The ones below are from what the market looked like *before* our 10 am opening. 

Send us more!