What's the craziest thing you've seen offered for free in your Buy Nothing group?

[Anonymous]

In my buy nothing group people will occasionally post an “ask” looking for someone to give them a brand new, never used item for free. There’s one woman in particular who frequently does this. Last week she posted “Ask: anyone have a new, unused twin size mattress and box spring they’re looking to give away? My son needs a new bed.” This is a woman w a full time job, dual income household in a nice neighborhood. She just somehow thinks someone has a new mattress set sitting in their house that they’re looking to give away?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine quite a few hoarders patrol the buy nothing groups.

I think our admin is a hoarder. She usually bids for the same type of items; like how many handbags can you possibly want?!
She also loves all those small, detailed rules. Please put a tag on here and please write this or that in the event of that or this. She also lingers in the front yard when she picks stuff up in the hopes of chatting up the owners. Clearly weird, lonely and with too much time on her hands.

Oohhh, Is this is the Alexandria west end group? Sounds like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my buy nothing group people will occasionally post an “ask” looking for someone to give them a brand new, never used item for free. There’s one woman in particular who frequently does this. Last week she posted “Ask: anyone have a new, unused twin size mattress and box spring they’re looking to give away? My son needs a new bed.” This is a woman w a full time job, dual income household in a nice neighborhood. She just somehow thinks someone has a new mattress set sitting in their house that they’re looking to give away?!

Ours don’t go so far but they still request magnatiles, iPads or iPhones or laptops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine quite a few hoarders patrol the buy nothing groups.

I think our admin is a hoarder. She usually bids for the same type of items; like how many handbags can you possibly want?!
She also loves all those small, detailed rules. Please put a tag on here and please write this or that in the event of that or this. She also lingers in the front yard when she picks stuff up in the hopes of chatting up the owners. Clearly weird, lonely and with too much time on her hands.

Oohhh, Is this is the Alexandria west end group? Sounds like it.

No but maybe those BN admins are a type?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my buy nothing group people will occasionally post an “ask” looking for someone to give them a brand new, never used item for free. There’s one woman in particular who frequently does this. Last week she posted “Ask: anyone have a new, unused twin size mattress and box spring they’re looking to give away? My son needs a new bed.” This is a woman w a full time job, dual income household in a nice neighborhood. She just somehow thinks someone has a new mattress set sitting in their house that they’re looking to give away?!

Ours don’t go so far but they still request magnatiles, iPads or iPhones or laptops.

I'm sitting on $200 of Magnatiles that I'd give to a teacher. I doubt the plastic will be good (not brittle) by the time I have grandkids. But I don't do Buy Nothing. I wait for opportunities among people I know and value. Takes longer but I don't feel ripped off and am sure the stuff gets used instead of hoarded or resold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:any good surprises?

I needed a kids puffer in summer for a vacation to a cold spot so posted wish with a pick of an rei puffer. Maybe an hour later, I was offered the exact product! Color and size. It was like new except the first kids names was on the tag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or any other similar freebie group. And did people actually want whatever the item was?

This morning someone posted a bag of Dave's Killer Bagels bagel tops up for grabs. Not a bag of bagels, just the tops of every bagel. Why? Because the person finds the tops of bagels to be too thick so she only eats the thinner bottoms. And people went loco over these! "I CAN BE THERE IN 10 MINS!" "I live 2 streets away & can send my kid on his bike now" "Would love these but I'm working. Can you hold? I'm too poor to afford this brand."

I thought I'd seen it all. Before the bagel tops, the craziest things I had seen was two half eaten Costco-sized sheet cakes from a grad party being offered up.

I use a bread knife and make two slices of bagel tops and bottoms.

[Anonymous]

I'm on MY Buy Nothing and sure enough, there's TP rolls.