Not only is the name cool but the concept behind it is pure green. I can’t say I’ve ever fallen in love with a vending machine before but this is true love, tailor- made for my studio and the mission and values it is being built around.
Swap-O-Matic inventors – what must I do to be the first Canadian owner of such a marvel?
What is the Swap-O-Matic, you may be wondering by now? The Swap-O-Matic “is a vending machine that encourages users to trade rather than buy! It playfully reminds us that reusing and recycling can be just as fun as buying something new.” (source: http://swap-o-matic.com).
Playful. Reusing and Recycling is FUN. Buying second hand can be just as fun as buying new. I like that the Swap-O-Matic is not only entertaining to say (go ahead – try it out loud for full effect) but it also encourages people to think beyond currency and to re-evaluate our beliefs around value. I like that today, April 11th, you can reach into the one and only existing Swap-O-Matic and trade yourself a taste of Christmas (there’s a new candy cane in there!), but on another day there have been vintage cameras, children’s clothing and yarn for a friendship bracelet. I wonder if I could fit my bread maker in there?
I love that this one machine is like hitting a thrift store, garage sale, your best friend’s closet and a shopping boutique without sacrificing the thrill of the hunt.
You know what the neatest thing is though? Just today, I was sitting with friends brainstorming ideas that would help create a community of “pay it forward” through the studio. I had decided – what if I could develop a system for donating to local non-profit and service organizations or just even people who find value in the products being created in the studio without having to put a price tag on anything? What if any studio projects that clients do not wish to take home (you know how sometimes you’re in it for the creative experience rather than the end result? Or perhaps you just can’t stop making thing-a-ma-jigs and need a place to stash the extras?), could somehow be swapped, traded or outright given for raffles, fundraisers, employee awards, office or home decor, you name it?
Now I know the answer to that most powerful question: “What if?” It causes a Swap-O-Matic to fall out of the blogosphere. Now the question is only – “when will I get one?”
So if you’re curious, head over to the Swap-O-Matic website to check out the new object of my desire. While you’re there, could you put in a good word for me and drop a hint that the Rusty Magpie DIY Studio in Lacombe, Alberta should be the first location for a Canadian Swap-O-Matic?
And don’t forget to tell them Lisa sent you!
