Give-away shop

A Umsonstladen, also food - Nix store or shop Schenk, is a private, socially or politically motivated project, where new or used items can be provided for the free exchange of entrainment and taken freely.

• 3.1 gratis shops and a free economy
• 3.2 gratis shops as part of project communities of mutual aid

Operation

In a Umsonstladen may include items that can be useful for visitors to the hand loading, be passed, and vice versa, visitors can take objects displayed. The entrainment of the articles is not bound to a test of means, as is often the case with signs and closets. Unlike many charities gratis shops and Schenkergemeinschaften see mostly associated with political objectives.

Products

In stores only well-preserved serviceable items should be brought. Faulty equipment can be repaired before in mutual help. In a skills list then users are registered that can perform such repairs free of charge and want. Always in high demand are small items such as crockery, cutlery, novels and non-fiction (for example, encyclopedias or dictionaries ), tools, lamps, suitable paints, cosmetics, comfortable clothing, footwear, electrical appliances, computers, software, CDs, and much more. Incorruptible food, for example jams, honey and durable canned food, can also be offered.

Working hours

By the organization, the time required for the user is relatively small. Accepting and granting of things can be distributed on some Umsonstladen - Active. Frequently, users will be involved. A payment transaction is eliminated and you can - as long as there is no entrainment limit - nothing " steal ". In addition, the objects are available to hire or test it for free, since they can be brought back at any time. This option is often used especially in clothing and books.

Running costs

Some stores solicit donations from users for operating costs, but it does not have to be paid for individual items as opposed to department stores and recycling waste disposal centers. Unlike exchange rings no clearing takes place. In some stores there are limitations of this principle. It is often set as a limit of objects that can take a person on a opening day. This is especially to prevent clothes bags of taken in order to sell them at the next garage sale.

Storage costs

Larger and hard to transport objects ( such as furniture, bicycles, machines, refrigerators or cars ), users can means mounted on a search-and- Find wall labels give even - in some cases even mutual aid. If the users want to pull articles brought finally out of the monetary cycle, it makes sense to things to be provided with an appropriate stamp ( for books makes it difficult for resale in antique shops ).

Products like old novels, outdated electronics or unfashionable clothes that are brought more than taken with them, often collect at the store. With such a " slow sellers " are handled differently. To some extent, prompted certain things deliver less, sometimes there are " assumption stops", or it can be further used in other ways such objects, such as transfer to closets. Some gratis shops also organize public fashion shows with such slow sellers (eg, in the inner city).

Distribution and location

In March 2012 there were in the German-speaking countries at least 61 gratis shops, mainly in major cities, but also in some places under 10,000 inhabitants. The gratis shops are locally bound projects, in which they differ from network-based Free projects such as freecycle, which are offered on the internet goods and then shipped or picked up.

The aim, as with many retail stores, a central, convenient location. In some cases, spaces are provided by urban social centers. But it is also just used an empty garage with shelves or a party room. It is advantageous according to experience, if part of the participants lives near the store - for example, if a residential community is backing the project. Gratis shops are especially popular in Germany and Austria and the Netherlands.

In many social projects and residential buildings Free Boxes are set up, the function on the same principle as a Umsonstladen, but do not occupy the whole space, but only consist of a shelf or similar furniture.

In 2011, in Berlin, the first Give boxes on an open, roofed cottage.

Economic background

Many operators of gratis shops emphasize that it would not do them to the exchange of goods, but of the free give and take. The objective was a way for the acquisition, use and transfer of goods outside the capitalist commodity system has to offer. Of the proponents of the projects so that the vision of a free money for nothing economics is often associated.

Gratis shops and a free economy

Gratis shops are attributed by their operator groups have different objectives:

• As a practical critique of capitalism ( Concrete Utopia )
• Project as a sustainable, environmentally friendly waste prevention, or
• As the exercise of a Christian, charitable social ethics.

The gratis shops should also contribute to sustainable development by resources are protected and people without much income the chance to purchase goods without money. For this approach, the Umsonstladen of the Working Group Local economy was in Hamburg- Altona honored in 2004 with the Altona Sustainability Award by the District Assembly Altona.

Gratis shops as part of project communities of mutual aid

Based on the established in March 1999 in Hamburg Umsonstladen there is the attempt to develop gratis shops as part of a community project of mutual help. Who is active in one of the projects and participate in the necessary arrangements (Cooperation ), can use all the resources of the project community. The Umsonstladen to be part of a jointly organized structure, with the help of the dependence of gainful employment should be reduced as much as possible. For Hamburg Projects composite so far include - in addition to the Umsonstladen as a core activity - a small furniture store, an educational project (the " Free University of Hamburg "), a bicycle self-help workshop, a theory group, a textile group and a couple of one-person projects. For the more active in the projects all the services and things from all projects are free. Other users they are provided at a cost donation to cover the cost, which is well below the market prices are available. About the further acquisition of skills to be developed gradually a production for the needs of the self- project community. A practical connection with municipalities and non-commercial projects agriculture is sought. In other free shops will be discussed about this and similar models.

At the TU Berlin students founded in the spring of 2009 Umsonstladen on the university campus, right next to the student's bicycle workshop Uni wheel. The founders are active in several student projects and hope to promote campus-wide through the Umsonstladen sustainability and the social economy.

History, previous

The Diggers were in the late 1960s a group action with political and artistic background in the Haight -Ashbury District in San Francisco. Whether its money anarchist critique it operated from 1966 to 1968, inter alia, some "Free Stores". One in the 1762 Page Street, a second in the 520 Frederick Street and a third in the Cole Street named " The Trip Without A Ticket ". In addition, they distributed daily " free food" in Berkeley's Civic Center Park. There she also held free concerts and theater performances and operated a " free bakery", the " Haight -Ashbury Free Medical Clinic " in the 588 Clayton Street. Furthermore, a "Free Print Shop". In other cities, there were stores of the Free Diggers. For example, in New York in the 264 East Tenth Street ( Lower East Side ). Following this model, there was in the place Cotati in California a FreeStoreClub from the late 60s until 1983.

In Melbourne (Australia), there were 1971 to 1972 in 42 Smith Street, Collingwood in a district run by anarchists Free Store, the " Collingwood FreeStoreClub ".

Leihladen

A special form of vain Laden is the Leihladen. In a Leihladen also personal belongings are provided without charge, but will not be given away, but awarded. After a certain period of the borrowed item will be returned in the Leihladen. For items that are used by individuals rarely or only on special occasions or seasons, a larger group of users can be made available.