From pets to vehicles to restaurants, Mid-Missourians are turning to Facebook groups for local thrift and information. Dozens of groups have formed with numbers in the thousands.
One breed of community groups that continues to grow call themselves "swap shops." The regional swap shops serve as a kind of social media-fueled, 24/7 garage sale.
City-, county- or region-based, the groups allow members to post about what they'd like to sell or buy or services they are in need of or have to offer. Several focus on the area, such as the "Jefferson City-Cole County Friendly Swap Shop," "Jefferson City - Cole County Swap Shop" and "Cole County/Jefferson City Swap Shop."
The "Jefferson City - Cole County Friendly Swap Shop" group boasts 12,045 members, making it one of the largest in the region. Members have posted items for sale - from oversized paperclips for $1 to mastiff puppies or phones, shoes and bedding. Others have offered snow removal or photography services.
"I appreciate what the swap shops have to offer," said Jefferson City resident Megan Wolfe. "I have utilized their services on many occasions. I have a few coats from their inventory, and when I wear them to my profession, nobody seems to notice that they're resale. I can dress professionally for an affordable price. I joined the group so I could be consistently updated on the clothes they have to offer."
New members must quickly pick up lingo, like "ISO," which means "in search of." A simple comment of "W" means "watching" and allows commenters to be notified if someone else inquires.
Others post bulk items or extras, such as diapers and cleaning supplies, which are quickly sold. A quick peruse on some offerings finds bargains and speculative entertainment.
"Jefferson City - Cole County Swap Shop" is one of the largest groups in the state, boasting more than 20,000 members. This swap shop is a closed group, meaning an administrator must approve membership.
Deborah Heinz founded the swap shop a couple years ago when she felt there was a need for a resale community.
"I saw a need in the area for free selling and buying. Being a parent of five kids, having the ability to sell items we no longer needed helped with monthly expenses," Heinz said. "I never knew this would take off as it did."
The administrator said the group's offerings change depending on the season.
"It changes day to day, season to season," she said. "Something you need to sell, you think no one would buy, and next thing it's sold. So the old saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure,' definitely runs true."
Heinz's first sale was a car, which she said sold within 10 minutes of being posted.
"Then I was hooked," she laughed. "I've been very blessed with the site. I have many members who will ask for my help in pricing - they call me the queen of selling. It's definitely addictive buying and selling. The person that bought my car came (from) an hour and a half away, so it reaches way out there."
She attributes much of the group's success to her fellow admins.
"I couldn't have done it without the wonderful ladies that help me keep the site going. Social media sites are wonderful tools when used correctly," Heinz said. "We do this for free. We spend many hours watching groups and answering questions. (The admins and I) all have full-time jobs and families, so it can sometimes be hectic."
The group comes with a few stipulations, and all posts are approved before going live.
"I don't allow guns, drugs, anything that may not be family-oriented," Heinz said. "We approve each item before it gets to the site, so we have seen p*rn, liquor."
The group has even been able to locate lost or stolen items. From pets to motorcycles, the reach of the group provides a new layer of community.
"We have found lost animals back to their owners," Heinz said. "Someone once had a motorcycle stolen. I put out the word to many groups and had someone contact me in a private message that they had seen the item. I contacted the owner, who then contacted the police, and the person was caught. (The motorcycle was) recovered."
Heinz prefers the Facebook swap shops over Craigslist, a separate website that provides online classifieds, because she feels they are safer. Other swap shop members prefer the convenience the groups offer over Craigslist, as well.
"Swap shops are easy and convenient versus emailing back and forth," said Megan Till, of Jefferson City. "I've only used Craigslist once to sell before I started using swap shops."
The convenience extends to variety and thrift for others members, like Tasha Flaugher, of Eldon, who has bought household items and sold kids' clothes on the swap shop.
Sometimes, the search is less fruitful.
"Most of the time, I don't really find much of interest, just junk," Flaugher said.
However, the sheer number of group members makes competition stiff for good buys.
"I think it helps the sellers, but not the buyers," said Jefferson City resident Garrett Heislen. "Half the stuff I am interested in buying is gone two seconds later."
Several members, like Holts Summit resident Jennie Crum, have never bought anything but enjoy perusing what is available and do not count out that they might buy something through a group.
"I truly haven't used them much, but do enjoy seeing them," Crum said.
Others, like Till, are repeat sellers who use the groups to weed out unnecessary items around their house, such as clothes or toys their children have grown out of.
Some smaller groups focus on a niche, such as the almost-2,000 member "JCMO Mom Exchange." Moms post tips, questions, and infant and childhood supplies wanted or available to sell. Another group allows people to post things they simply need but cannot afford. Many use swap shop boards to ask for advice or for referrals, and many group members simply hang around to chime in.
"I only comment on average once a week or so. I typically only comment on important requests for opinions such as child care providers," said Destiny Chilton, of Jefferson City. "I look at the group on a daily basis. Again, I don't post much myself. I have gone to certain providers based on recommendations of the group."
Heinz said she swaps on groups often, which has taught her a few tricks to succeed.
"Patience," Heinz laughed. "Taking the time to take a good picture and correctly price the item, and always have good communication with buyer or seller and meet in timely fashion, and always be safe. I tell people to do your homework on a item you're wanting to sell.
"I use eBay and Amazon for price comparison," she continued. "And I love rummage sales and auctions, so I see a lot of what is priced. I also watch other groups."
Till said she looks at the prices of comparable items in stores and adjusts them based on condition.
For those interested in the groups, some are open, allowing anyone to join or use. Others require administrator approval or are joined by invitation only. Facebook suggests similar groups to users, making it easy to find and join other groups in the area.
