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Contents. . .
What is the Free Market?
What is the Free Market
The Free MarketSM is a listing service connecting free, reusable items with people who want them. It is part of an effort to reduce the amount of reusable goods being thrown away. The Free Market cannot accept items for trade or cash sale. Funding for The Free Market is provided to Eureka Recycling by the city of Saint Paul, Anoka County, Ramsey County, Washington County and the State of Minnesota SCORE Fund. An original feasibility study was funded by the city of Saint Paul and the Minnesota Board of Government Innovation and Cooperation.
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How does the Free Market work?
The Free Market website allows you to see what items people in your community are looking for or what items people have to give away, and how to reach them so you can make an exchange. You can add your wanted or available items to the list, so you can be contacted by someone who has an item that you need or someone who is interested in an item you have to give away.
The Free Market does not give out your address under any circumstances. Those people interested in your listing will only see your email address, and if you authorize it, your phone number.
The Free Market does not transport or store any items.
Typically, the person requesting the item will make arrangements to pick up the item directly from the person giving it away or to meet at an agreed upon place to complete the exchange. (For more specific instructions on how to use this website, see "How can I look for free stuff?" or "How can I give something away?", below.)
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How do I give something away?
You can start by searching the catalog to see what others have told us they are looking for. If you do not find a match there, list your available item in the catalog.
To search the catalog: go to the "View Listings" page and follow the instructions to view the list of wanted items. Select "All Categories" to search the entire catalog or select the category that your item falls under ("Furniture" or "Lawn & Garden" for example).
You will see a list of items people are looking for. Contact them to make arrangements for the exchange to take place.
To list your available item in the catalog so others can see what you have to give away, go to the "List Items" page and fill in the blanks as instructed. The information will be posted in the catalog so that anyone interested in acquiring your item can contact you directly.
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How can I look for free stuff?
Search the catalog to see what others have to give away. If you do not find anything you want there, list your wanted items in the catalog so others can contact you when they have something to donate.
To search the catalog: Go to the "View Listings" page and follow the directions to view the list of available items. Search the entire catalog by selecting "All Categories" or simplify your search by selecting a category of items ("Furniture" or "Lawn & Garden" for example).
You will see a list of items that others have to give away. These items are stored at the homes of the people who own them. Contact the donor and make arrangements to pick the item up.
What If I don't find it?
You can list your request for an item in the "Wanted" section of the catalog. Go to the "List Items" page and follow the instructions. You can list as many items as you want. This will allow others who have a matching item to contact you.
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How can I perform a 'keyword' search on the Free Market?
You can use your web browser to perform keyword searches on the Free Market. This can be helpful in looking for specific items within a certain category. For example, if you are looking for a refrigerator, you can go to the "View Listings" page and begin your search by selecting “Available” items and the “Appliances” category. This will return a listing of ALL appliances currently available on the Free Market. You can scan this list rapidly for listings containing the word “refrigerator” by using “Find On This Page” feature of your browser. If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can find this feature by clicking on “Edit” on the browser tool bar. Select “Find (On This Page)” and entering the word “Refrigerator.” After you have entered the keyword, click on the “Find Next” button and the browser will jump to the next listing containing the word “Refrigerator.” You can repeat this process until you have seen all of the listings for refrigerators currently available on Twin Cities Free Market.
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What kind of stuff can be exchanged?
Below is a sample of categories and items you can list and may be able to find through the Free Market. There are many more possibilities. List anything except household hazardous wastes (paints, pesticides) and safety items (bike helmets, car seats). Please read the Free Market disclaimer below. - Appliances
(air conditioners, microwaves, washers & dryers) - Children’s Items
(bunk beds, cribs, furniture, toys) - Electronics
(answering machines, cameras, computers, TVs, VCRs) - Furniture
(chairs, couches, desks, dressers, tables) - Home Decor
(carpets, lamps, rugs) - Home Renovation
(cabinets, countertops, lumber, shingles, sinks, tiles) - Lawn & Garden
(dirt, lawn furniture, lawn mowers, patio bricks, wood chips) - Marine Equipment
(boats, sailboats, motors, trailers) - Musical Instruments
(band & orchestra equipment, music stands) - Pet Equipment
(aquariums, cages, dog houses, food bowls) - Recreation & Exercise
(bicycles, camping, exercise & sports equipment, ski machines)
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What isn't allowed on the Free Market?
There are actually very few items that cannot be listed on the Free Market. These items include:
• Household hazardous wastes (paint, pesticides, etc) • Safety items (bike helmets, car seats) • Live animals • Plants • Motor vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles etc. Any title-bearing vehicle) • Firearms
The Free Market is a waste reduction tool, intended to connect free reusable goods with people who want them. Although many users will be tempted to do so, the Free Market is not a bulletin board or free advertising service. The following types of listings are not allowed on the Free Market:
• Items for trade or cash sale • Advertisements for services • Garage sale advertisements • Bulletin board or chat-style listings or running threads of commentary.
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The Free Market Disclaimer
Information provided through the Free Market is supplied by the lister of the material, not Eureka Recycling, its contractors or sponsors (including the city of Saint Paul), nor is any advisor, agent, or employee liable or responsible for any warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the material description, the suitability for a particular use, or the salability of any material offered through this service. The Free Market will strive to exclude materials that exhibit the characteristics of hazardous wastes (i.e. materials that are toxic, ignitable, corrosive or reactive. See the Minnesota Waste Management Act 115A.96 and 116.06 for exact definitions). However, the Free Market is not responsible for the determination of what may constitute a hazardous waste or create a hazardous situation. Some non-hazardous materials, such as tires and appliances, are governed by rules and regulations that restrict their disposal options. It is the responsibility of the Free Market users to be familiar with any legal limitations that may exist on the exchange of any listed materials. The Free Market reserves the right to not list a material, delist a material, or edit information provided by the listing party.
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Why do I need to fill in an item weight?
The Free Market is very interested in tracking it’s success. One of the key ways we measure our success is by determining the number of pounds of material that are diverted from the landfill through this program each year. It is important that every item be listed with an item weight.
What if I cannot find my item on the item-weight list?
If the item you are trying to list is not found in the drop-down list of item weights, please estimate the weight and select ANY item with a weight that most closely approximates your estimated item weight.
What if the weight of my item is different from the estimated weight on the-item weight list?
The item-weight list has been created by taking the average of several years of estimated item weights. In theory, many specific items (e.g. refrigerators) will weigh more than the 235 lbs assigned to refrigerators in the list, and many will weigh less. Selecting ‘Refrigerator – 235 lbs.’ from the list will accurately reflect the average weight range of a standard refrigator. If your item is significantly different from the standard (e.g. a small, portable ‘dorm’ refrigerator or an industrial double-width freezer) please select an item-weight that most closely approximates the estimated weight of your item. (For example, select "Printer - 40 lbs" for the weight of a dorm-size refrigerator or select "Couch - 300 lbs" for an oversize refrigerator).
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Why do I need an email account?
All Free Market users are required to have an email account. Email addresses are a handy way to create individual user accounts on the Free Market because they are unique to each user. Generally an email address belongs to only one person or to a family. This makes email addresses a convenient way to establish and identify individual Free Market user accounts without disclosing personal information such as your address or phone number (unless you authorized it).
There are several free email services available on the internet. These on-line email services are particulary useful for people who do not own a computer and depend on public internet access points. Free internet access is often available at the public library and at some coffee shops.
To learn more about free internet-based email accounts please visit the following site:
http://www.free-email-address.com
The site includes information on several popular free email services including:
http://www.yahoo.com
http://www.fastmail.fm
http://www.hotmail.com
NOTE: The Free Market is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse any specific email service provider. This information is only provided as a service to Free Market users.
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Can I place my listing confidentially?
Free Market users can place listings without revealing their identity to other users on the site. When you are placing a listing, simply place your initials (or any combination of letters) in the fields provided for first and last name.
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Do I need to include my phone number?
You do not need to include a phone number in your listing if you would prefer to be contact only by email. Simply type the phrase "Email Only Please" in the field provided for phone numbers.
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What if I don't want to use my own email address?
There are several free email services available on the internet. These on-line email services are particulary useful if you don't want to give out your personal email address.
You can set up a free, confidential email account at the sites below.
http://www.free-email-address.com
The site includes information on several popular free email services including:
http://www.yahoo.com http://www.fastmail.fm http://www.hotmail.com
NOTE: The Free Market is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse any specific email service provider. This information is only provided as a service to Free Market users.
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Who can use the Free Market?
<FONT COLOR="#57ABB7"><b><P>The Free Market </b></FONT> is open to residents living in the Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota seven-county metropolitan area, including residents of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties
The Free Market is open to Twin Cities residents and residents of the Minnesota seven-county metropolitan area, including residents of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties. Because this program is currently funded by the city of Saint Paul, Anoka County, Dakota County, Hennepin County, Ramsey County and Washington County, priority may be given to those residents. Please do not list items, wanted or available, if you live outside the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. If you are a business in Minnesota, contact the Minnesota Materials Exchange Alliance about the materials exchange program for businesses at (800) 247-0015 or check out the materials exchange on the web at http://www.mnexchange.org
Several other states sponsor similar materials exchange programs for businesses. The following web site lists the contact information for many of those programs: http://www.wastexchange.org/exchanges/top_list.cfm?LST_Stuff=TXT_State.
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Can I promote the Free Market?
We want everyone to know about and use the Free Market. However, we also want to successfully manage the current listings and provide service to our users. So please, tell your friends and family about the Free Market, but if you are interested in promoting the program on a broader scale, contact us first.
E-mail us at info@twincitiesfreemarket.org or call us at (651) 222-SORT (7678), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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How do I edit a listing?
To edit your listings click on the “Edit/Remove Listing” button on the Free Market homepage. Enter your email address and password to access your account. If you have forgotten your password it can be emailed to you by entering your email address and clicking on the supplied link. Once you have submitted your account information you will be shown the list of items you have posted posted on the Free Market. Click on the red “Edit” button to the left of the listing you wish to edit. Make the desired changes and click on “Update Listing” near the bottom of the page.
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How do I remove a listing
To remove a listing click on the “Edit/Remove Listing” button on the Free Market homepage. Enter your email address and password to access your account. If you have forgotten your password it can be emailed to you by entering your email address and clicking on the supplied link. Once you have submitted your account information you will be shown the list of items you have posted on the Free Market. Click on the red “Edit” button to the left of the listing you wish to edit. If you have been able to find or give away the item(s) in the listing, click on “Item Exchanged”. This will remove your listing from the catalog. If you have not been able to find or give away the item(s) in the listing but wish to remove it anyway, click on “Item Not Exchanged.” When you are finished click on “Update Listing” near the bottom of the page. You will be able to reopen your listing for up to 1 month after you have removed it. After 1 month the closed listing will be removed from your account and you will need to reenter the item as a new listing.
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How do I extend a listing
When a listing has expired you may extend it for up to 2 months. Click on the “Edit/Remove Listing” button on the Free Market homepage. Enter your email address and password to access your account. If you have forgotten your password it can be emailed to you by entering your email address and clicking on the supplied link. Once you have submitted your account information you will be shown the list of items you have posted on the Free Market. Click on the red “Edit” button to the left of the listing you wish to edit. By clicking on “Available”(if you had listed an item to give away) or “Wanted”(if you had listed an item to give away) your item will be relisted. You can specify the length of time you wish your listing to run by clicking on “1 month” or “2 Months”. When you are finished click on “Update Listing”near the bottom of the page. If you do not choose to extend your listing it will be removed from your account after 1 month.
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Is there a materials exchange geared towards businesses and organizations?
The Minnesota Materials Exchange connects businesses who have reusable goods to those who can use them. The Minnesota Materials Exchange Alliance Online Catalog is a service that helps businesses save money, become more competitive and conserve natural resources. Using the program may help your business save money on disposal costs, provide low or no-cost materials, help find new markets for surplus materials, and demonstrate environmental responsibility by conserving raw materials and natural resources.
If you are a business in Minnesota, contact the Minnesota Materials Exchange Alliance about the materials exchange program for businesses at (800) 247-0015 or check out the materials exchange on the web at http://www.mnexchange.org
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