The *Free* Campus Perk You’re Probably Not Using (It’s Like the Best Thrift Store Ever!)

After securing the necessary dorm essentials at the start of the semester, you’ll likely still be doing some shopping. Whether it’s for clothes, kitchen supplies, or dorm decor, I’m sure there are still some items left on your wish list. If your school has a swap shop, you might be lucky enough to score some of these for free (yes, really!). 

If you’re not familiar with “swap shops,” they’re exactly what they sound like: a thrift shop where you can snag clothes and home goods for free. And even though “swap” is in the name, you don’t have to donate something to use it. College students on campuses across the country have set up swap shops (sometimes also called “share shops”), or free stores, in an attempt to reduce waste on campus and repurpose unwanted items. 

The “free sales” get a lot of publicity ahead of the fall semester since it’s a way for students to pick up items, such as microwaves or refrigerators, that usually cost a lot. You might’ve seen the temporary New York University swap shop go viral in August, but you might not know that many schools have open swap shops throughout the semester.

If you’re not familiar with these great resources right on campus, here’s how these free shops work and the types of items you can snag if your school has one. 

The goal of a swap shop is twofold: It saves students money by offering free items, and it  also prevents gently used products from entering the waste cycle. To enter the shop, students usually need to present a valid student ID (yep, they scan them to make sure). Then, they can shop as they would in any thrift or secondhand store, and take home new and gently used items left from former students — all for free! How many items you can take depends on the school’s rules. 

At Reed College, shop visitors are asked to weigh the items they are taking, so a proper weight of items diverted from the landfill can be calculated. 

The shops also accept donations from the community and post a list of specific items they accept. Students have also been finding abandoned items on the street or near dumpsters to add to the shop.

While the NYU Swap Shop was only open for a few days, many swap shops are open year-round at some schools, like the University of Georgia. Most schools have an Instagram account for their swap shop, where they post hours and updates. 

The Share Shop at Illinois State University is open for shopping and donations all year, and encourages students to return borrowed items if they don’t have a purpose for them anymore. They even offer professional clothes for interviews, which is such a nice perk!

In addition to New York schools, I’ve also found swap shops at the University of Georgia, Lehigh University, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Franklin University Switzerland, Reed College, and the University of New England. If you’re not sure whether your campus has a swap shop or not, you can check with your school’s sustainability office.

Some larger schools have more specific shops for certain gear and supplies, like the University of Michigan’s lab equipment swap shop for researchers.  

Other schools offer a larger variety of items in their shop. The recent NYU swap shop offered everything from kitchen appliances to bedding, laundry bags, lighting, mirrors, cleaning supplies, books, clothing, hangers, organizers, and furniture. The temporary shop even had medical supplies, like crutches, boots, and shower chairs.  

“Please don’t buy a microwave, because we have one for everyone you know,” Kate Koblegarde said in a TikTok promoting the NYU swap shop.

Most swap shops on college campuses rely on donations to bolster inventory. Some shops have designated hours to drop off donations, while others accept donations anytime. Be sure to check your local swap shop’s website or social media to see their donation hours.  

If you find out your campus doesn’t have a swap shop, you can take the initiative to start one yourself — the sustainability office should be able to help. It seems like the best time of year to plan to open a new swap shop would be in the spring, so you can start gathering items that students moving out are discarding.