Sprightly plants sat in an online post with the word TAKEN in all caps above them. Maybe they looked a little like they were in a search post for lost pets, or maybe it looked as if the poster was announcing they had been stolen. But the all caps info was actually meant to indicate the plants had already found their forever homes — and thus concluded another neighbor-to-neighbor transaction in the Facebook group Buy Nothing New Haven.
Buy Nothing New Haven is a far cry from Craigslist or other social network-driven marketplaces; the truth is in the name, as no money is exchanged. Instead, as explained by the parent organization — the Buy Nothing Project — members proffer either “gifts,” items they no longer want or need, or “asks,” the inverse.
Arts and craft supplies, musical instruments, and pieces of art mingle with more practical items in this extremely lively Facebook group. There have been gift offers of a West Elm couch, or the rest of a six-pack of Camelback mouthpieces, as the original poster only needed one. Often there are more gifts than asks in the group. In a time of increased hardship and need, groups like this can provide partial relief. But Buy Nothing also helps build neighborly connections and exchanges on a small, nearly walkable geographic level.
McGuinness.
Catherine McGuinness, the group’s moderator, loves its community-building aspects. McGuinness first arrived in New Haven for graduate study. She now words for Stony Creek Brewing and is much more well versed in New Haven’s geography beyond her home neighborhood of East Rock.
“I really love the Buy Nothing group — it’s my favorite part of Facebook for sure,” she said. She took over moderating the group after Marie Comuzzo, the founder, left New Haven to pursue graduate school (she has since returned and does remote study from New Haven). McGuinness finds that the group is really committed to being a “hyperlocal gift economy,” and a better method of curbing excess than simple donation. “I think it’s really valuable — I love saving money but I also love being able to give away things to people I know will use them.” She appreciates the personal touch and the sense of community that direct exchange brings. “I really like meeting neighbors — I’ve met a lot of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise,” she said.
In pre-Covid times, participants were encouraged to meet and socialize. Now they are encouraged to sanitize before picking up or dropping off items and keep it contact-free. Every Friday is “Foodie Friday,” where unused food or pantry items are offered up for those interested.
Sometimes broken things can lead to so much more. A late September post in the Buy Nothing (North Central) New Haven group (New Haven is divided into two groups; the second is for the East Shore and Annex) cried out for a broken Crane humidifier. Monica Moore had dropped hers and found herself with a functioning appliance but a broken tank, and hoped to find another one in the group — or give the rest of her humidifier away to a loving home. Within a day, another member of the group replied that they had two humidifiers that didn’t work, but had intact tanks. Thus an appliance was saved from the landfill, and money was saved in the process. It was as star-crossed as any Shakespeare play.
The group, founded about two and a half years ago, has grown steadily, primarily from word of mouth.
“In terms of how many people came to it, it continued on at a steady pace for a while — sometimes you’ll get five people and know someone mentioned it to friends,” said McGuinness. “It really skyrocketed at the start of August when we got 100 members in 2 weeks,” all because it showed up in a mailer among Yale graduate students.
A recent “ask” in the group exemplified its neighborly aspect in the most “lend a cup of sugar” sort of way: Someone requested the partial use of a baby or pet monitor to watch their science experiment run, promising to sterilize the equipment with lab-grade ethanol upon return. Borrowing comes up often in the group, as many items are only needed once or twice and can then resume circulation around the neighborhood, perpetually useful to different people.
As the group grows, the gift economy also grows, but with it comes the sense of “community abundance” that McGuinness appreciated. “What I see here is that there are a lot more asks that are answered — even small asks, like a USB printer cable,” she said. Such a small thing wouldn’t be hard to find at the average Goodwill or Craigslist post. But using the platform of social media allows Buy Nothing to work like transactional hubs don’t; it feels more like the power of neighborhood.
New Haven already has two Buy Nothing groups, but McGuinness welcomes people interested in starting other chapters in the Elm City to reach out to her for advice and input.
“I would love to see more people in the group! I would also love to see more New Haven groups start!” she said.
Buy Nothing New Haven (North Central) and Buy Nothing East Shore/Annex (South) each have their own Facebook groups. Visit the umbrella organization’s website for more information.
This is a beautiful idea, neighbors helping neighbors with things they need or don't need anymore. Instead of regifting an undesirable present or a duplicate item, give it away to someone who can use it. Instead of throwing away a broken item, see if someone can use it for something else.