What is the Free Store?
The Free Store is another long-running project of ours. A free store is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – a marketplace where everything is free! Essentially a flea market, but run by a bunch of anarchists. Anyone can bring whatever they want to give away or barter, and anyone can take what they need. A free store can have anything that you can think of- clothes, food, plants, art, appliances, electronics, or whatever the community donates. It can also serve as a place to trade knowledge as well as goods, whether its zines, books, lectures, or workshops. Free stores can pop up at festivals, shows, protests, or anywhere people can gather.
The point of the free store is that people need stuff, and it sucks that our capitalist society has us work a shit job to afford stuff, instead, people can just take what they need without the expectation of having to exchange something in return.
Another aspect is that it addresses the aspect of our consumerist society that has us throw things away that we don’t want. Instead, people can give away items they no longer need to a free store, where it is redistributed back to our community.
That’s the big point- community. The Free Store creates a community where people can gather in one place without the expectation of having to pay. A real authentic community that doesn’t hinge upon compensation, or in other words, mutual aid. It allows people to meet their needs (or wants!) without having to engage in capitalism and facilitates a place where people can give away stuff without just throwing it away. While it might sound quite silly, that a free store will lead to a better society that doesn’t require people to sell their labor in order to survive, it lays the groundwork for an actual authentic community.
The Free Store is ultimately a community project, not something that is led or developed by one person or a handful of dedicated activists. It should ultimately grow into a project that is for the community, by the community. An organic process that allows the free store to adapt and thrive, a process that will meet the needs of the people in the community.
Our Current Free Store
Our current free store project is mostly done during our tabling events, but we hope to have a consistent location for free store soon!
Want us to do a free store at your event? Hit us up!