Memphis Swap ideas

16 years ago

Lets get this started, planning of the Memphis Swap this spring.

So I can properly pitch this to my Church Council, how many attendee's should I expect: 0-50, 50-100, 100-250 or 250+

(We have parking for 50 or so cars and the elementary school across the street can handle up to a hundred more.

Since my wife is President of the PTA at that school, it will be easy enough to approach the school for use of their parking-lot if we needed it.

========================================================

How do most local swap run?

The local swap I have done back up north had a system of colored poker chips used for bartering.

Each plant is assigned a "value", A central "bank" issues chips to folks based upon what they brought. Then folks barter using chips. This opens up a lot more possibilities for trades. Instead of 2 people trading 5 hosta for 1 Fig. someone could trade 2 blue chips for a hosta, and that person could trade a blue chip for a bag of seeds, and the person w/ the 50 bags of seeds could collect all his/her chips and trade them for the fig and pomegranate. Follow me on this?

It takes a bit more planning up front but really "opens" the swap up nicely. Even though it's like using money, no cash ever should change hands.

Is this more trouble than it's worth? Or should we just let folks barter between themselves and stay out of it?

Comments (3)

bigorangevol
16 years ago
Shoot me an email and I'll try and help you as best I can. I'm probably better with information about what NOT to do since I seem more proficient at screwing up the MTPS than I am at making it better.

Luckily we have an excellent group so it makes my job a lot easier but I kinda run a loose ship; maybe a little too relaxed but we have fun regardless. YouÂve got to find a balance between rigid organization and structure versus and a riotous jail-break; somewhere amid Don Giovanni and Woodstock is the key!

My biggest downfall is most likely delegation, I stink at that. Picking a date is crucial also. We always have the spring MTPS the Saturday before the Memorial/Decoration Day weekend and the fall MTPS is usually The Third Saturday in October (which thankfully is going to work out well for the next two seasons). You also need to find out the ETPS swap dates so that none of us tag the same Saturdays. Just guessing but IÂd plan on having 50-100 depending on your publicity (We REALLY should discuss that!!!). MTPS spring attendance is normally 100-150 (occasionally 400+) and the fall swap is usually 50-75.

Hit me at jtoothmanindadj@comcast.net
Jeff
leighmac
16 years ago
sandsquid and bigorangevol,
I am still interested in participating. I have no ideas about how many people will come, nor how to organize it. I guess the best I can offer is my willingness and labor. Thanks for keeping this on track S.
Related Professionals
Comstock Park Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Clemson Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · White Oak Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Allentown Landscape Contractors · Fruit Heights Landscape Contractors · Mastic Beach Landscape Contractors · Middleton Landscape Contractors · North Haven Landscape Contractors · Wethersfield Landscape Contractors · Bell Gardens Solar Energy Systems · Half Moon Bay Solar Energy Systems · Little Ferry Solar Energy Systems · Muscatine Solar Energy Systems · Roswell Roofing & Gutters · The Colony Roofing & Gutters
brandon7 TN_zone7
16 years ago
Sandsquid, have you gotten much interest in a Memphis area swap? I'm surprised more people haven't spoken up. I bet many are just waiting for others to get it going before they join in. It seems like I remember someone else talking about a west TN swap last year, but I didn't keep up with it and don't know what ever came of the idea.

The chip idea sounds like a good idea in principal, but a nightmare to implement. At least at the Knoxville swap, we have many attendees that come mainly for the social aspects and basically give their stuff away. I (and many others) would be trying to leave with a bunch of poker chips because my goal is always to come home with much less than I bring! Then there's always the problem of what happens if there isn't anything you want for the chips you end up with. There's just no way for it to work out evenly for everyone. At least at the Knoxville swap, the way we trade just wouldn't lend itself to the poker chip system. Sure, every once in a great while, there's an issue with someone not "playing fair", but that's so rare it's not worth any worry or administrative effort to reduce.