Freecycle: a Swap Shop for the noughties?

In the 1970s Saturday morning TV in the UK was dominated by the cults of TisWas and then SwapShop, the latter being all about swapping things you didn't want for things you did: your trainset for my Tonka toys, that bicycle for this inflatable boat - you get the idea. But the model died when the TV networks picked a new formula, and as recession of the late 70s softened. A quarter of a century later eBay arrived on the scene and created a car boot sale anyone can join, but when FreeCycle reported a steep rise in traffic, it left me wondering whether SwapShop was back? A 35% hike in traders at www.freecycle.org (Sept 08 vs Sept 07) may not be much against the meteoric Facebook numbers, but the idea of recycling unwanted goods by passing them on could be a big deal if the model gains critical mass. Eco-friendly, locally centered and recession busting - it's going with the grain of three core trends. The site is relatively big here in the UK in both Wales and the West Midlands regions, and it's family users that are helping eachother out. As recession bites again this SwapShop for the '00ies could be a model that emerges as part of local digital culture, replacing the free classifieds in the local paper or the newsagent's window with something that has photos, links and the scope for a greater local connection: one to watch.