Bargains galore at community swap shop

In Jading’s Xiaonanqiao Community there is a second-hand commodity exchange and sales shop in a five-square-meter room. Since 2012, 500 items have been registered and 300 changed hands.

Besides a few locals having haircuts or getting their home appliances repaired, four residents are choosing used items. On the shelf, there is a keyboard, rice cooker, kettle, as well as a price on every item. Also, there’s a record of the owner’s information.

“If anyone’s interested in buying any item, there’s no need to haggle or meet the owner in person, all you need to do is to hand the money to the volunteers at the sales,” said Zhou Jianjun, the community’s hairdresser.

“The shop has been around for five years, not only did it cultivate trust among the locals, but also saved the hassle of having to haggle with your neighbors in the community,” Zhou added. “Some people would just get embarrassed by bargaining with their friends or acquaintances.”

Zhang Xingfa, an 83-year-old volunteer at the shop, said: “In this micro market, every item has its unique story and value. On the surface it’s just a used item changing hands, but it’s actually a relationship being cultivated among neighbors.

“One noteworthy item in the shop is a purple clay teapot set,” Zhang said. It used to belong to a doctor, and his hobbies were collecting stamps, sculptures and tea sets. He would also hold personal small exhibitions for his collections. After he passed away, his wife took the teapot set to the shop, to find someone who would truly appreciate its value. To everyone’s surprise, the person who purchased this set, out of love for collecting, became good friends with the doctor’s family.