Rehash Clothes - Articles

Green Is the New Black

anayma@gmail.com (Anayma) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 22:21:37 GMT

If fashion trends come and go with the seasons, what will happen once global warming takes over and seasons cease to exist? Climate change isn't just a scientific worry anymore. The fashion world has taken global warming personally. One cannot say for sure whether this new concern stems from a true desire to help our environment or a purely selfish reason (i.e. if it's hot all the time, no one will buy their new designer coats or Winter-inspired collections!). Either way, as long as the movement creates changes in the way we live and consume, the reasons behind it need not be disclosed, Mr. De La Renta.
Green living has been around since the days of hippie yore. It's a problem shared globally, regardless of race, religion, or political beliefs. We all need to breathe clean air and eat healthy food (unless you're Kate Moss). It's a matter of sustaining ourselves and ensuring that the human race (and friends) continue to inhabit Earth. So, I ask of you to join us here at Rehash and do our part in saving Mama Earth by avoiding unnecessary waste to accumulate in landfills. As someone's great-great-great-grandmother said, "one man's garbage is another one's treasure." So, with that sentiment in mind, and the newly acquired responsibility to our planet, I encourage you to recycle clothing and accessories like it's no one's business.
Welcome to Rehash. Make friends, swap clothes, talk fashion, fight global warming.

Easy Steps to a Greener Lifestyle

anayma@gmail.com (Anayma) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 22:21:26 GMT

1. Save energy! Yes, yes, we all remember those awful nights where we'd beg our mother to let us keep the light on while we slept (in case the fabled monster under the bed should make an appearance.) But mom was right, for once, about energy consumption. It's really not as difficult as it seems. If you're not using it, why have it on? You'll save energy (and money) if you do something as simple as turning the lights off the rooms you're not in. You can invest the money you'll save on energy-efficient flourescent bulbs, which, in turn, will mean you'll save even more. Soy-made candles are cute and romantic, btw...
2. Think of Water as Petrolium. Then maybe you'll be a little more cautions about spilling it around. You need to forget the whole "the world is 80% water" trivia you learned back in elementary school. Water is not, in fact, an endless resource. It can run out, sort of. But you'll have to consult Wikipedia or whatever source of e-formation you're using these days for further details on the science of water resources. In any case, try shutting the sink water off while you're brushing your teeth, lathering up your hair, standing under the shower while your 10 minute leave-in conditioner sets in, etc. Again, if you're not using it, why have it running?
3. Be Chic Like Grandma. Remember when grandma used to go to the farmers' market and bring her own satchel for all the fresh goodies she was going to buy from the local farms? Yeah, well, she was onto something. Bringing your own stylish grocery bag (think hemp-made or hand-painted organic cotton) and be everyone's envy as you strut your wares inside it and shun the ubiquitous plastic bags with the store logo on them. Even couture designers like Stella McCartney and Louis Vouitton have come out with their own version of grandma's satch. You'll be keeping the toxic bags from landfills, and keeping the air fresher in the process. I mean, how can one look chic while carrying bags that say Walmart on them? Not that we shop there...
4. Speaking of farmer's markets... Why not support your local organic farmers and buy their goods instead of produce that may very well be the result of a handful of harmful pesticides and preservatives as opposed to nutrient-rich soils right off your [potential] neighbor's backyard? Not to mention rumor has it that some of these imported goods are farmed by workers in conditions not unlike the notorious third world country sweat shops.
5. Walk! Ride a bike! Carpool! Stay home! Some cities, like New York and London, have amazing public transportation where citizens need not drive themselves anywhere. Other cities are not so fortunate, like Miami where the poor public transportation system combined with the scorching heat causes citizens to have to drive a block to the grocery store just so their milk doesn't spoil during the 5-minute walk. Alas, we all must get from point A to point B. However, there are creative alternatives that may save energy and help reduce green house gas emmissions. Carpooling with your neighbors to the financial districts is one way. It also gives you an excuse to make friends and socialize. Riding a bike is always a great alternative because you are also getting the fitness benefit. Walking shouldn't make anyone gasp with shock, it's the main reason why we have two legs, ya know... And, really now, with the internet, do you even HAVE to leave your house? Pfffsh... Don't even get me started on how less fuel consumption could even go as far as impacting world politics...

New Year, New Me, New Favorite Fashion and Beauty one-stop-info-shop!

anayma@gmail.com (Anayma) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:16:16 GMT

So in the spirit of the early New Year days, combined with winter-induced dry skin and wind-blown bad hair, I decided to have a belated New Years resolution of getting my pretty on for 2008 in accordance with my other resolution of being more green. Naturally, I consulted my BFF Google to get the scoop on the latest and greatest green beauty trends. I typed in “green beauty fashion tips” and came across this line “If, like many fashionistas, you've resolved to be more green in 2008…” which immediately caught my attention.

The fabulous site, www.fashiontribes.com, features daily blog entries on the hottest products and fashion trends in the market. I managed to school myself in the latest collections of up-and-coming designers as well as ponder how to find an alternative container for Preparation-H now that I’ve discovered it’s an essential product to have in a well-balanced make-up kit. Editor-in-Chief Lesley Scott makes it even easier for those of us in a rush by summarizing the week’s hottest beauty and fashion news in her “Week in Chic” report. For tips and news on all things pretty, www.fashiontribes.com has all the information necessary to revamp your style and fulfill beauty resolutions for 2008.

Don't Throw Away Your Old Cell Phone

s.e.boone.wv@gmail.com (Stephanie) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 05:27:35 GMT

Amid the usual pile of pre-approved credit card offers, student loan consolidation letters, advertisements and assorted bills I always shuffle through when I check the mail, I found something extraordinary last week: a thick white plastic envelope, self-addressed, with a picture in red and blue ink of a soldier on a walkie-talkie. "Cell Phones for Soldiers," the caption reads—both the name of the organization and its basic concept. Text on the surface explains what you're asked to do, which is simple enough: Find your old cell phone, turn it off, place it in the envelope, and put it in the mail. Postage is provided.

I wasn't as surprised as I would have been if I'd received this envelope a week earlier. But just a few days before, on my drive to work, I had heard a radio program about cell phone recycling. Elizabeth Shogren of National Public Radio delivered a short report on "All Things Considered" addressing the issue. Her report was seemingly inspired by the Environmental Protection Agency's new cell phone recycling promotion. There are, according to the EPA, approximately 100 million broken or obsolete cell phones currently taking up space in the U.S., and nearly 200,000 homes could be powered for a year with the energy saved by recycling them. As a nation, we currently only recycle around one fifth of our old cell phones; a shame, considering that cell phones, made up largely of plastic and metals like gold, lithium, and copper, are 100% recyclable.

Depending on their make, model, and condition, recycling a phone can garner between two and 150 dollars. A number of cell-phone-recycling companies have popped up in the U.S. recently, taking advantage of this new niche in the market. One executive, Mike Newman of ReCellular, reported to Shogren that his company recycled four million phones last year. Of those, 60% were either still operable, or reparable enough that they could be sold or donated to new users. The rest were completely recycled for their materials.

Which brings me back to Cell Phones for Soldiers. I first assumed, from the name of the organization, that they passed old phones directly on to servicemen and women abroad. However, that's not exactly how it works: instead, Cell Phones for Soldiers recycles donated phones for cash, and uses that cash to buy phone cards for U.S. military personnel.

The organization was founded in early 2004 by Brittany and Robbie Bergquist, Boston-area teens who were inspired to help when they saw a story on the news about a U.S. soldier stationed in Iraq who had an 8,000 dollar cell-phone bill from calling home. The kids were shocked to learn that troops have to fund their own phone calls, and started raising money to pay the large bill. In the process they learned what kind of money old cell phones can fetch, and started asking for donations of the newly obsolete machinery.

I plan to dig out my old, slightly broken RAZR and send it in. I could probably recycle it myself for a small profit, but truth be told, I'd probably never get around to it on my own (like a lot of people, I expect). Cell Phones for Soldiers is an organization that lets you combine the Green satisfaction of recycling with the nonpartisan Red, White, and Blue feeling of helping troops talk to their loved ones.

If you don't want to recycle the phone yourself, take note: most electronics stores have drop-off boxes, and many companies will give the scrap metal profits to charity. And regardless of which route you take, remember that cell phones can be completely recycled; and that they'll do the Earth a lot more good in the hands of a new user than in the bottom of your desk drawer.

Looking Green Can Be a Good Thing

malepore@gmail.com (Meredith ) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:57:35 GMT

When people used to say "green clothing" to me, an image of this weird hemp store in a little New Jersey mall I went to would always pop into my brain. The hemp store only lasted 6 months (it just couldn't compete with the neighboring GAP which had figured out yet another way to sell the plain white tee) but the hemp dresses, shoes and jewelry stayed in my mind. My mom, a devoted recycler way before it became trendy, actually bought a little jumper from the store in an attempt to be funky. It was a cute jumper but I remember thinking "I could totally smoke my mom's dress if I wanted to." At this point, I was still in my "It must be preppy or I will die" look so if it wasn't made by J.Crew or Lacoste, I would just assume “smoke it.”

And then, around last year, another image for recycled clothing came into my mind because of a Project Runway episode. The designers had a challenge requiring them to make clothes using trash. Though the outfits were artistic and stimulating, at the end of the day it was still a model wearing a bra made out of egg cartons. I just knew this wasn't a look I could pull off. However, in the last year great strides have been made in the world of green fashion. Designers concluded it was cool not to hurt the Earth. In turn, celebrities decided it was cool not to hurt the Earth so they started throwing big charity parties where they could dress up in Marc Jacobs and talk about the plight of the whales. No, no they actually did more than that. Excellent and smart designers realized they could make clothes from organic products that didn't look like potato sacks. In fact, you couldn't even really tell the difference between these "green" clothes and regular clothes. So one could look good and help the earth at the same time. Shoppers would finally feel a little less guilty.

For example, Urban Outfitters is selling an organic cotton belted trench coat by Good Society. And Fred Segal (yes the store where all the little celebutantes go and one of Cher's favorite stores in the movie Clueless) has made an adorable little multistrap bamboo-fiber dress that you can, of course, get in a lovely shade of green. I like bamboo trees and so do pandas, so why not wear a dress made out of one?

Even uber high-class designers like Phillip Lim are getting in on the action. Lim made a little organic suit for the tree-hugger/business mogul look. And if you are the kind of girl who likes to express how she feels about recycling on her shirt then perhaps you should go for the white t-shirt from C&C California which simply says in big, green letters "Go Paperless..." or you could get the "Think Green. Be Cool" shirt from the Zooey by Alice Green Label.

Well now we have your top half helping the earth but now you need to get eco-friendly gams. Luckily brands like Fred Segal, American Rag, Ruby London and Delforte have made very cute pants in various colors that will be like a tiny little hug for the earth. And if you are wearing a totally Al-Gore approved outfit you might as well get shoes to match at this point. EcoSneaks (surprisingly) makes shoes with hemp and organic cotton linings. Dr.Scholl's also makes their classic adorable sandals out of hemp and recyclable leather. So you can still have that Jessica Simpson look while at the same time reducing your Carbon imprint.

And of course we must talk about bags. Bags are one of my favorite things in the world and it is really easy to be green with bags. First of all you could just go in your closet and use an old canvas bag for when you do groceries. I grew up with tons of Canvas bags that were often almost as cool as vintage t-shirts so they bonus as conversation pieces. However, designers started making pro-green bags that have caught on like Ugg boots. You may recall seeing girls this past summer walking around with the "I am not a plastic bag" bag. I can confirm this was a huge trend because I saw a fake version of this bag in Chinatown in New York City (the fake version made it an ironic bag because I think it was actually plastic.) However, you can get real non-plastic bags that are indeed not plastic from Urban Outfitters, American Eagle, Kenneth Cole, Beau Soleil and Vert by August Accessories.

Now some of these clothes aren't the cheapest but a lot of them are reasonably priced. Besides, what’s a little extra money if it means saving the Earth?The fact that the whole going green thing is considered hot right now is a little sad because this should be a lifestyle, not a trend. Well, maybe if we give it some time (and if Al Gore keeps making really good documentaries) it will catch on as more than a trend. But for now keep dressing green. It looks good on you!

The Fashionable Ecosystem

rogueymu@hotmail.com (Crystina) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:32:32 GMT

When I was asked to write articles for this page, my first reaction was – no, really Orlando, what’s the favor? When the fine webmaster of RehashClothing comes to you asking a favor, typically the sorts of things that run through your mind are he wants to borrow money or he wants me to look at this cool HTML he made or even he wants me to send him pictures of myself naked. All jokes to Orlando’s personal habits aside, I really never expected him to want me to write, of all things, fashion articles.
Have you seen my closet?
No really. Have you seen it?
I tried to tell him, to warn him I really wasn’t any kind of hipster Fashionista with a finger on the pulse of What’s Hot: I hate Paris Hilton and I don’t have a pocket Chihuahua. No, he assured me, you can write articles about anything, so long as they have something to do with “fashion” and “the ecosystem.”
So, being the smartass that I am, I have entitled this article The Fashionable Ecosystem, thus meeting both quotas and satisfying my editors as well as you, the readers at home. Buzzwords notwithstanding, I find myself to be “moderately eco-friendly”, meaning I don’t throw trash out my car window and I don’t use paper grocery bags. Recycling and healing the planet's hurts are not things my life is really all that centered around, however, so I decided to do a bit of research to fix my woefully inadequate knowledge. Being “green” is fashionable right now, isn’t it? So what are our trends leaning toward? What are the new and great eco-friendly innovations happening in the world of What’s Hip? What I found might interest you.
Recycled Underwear
I know what you’re thinking with this heading. You’re thinking “Oh gross, that’s one Rehash I’d never trade on!” I’m right there with you…unless we’re talking about lingerie from Enamore or Green Knickers. Both UK-based companies offer underwear made from 100% recycled materials, or cotton and hemp otherwise headed straight for landfills. The pages may surprise you: both sites feature adorably cute cami and brief sets, boy shorts and bras to please even the most fashion-conscious starlet-wannabe. (I’m looking at you, Britney Spears.) With a 1930’s flair, Enamore manages to skirt (pun intended) that fine line of cutting edge and retro to produce something entirely unique and wearable. It’s just too bad they go under your clothes.
Recycled Accessories
Eco-Chic Inc makes anywhere from office supplies to fashionable handbags, but if I’m listing them here you can rest assured they aren’t just any handbags. You’d be right, because these purses are made out of 100% recycled plastic bags. No inks or dyes are used, which produces quite a colorful and attractive result: their Magnolia Beach Handbag looks like something you’d see on the arm of any California beach goer. They also offer briefcases and personal organizers for all you eco-conscious business men and women out there, because I know there’s a ton of you reading this article. Really.
Books The Earth Wants You To Buy
In the same vein, I went to Amazon.com to look for books to tell me how I might be a better person by lessening my materialistic streak while still remaining the Paragon of Personal Style I am. (Hah!) I found several helpful books, all surprisingly popular and pretty interesting. Though I wonder how eco-friendly they can truly be if they’re not printed on recycled paper!
Eco-Chic, by Matilda Lee: This book is out of stock on the site, possibly because it’s written by an Ireland author; it’s available on Amazon UK if you want to bother converting pounds to US dollars on your eco-calculator. This book explores the world of ready-made clothes and how they can be supplied so cheaply (sweat shops!) while giving us ways to be both fashionable and ethical. Sorry guys, this means no more shopping at The Gap.
The New GREEN Consumer Guide, by Julia Hales.: Another British-based book, this seems to function as a Consumer Reports type of guide by giving us, the uneducated reader, ways to make our everyday lives more fulfilling and earth friendly. Julia gives examples of companies and products “getting it right” and touches on everything from personal hygiene products, foods, home and garden and even flights and travel. A must-have for anyone looking to live cleanly and greenly.
All of these things were found in an evening of research, proving that anyone can find innovative and stylish eco-friendly articles if they just give it a little try. And honestly, it’s fun to see creativity at work. Plus, you might even find that one thing you just can’t live without.
Next article I’ll explore the awesome fashion experience YOU TOO can have, just by visiting your local thrift or consignment store. Peace.

Rehash tips from a Rehash (semi) Pro

anayma@gmail.com (Anayma) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:35:40 GMT

Ever wonder what’s the easiest way to rehash without the headache? Don’t feel like rehashing because someone ripped you off? Have tons of rehashed items posted but not enough cash for shipping? Here’s a few solutions for the most woeful rehashing dilemmas:

1. Always check a rehasher’s Karma before trading. You know that saying, “buyer beware”? You have to protect yourself from scammers. We’re working on implementing a method that will prevent scammers from, eh, scamming. But in the meantime, here’s what you can do. If the rehasher has zero or bad Karma, have them ship the item to you first. Given that you have good Karma, the newbie rehasher should feel confident that you will not rip them off so he or she should have no problem sending you a rehash item first.

2. Try searching for rehashed items in your area. If you can trade with people within your same city or county, it will save on shipping costs. You can always meet at a designated location (Starbuck’s anyone?) and swap items live. That way you’ll save money, won’t worry about the item not getting shipped, and maybe even make a new friend! You can do a search for people in your area by typing your zip code in the user search engine. If there aren’t many rehashers in your area, get locals to join! The more rehashers, the more items, the more fun. Just make sure to meet in a safe, public place. College campuses are ideal places to meet up and swap stuff. Get your campus buddies to join.

3. Be open-minded about clothing sizes. Ok, so let’s say you’re a size 5 but you really really like that size 10 dress from the now-size-6 rehasher getting rid of her pre-weight-loss clothes. Well, trade with her! It may seem impractical at first, but with a little imagination and some sewing skills, you can re-size items to your fit. Or even better, rehash them into a totally different and unique look. In the very near future, we will have a section of the site with tips and advice on how to revamp your wardrobe one stitch and snip at a time. In addition, members will be able to give their input on other members’ rehashed creations. Think Project Runway for beginners.

4. Don’t be afraid to start your own Rehash group. We totally encourage members to start their own groups. Your group can be a regional meet-up clothes-swapping group (Phoenix swappers? Anyone?), a style group (Gothic Rehashers unite), a green lifestyle group (Go Green Guerrilla!), or just your regular run-o-the-mill friends group (Rehashers for Obama, heh). We do prefer that your group remains within the context of what the Rehash community is about, but hey, who are we to tell you what to do. We just run the place.

5. Take advantage of the Covet option. It’s like a Wish List of sorts, and rehashers do look at it. It’ll speed up trades and get you what you want.

Well, that’s all I have for now. Hope the above helps make safe and successful transactions. I will revisit this tip list as I think up more ways to make things easier. Till then, happy rehashing!

Things You May Not Know

orlando@orpheuxdesign.com (Orlando) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:28:00 GMT

Rehash is a work-in-progress, just like anything worth using on the internet these days. I mean, how long did it take Flickr to shed its "beta" tag? Anyone? Anyone? That's right, nobody knows, not even Oscar Wilde, and he knows everything.

What I'm about to show you are some tips and/or tricks that even some of our own staff don't know. I'm not exaggerating. Sure, some of you are savvy enough to figure these kinds of things out on your own, others of you just intuitively fell upon them, and the rest recently discovered you can actually trade stuff on this site. So without further ado, here are le tips*.

Waaa, Waaa, Waaa - I Don't Like Green Hey, I understand, green reminds you of leprechauns which remind you of the Irish which in turn reminds you of Colin Farrell which makes you remember herpes and how it's an annoying virus afflicting millions upon millions of humans. No sweat, we thought of that already. If you want to change the color to something more appealing, on the top left of every page on this site where the cute little Rehash logo resides there are 3 little colored boxes below the logo. Each one of those boxes changes the screen color. Rad.

Nothing My Size? Outrage! That's probably not the case, you just didn't have the time/mental fortitude to click every single Rehash one-by-one to check what size it is. That's why we've got you covered. In the Trading Post there's a quick live search that'll return results based on text in the description, but what if you want more? The more powerful search in the Trading Post menu up top ("Search rehashes") is your answer. From there, you can enter Google-style queries that yield much more accurate results. Want to search by size? Try "size: small" to see what happens. What about if you have a Kevin Costner in Waterworld shirt and want to know who's trading something and looking for a Kevin Costner in Waterworld shirt in exchange? Enter "looking_for: i have no style" and the result will be shown to you. There are more options, and they're shown below the search bar. The same thing works when searching users. Give it a try.

I Spent 9 Hours Uploading Flickr Pics Hardcore, I say. Put your hard-earned effort to use by integrating Flickr into your profile, that way the whole world will be able to see the photos you took of [choose a landmark] last [choose a season] in [choose a location]. I'm sure your [choose a parent] really [choose a sentiment] it, and so will other Rehashers [choose a punctuation] To do so, there's an option to edit your account in the My Profile menu. Simply use it and fill out the field with your Flickr username, update, and WHAM!, your photos are up before you go-go.

I Spent Hours Learning HTML Is that so? Then let me be the first to welcome you here from MySpace. Look, we like our site to look good, OK? We're not going to allow all that "glitter the crap out of your profile lolz!" nonsense you learned over there. Epilepsy is a serious thing, and we refuse to contribute to it ~~without compensation~~. We allow some tags, sure, but for other things you can use Textile, we allow that. A good reference will help you out, it's easier than HTML.

Recycle Recycled Rehashes OK, so this one is recent and fairly obvious now, but even so. When you're offered a trade or when you yourself offer a trade, the items in question are removed from public view and the tradability (I can't believe that's a word) of said items is nullified. Now, let's say someone declines the trade 5 days later; the items are back up on the market, but definitely not on the first page of results. What to do? Why, view recently re-listed items of course! There's a nice little button for it above the results in the Trading Post page.

RSS: Rehash's Super Syndication Maybe that's not what it stands for, in fact, we don't know what it stands for. No one does. But nonetheless, we like to use strange technology and hope it doesn't break our site. Really Simple Syndication would be a good name. It's a good way to keep up with the latest articles and Rehashes. Don't feel like pointing your browser over here just to see the latest Rehashes? Prefer to have your mail/browser application let you know of the cutest new blouses being traded by [choose Rehasher]? That's fine, just subscribe to our RSS feeds. If you use Firefox, Safari, Opera, or any of those good browsers your address bar will let you know if the page has a feed you can subscribe to. I don't know about IE, last time I gave it a serious look Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5 was on top of the charts.

L.A. Has Dodgers; Rehash Does Too You traded with a seemingly nice person that has a photo of, I don't know, a marsupial as their avatar. You send your stuff, they never send theirs. You message them a few times demanding a response and you want to give a quick little complaint to a wonderful Rehash staff member. How do you know Ms. Marsupial got the message and she wasn't just legitimately eaten by a ferocious cougar? Simply view your sent messages. Just like your inbox, bold subject lines mean unread. This one was a gimme.

Showcase Your Profiles I'm willing to bet no one here has just a Rehash profile and no other web presence, as utterly flattering as that would be. Allow-yourself-to-allow-others-to connect to your other profiles as well by entering your profile ID/username in the fields provided when editing your profile.

That's all for now. As more features and sections are added to Rehash more articles will follow. Unless we're purchased by Google, in which case I'll be much too busy being fed grapes by beautiful island ladies.

*Fake French for "the tips."

An Analytical Approach to Rehash

motojen@gmail.com (Jenny) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:34:54 GMT

I know many of you have been commenting about the cost of shipping. But you know what? You can't evaluate Rehash in this mindset. Anyway, I thought I'd do a little number crunching to help put your Rehash INVESTMENT in a more positive light:

Step 1: I calculated the shipping fees paid in my 2 months of Rehashing (completed trades only) = $144.31

Step 2: In addition, I added a loss of $13.60 shipping to a scammer in the UK.

Step 3: Total investment to date = $157.91

Step 4: Now, I tallied all the really great stuff I received (omitting the things that weren't exactly right or were things I might not have bought)... here's what my $157.91 bought me:

1. Four (4) pairs of Like New Shoes (I would never have thought they had been worn!),

2. A brand new Kate Spade purse (knock off or not, it's adorable),

3. Eight (8) really great skirts that I would have bought at a vintage or consignment store,

4. Two (2) shirts and three (3) tees that I have worn numerous times,

5 Three (3) cardigan sweaters that are exactly what I've been looking for online and save my freezing butt here at work,

6. A pair of cute gloves I had never seen in stores and didn't even think I wanted but that I get compliments on all time,

7. A brand new scarf,

8. A new Fedora that my husband stole from me because it fit him perfectly,

9. A Gameboy SP that I have always wanted but never felt the urge to spend money on,

10. A batch of funny toe socks that I turned into sock creatures,

11. A bonus gift of lip gloss that I am wearing right now,

12. AND best of all, a whole online community of friends who are like me!

I cannot think of any other way I could get so much for 150 bucks. It's the best money I have ever spent! Even if you feel like the stuff you're trading off has value, the IRS caps charitable donations of stuff like this at $250. I bet I will save a helluva a lot more than that this year on clothing, shoes, accessories, and all kinds of other treasures!

An Introduction to Rehash Etiquette

motojen@gmail.com (Jenny) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:31:48 GMT

Having joined the Rehash community only 5 months ago, I am a still a newbie to the internet version of bartering. However, I have been brokering deals and networking for well over a decade and because I truly believe in the mission of this website, I tend to be outspoken. With that said, here is my latest contribution.

Lately, I have noticed a disturbing trend; more and more posts that demonstrate a lack of manners. Yes, by “manners” I’m referring to Emily Post and all that proper behavior kind of stuff. But Miss Post didn’t make herself a household name simply by educating people on how to properly address a Thank You note. She also made valid points about correct social behavior. In the same spirit of improving society with correct behavior, I humbly offer these guidelines for Rehash Manners.

Please note that much of this content already exists in some form on other websites*. I have simply summarized what I feel are the most relevant points for the Rehash community:

1. Read the postings in the Forest and the Forums before you post anything. This not only gives you an understanding of the Rehash culture, it will help you avoid getting attacked in a 3-page posting war about your references to Forever 21 dresses.

2. Consider the visibility of your postings, whether they are in the Forest, Forums, or on someone’s profile page. These are visible to everyone. Take a cue from eBay’s guidelines. If you are unhappy with an item that you have received, then email the sender and discuss your concerns before going public. Your trade is essentially a private transaction and a simple email will often solve the issue. If you are unable to reach an equitable solution, then by all means utilize the Feedback feature.

3. Remember that the written word does not always convey certain subtle elements such as tone or sarcasm. You may be making an attempt to be clever or funny, but the recipient may be offended. On the flip side, don’t overreact if you receive an email or posting that seems mean or insulting. All too often we post without thinking about how certain words may be perceived.

4. Don’t get into a “Flame War” in a public forum. It makes both parties look bad and creates a negative atmosphere for all Rehash users. Take your argument outside.

5. Recognize that we are all human. Apologize if you screw up and if you are the recipient of an apology, be gracious and accept.

6. And lastly, do what you say you are going to do.

a. If you offer a dress on Rehash for trade, do not back out because you suddenly decided you can’t live without it. It is rude and a waste of everyone’s time. If you’re unsure about an item, keep it in your closet until you are absolutely sure you are done with it. How would you feel if you saw a dress in a store that you wanted and took it to the cashier only to be told that the store has decided not to sell it? You’d be pissed, wouldn’t you?

b. If you agree to a trade and the other party has 100% karma, send your item so that it arrives within 7-10 days. This is common courtesy and the average standard for internet shipping. Don’t make people wait months for their items. We all understand that situations occur. If this applies to you, be up front and tell the potential trader when you will ship. If you don’t have money to ship, then you don’t have money to shop.

*Excerpted and adapted from Living Internet and RFC Netiquette Guidelines . The complete Emily Post “Etiquette” is available online for free thanks to Project Gutenberg.

Guide to Making a 3-Way Trade

motojen@gmail.com (Jenny) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:19:02 GMT

(1) Make sure that you have a block of time without interruption. Coordinating a 3-way can be time consuming! Have a pen and paper ready (or some other writing type program running on your computer so you can make notes - I use EXCEL).

(2) By now you should have added everything you like to your "Watch List". Make a list of the users that have things you like.

(3) Now click on "Others Watching My Rehashes" and make another list of those users.

(4) The next step is a little trickier, because there isn’t a function to easily allow you to view other’s people’s Watch List (like an Amazon.com’s ‘Wish List”). So you can either:

(5a) email everyone on your "Watch List". Tell them what you would like to trade; ask if they would be interested in a 3-way trade; tell them who they are trying to trade with; and if they respond, see if any of those names match the list you made back in Step 3.

(5b) be a Rehash stalker. As your surf through "Rehashed Items", take note who is watching what. If you're an addict (like me) you will start to recognize users and the pattern of things they are watching. For example, I was stalking Sheila's Italian Party Top for months, but I had nothing that appealed to her. When I noticed she was watching a pair of Rosy's shoes. I remembered Rosy was watching a few of my things. So I just sent them both emails and voila! I got the top, Sheila got the shoes, and Rosy got my items.

(6) Once you have connected the dots to lead to the item you want, you can post details in the Groups Forum, or if you’d like to keep the trade private just be diligent about emailing all parties involved.

Happy trading!

NOTE: The trickiest part of making this work is the trading tool since it's designed for one-to-one trading. What I find works best it to create a "3-way offer" item and use that to make your offer to the other two Rehashers. After the trade is accepted, you receive a confirmation email. Simply forward that email to the 3rd individual with the details of your trade (including name and mailing addresses for where the Rehashed item to be sent since you're not the recipient in the actual offer). This will serve as a reminder and receipt.

I'm a bug!

motojen@gmail.com (Jenny) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:41:01 GMT

We all know the staff at Rehash are busier than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. But what do you do to feed the Rehash addiction while they are off chasing down bugs and fixing server issues?

Ideas both great and small abound in the Forums. See you there!

Recycling plastic bags into "yarn"

ambyr@tampabay.rr.com (Ambyr) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:53:01 GMT

This may take you a few minutes to get the hang of, but once you do, you can make a ton of "yarn" in a short amount of time.

Step 1

Gather your grocery bags or garbage bags. Depending on what you plan on making, you may need quite a few of these. Check each bag to ensure that there are no holes or tears anywhere in the seams or on the front/back panels. One grocery bag makes almost exactly 170 inches of “yarn”. Garbage bags are MUCH more. Your best bet is to make a few bags worth, and then have a few bags sitting around for after you start your project. Then you can add strips as you need for the project.

Step 2

Taking 1 bag at a time, fold in half (from side to side, not top to bottom). Straighten this out. Fold in half, again, and straighten again. Continue folding in half and flattening out until the strip is about an inch wide from side to side.

Step3

Straighten the strips and flatten on a table or the floor to wait for you to use them. You can use a paper clip in the center of the strip to hold in place. I usually will lay these on the floor with a book on top to keep them in place and to keep outside effects (dogs, kids, and Timmy) from disturbing their folds.

Step4

One by one, cut off the top of the bag (where the handles are) about half an inch or so below the bottom of the handle loop. Cut off the bottom of the bag, about half an inch from the seam. What you have just removed is garbage; you may discard it as you will not use it.

Step5

Cut the bag strip into 1 inch or so sections. This doesn't have to be exact, nor does it have to be even... Just be sure that they are not much less that one inch. We don't want them to break. Your scissors should easily make it across the folds in one snip, so this is a very quick process. *Note: don’t try to cut the paperclip ;o)

Step6

Organize the loops as best you can so that they do not tangle. If you have something round that you can place them on until you use them, this will work best. Otherwise, just lay them out open, neat, and try to keep them from being disturbed. If they do, no worries, you’ll just have to detangle them as you connect them.

Step7

Connect the first two loops as follows (don't worry; this will be a quick step after you've done a few).

a. Lay one hoop on the floor or table in front of you.
b. Lay the second hoop next to the first, slightly overlapping one another.
c. The outside part of the first hoop we will call A, the overlapped part of this bag in the center we’ll call B, and the outside edge of the second bag will be called C.
d. Take B and bring it in towards A. You’ll want it to go under A.
e. Slowly pull B until a small knot is formed between the two hoops.

Step8

Starting with either hoop, you’ll continue the “yarn” with your following pieces. Hold the original knot in one hand. Run the plastic through your hands so that it is less like a hoop and more like a string. You’ll pull it through your hand until about 2 inches or so from the end. Take your next hoop and feed half of it through this opening. If the side you’ve fed through is D, and the part of the hoop that is not fed through the string is E, you’ll pull D up through the opening that E makes. Please see the image to the left for a pictorial example of this.
*Notice the two hoops are colored differently here, one has green streaks and the other has blue.

Step9

Continue doing step 8 until all of your hoops have been strung on. If some appear uneven, don’t worry so much. At the worst, it will be a bit uneven in your crochet, and you can tuck it in easily so that no one will see it. Once you have a sufficient amount, roll into a “yarn” ball to keep it neat until you are working with it.

Step10

Use this as you would with any yarn for a crochet pattern. It’s fairly strong, long lasting, and works best with a larger crochet hook. I recommend an N, but anything over a G will work.