We’re hosting another Swap Shop event in South London
With Second Hand September coming up later this year, we’ve been thinking about how we can offer our community shopping events that have a more positive impact on the earth. We really want to offer more shopping events that put sustainability and circularity first. We know you’re looking for more sustainable ways of shopping, that importantly, suits your budget, so we thought a Swap Shop would be the perfect thing to tick all those boxes.
After the success of our first clothes swapping event in Crystal Palace in October 2021, second successful Swap in February 2022 and third sell-out Swap in April, we knew we wanted to kick off September with another similar event to tie in with Second Hand September. Not only can you feel good about clearing out your wardrobe, so you can go into summer as your most edited and wonderful self, but you still get that thrill of finding something “new” to wear. Less clothes are wasted, their lifespan is increased, and it’s affordable too! What’s not to love!?
We heard your feedback from last time, and this event will be hosted in a bigger brighter room, so there’s more space to browse! It’ll be in the lovely newly renovated space above Westow House in Crystal Palace. Yay!
So if you’re looking for a clothes and accessories swap in London, then look no further! And if you’re not sure how they work? No problem! We’ve answered all your FAQs below. Here’s everything you need to know about the A South London Makers Market Swap Shop in Crystal Palace.
What can I bring to the Swap Shop?
How does the Swap Shop work?
First make sure you’ve got a ticket! You can do this via our Eventbrite link. Bring with you a bag of up to 10 items you want to swap to Westow House for 9am. We accept your clothes between 9am-11am. We will go through them to assess which we can accept to the Swap Shop, and agree a number of items with you! This number will be logged onto our spreadsheet!
Please note, as the events can be busy, you may need to queue to drop your items off to us.
After you’ve dropped off your bag of items, you’re free to roam around Crystal Palace for a mooch! Head downstairs to have brunch in the pub.
During this time we hang everything up, steam as much as we can, and get everything looking great! Ready for you to browse!
Then return to the Westow House from 12pm. We admit people on a first-come-first-serve basis so if there’s something specific you’re after, you will want to be prompt. We’ve had queues at events before. We ask everyone to wear a mask, and sanitise their hands before they enter.
You can then browse the selection on offer. Once you know what you want to take, you bring your haul to us at the “till” where we will deduct the number of items you want to take from your swap balance on our spreadsheet.
What can I bring to the Swap Shop?
You can bring:
Womenswear
Menswear
Homeware
Beauty products (in perfect unused condition)
Accessories
Jewellery
Handbags
Shoes
Books
We’d honestly consider most things, as long as they’re in very good condition!
Do the things need to be in perfect condition?
Items must be in very good and wearable condition
Items don’t need to be absolutely perfect, but wearable
Items don’t need to be steamed or ironed necessarily, although obviously that helps!
We will not accept items that are dirty, smelly or with visible marks, stains or holes
We will not accept overly bobbly items
We may limit how many items we accept from lower end highstreet stores (just because this made up the bulk of what was left last time!)
What type of things can I expect to find at the Swap Shop?
As each attendee chooses which items they bring with them, it’s very hard for us to say what will be there on the day! We cannot guarantee what will be at any of our Swap Shops. From our previous events, it’s been mainly women’s highstreet fashion from brands like H&M, Nike, ASOS, adidas Topshop, Zara, Mango, M&S, Cos, and Other Stories. But we never know what will show up on the day! We’ve also seen items from Marc Jacobs, Charlotte Tilbury, Ganni, Stella McCartney, Diptyque, MAC, LK Bennett, Neal’s Yard, Cath Kidston and more. Equally, we’ve seen items from Primark, Boohoo and Missguided. And there is always lots of incredible vintage, too!
There is usually a mix of clothing, accessories, and then some smaller beauty items, homeware and jewellery. While we check every item as thoroughly as possible, we cannot guarantee the quality and condition of items there, so you need to check all items before you take them home; we are unfortunately unable to do anything once an item has been swapped and taken home.
We also cannot guarantee what size range will be on offer on the day, and please note that items will not be organised by size. We understand it’s frustrating when you can’t find items in your size which is why we have expanded the Swap Shop to include homeware as well! So there’s more chance you’ll be able to find items you love to swap.
How many items can I bring?
We will accept up to 10 items per person. We will not accept any more than 10 items. Any surplus items will need to be taken away by you.
Can I save up credits for a future Swap Shop?
Yes, absolutely! If you leave the Swap with excess credits (having bought in more things than you take away) we will log this on our spreadsheet so you can use the leftover credits for the next time you attend a Swap! You will still need to purchase a ticket for any future event you want to come to.
What do you do with the clothes that don’t get swapped?
Anything not taken away will be stored and bought back out for our next Swap Shop, or donated to local charity shops in Crystal Palace. This is why we only accept up to 10 items per person, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to store or donate all of it.
Is the event dog, buggy and baby friendly?
No unfortunately not. Due to the nature of the event, it is not suitable for dogs, pushchairs or children.
Swap Shop House Rules
♻️ We will only accept a maximum of 10 items per person. Please don't bring more than 10 items
♻️ You will need to take any items not accepted to the Swap Shop away with you
♻️ We reserve the right to accept or decline any item from the Swap Shop
♻️ You may need to queue to drop off your items to us, so please leave time to do so. You can drop items off between 9am - 11am
♻️ Give your fellow Swappers space! Don't push or shove, there's room for everyone
♻️ Because of the nature of the event, it is not suitable for dogs, pushchairs or young children
♻️ Only ticket-holders will be allowed inside the Swap Shop. We kindly ask that any friends, family members or pets who have come with you wait downstairs in the pub
♻️ All items are worth one "credit". One "credit" can be used across all categories
♻️ Once an item has been checked out of the Swap Shop we are not able to accept any returns or exchanges, so please check every item thoroughly before you leave
♻️ It is every attendee's responsibility to ensure they are complying with current COVID-19 guidance
Where can I find the Ts&Cs?
You can find them here. Please read them before you attend. By booking a ticket, you agree that you have read and understood the terms and conditions. Thanks so much.