Free exchange

Flathead Valley boasts state's largest Freecycle group

Think of Freecycle Flathead as eBay without any money needed.

That's how Mary Wallace described Freecycle in a nutshell.

With 684 members, Freecycle Flathead is Montana's oldest and largest chapter of the loose-knit, three-year-old international organization.

When someone becomes a member, he or she has access to a cyberspace message board. Registration is free.

That person can list items he or she wants to get rid of for free. Other members can scope out the message board to see if there is anything they want.

The two parties then connect and arrange for the seeker to get the item from the giver.

In August, the Freecycle Flathead message board listed 156 messages from people either wanting to get rid of an item or seeking something specific, said Wallace, a co-moderator for the Flathead group. A moderator is sort of a rules enforcer and coordinator for the message board. Kim Vierra-Diehl is the other co-moderator.

When people join, they can choose to receive an e-mail anytime someone posts on the message board, visit the message board at their convenience, or receive a daily digest of the postings.

Items often sought and given on the Flathead site include baby clothes and toys, other clothes, household items and appliances.

"A lot of it is pretty mundane," Wallace said.

More unusual items provided or sought locally included dot-matrix printers for building robots, a turbocharger to a jet engine being built, a treadmill, computer keyboards, bench seats from a van and bowling balls.

"It can be little. It can be big," Wallace said.

Pets can be sought or offered.

However, firearms, prescription drugs or anything illegal is not allowed on the site.

The Flathead Web site's address is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecycleflathead. Information on how to join is also at that address.

"We encourage nonprofits to join the group," Wallace said.

The Flathead chapter's geographic area roughly encompasses Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Lakeside and Bigfork and points in between. Local members can seek items beyond this region.

The international organization began in 2003 in Tucson, Ariz., and now has roughly 2.5 million members.

Montana has 10 chapters. Others are based in Billings, the Bitterroot Valley, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, Polson and Thompson Falls. Missoula has the state's second-largest chapter with at least 540 members.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com