I think it’s really funny that someone left some graffiti in the Swap Box. I wonder what they took in exchange?
I’ve recently started leaving my Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) in the Mayor Larry Swap Box on Lisgar Street outside The Invisible Theatre.
Yesterday morning the Swap Box was empty so I left an ATC. On my way home I checked and someone had taken my ATC and left two bus tickets! I took the tickets and left another ATC. This was an excellent score for me, because I was on my way to catch a bus. My luck held steady: the bus arrived at the stop just as I did, and it was a fast and pleasant ride home. (If you ride the #14, you know how rare this is.)
Speaking of Swap Boxes, check this out: The Life of a Swap Box by Simon Milligan. Great stuff. While you’re there, check out some of his other street art photography projects too. He’s got some real gems from Ottawa and Toronto, maybe other places too. I’ve only just scratched the surface.
And while we’re on the subject of Swap Boxes, I must confess to having one in my house. Remember the one I rescued from the Ritz Hotel after the building collapsed? I still have it. It was supposed to be relocated to Wolfeville, Nova Scotia, but that didn’t happen. One of these days (or nights) I’m going to go out with my swap box and my drill and screw it to the telephone post at the corner of O’Connor and Somerset.
In the meantime, though, I kind of like having it in my house. It makes me happy.
Tags:
pete has painted TWO sides of our swap box now. he’s awfully slow with it and I’ve been too busy to step in and take over. one day we’ll get ours out there…..
My mother, who lives in downtown Montreal, tells me that people are leaving books in random places for others to pick up and read. I am told that you don’t have to leave a book to pick up a book, but that you should leave the book somewhere else when you are finished reading it for the next person. It sounds more like sharing then swapping, but regardless it’s a great idea. Is this happening in Ottawa too?
(A little part of me wonders if it is even happening in Montreal. Maybe she just found a misplaced book and made assumptions. Can anyone confirm?)
Never heard of Swap boxes. Please tell me more. We don’t really do buses in San Diego – every drives their own car.
Checked my site – must be a glitch in the system because the preview has the web site but when I post it doesn’t show up. Managed to fix it but here you are – http://www.masquerademaskarts.com/memes/yourtitle.php
psychic librarian: are you talking about the bookcrossing craze that was sweeping the world a few years back or is it something different?
I think bookcrossing.com is still going strong, though I myself stopped doing it a couple of years ago. I did register and scatter 85 books though. It’s an international movement PL – check it out!
Janet, the swap boxes were started by a local artist here in Ottawa, and are now spreading around the world. (Nursemyra, in fact, is working on what may be the first Australian swap box). Basically a swap box is a small box, usually wooden, screwed to a telephone pole or something similar, in which people can leave small treasures for other people to find. You take something out and you put something in for the next person. I have quite a few posts on my blog about them – if you do a search on swap box, you should find them.
Nursemyra – I’m pleased to hear Pete is making progress. Maybe you’ll have your box up by Valentines Day.
Oh, that must be it! I will apologize to my dear mother for doubting her, and let her know she can register online. Thank you!
I just read that you were trying to send a swap box out to wolfville, N.S. If you’re still interested please let me know. I’ve been here for a few years now and KNOW that it will thrive out here!! The community here will love the idea and likely embrace it. If there are legal issues I can talk to my friend in town hall to double check, but I can’t imagine there would be any objections. give me a shout if you’re interested. cheers!