ST. LOUIS — There's a store where everything is free in St. Louis - no strings attached. And while it does center around students, it's actually for an entire community.
It's called SWAP STL, and it's a free store for anyone who's connected to the Washington University community.
The building itself doesn't have an address, but people know it's on the corner of Shepley Drive near the campus clock tower. It's a small building packed with professional clothing, shoes, pants, textbooks, housewares items and more.
"My professor once came in --it was a whole thing, like 'Oh my god!'" student Campbell Sharpe said. "But, you know, it's a great place for the community to come and support each other."
Sharpe, a senior at Wash U, has been swapping her clothing and more for the last couple of years and said it's always fun to find treasures.
"Most of the things we get are actually pretty new," Sharpe said.
It not only helps staff and students make ends meet, but it also provides a sustainability outlook, which the student volunteers track in hopes of gaining nonprofit funding.
In 2023, the store reported that more than 1,600 items were taken, saving the community more than $26,000 and keeping 3,000 pounds of trash out of landfills.
Some students, such as Preise Ogundele, come to the store often.
"I found out about it from the faculty from my law school," Ogundele said. "It's been really, really nice."
Ogundele found a high-end UGG blanket and a lot of clothing.
"I was at Walmart yesterday, and it cost a fortune," Ogundele said. "I couldn't afford it."
Ogundele said that because she is an international student, it's hard for her to find affordable resources, and SWAP STL is a perfect fit.
The group also hosts events throughout the year, from clothing drives and tech trade-ins to small appliance swaps and even "thrift crawls," which take people on tours of the best thrift shops in the area. SWAP STL partners with other groups to host some of these events as well to spread awareness and gain participation.
Sharpe loves seeing swap culture make its way back to the store.
"This is a shirt that found its way to SWAP I think two years ago," Sharpe said while holding up a shirt in excitement. "I took it, and I wore it for a year and a half. I kind of outgrew it in my style. I donated it back. Someone took it then, and it just made its way back to SWAP."
It's a win-win for business, nonprofit work and sustainability. Plus, the students are getting incredible lessons without it costing a dime.
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