For those of us who like rooting through other people’s cast-offs, there is a little shed at the Rockport Transfer Station that is like a slice of heaven on earth. This shed is home to Rockport’s Swap Shop (just to the left of the Book Barn, the site of more happiness), and trumps all other forms of scavenging (Goodwill, yard sales, and so forth) because the bounty that you see before you is free for the taking.
Yes, it can get a little depressing at times to squeeze in among the other human seagulls, desperately hunting for that perfect item, like the replacement carafe that you needed for your coffeemaker or the coffeemaker that you needed for your broken carafe. But it’s all worth it for moments like the one I experienced today, when I brought along a few members of my extended family on my Dump Run and introduced my five-year-old nephew, Jon Luke, to the joys (and sometimes heartbreak) of the Rockport Swap Shop. He came away with an item so prized that it seemed almost unbelievable to him, a gift magically appearing out of a humble little shed, as if there were actually a Trash Fairy and today was a holiday he had never heard of. And it shall be called Trashmas.
Maybe creating a holiday around the Swap Shop is too much to ask, but if you had seen Jon Luke racing around in his new-to-him Swap Shop find this afternoon, you might have felt a little secondhand magic stirring in your heart.
Good Morning Gloucester 
I love this, but I think it only for Rockport residents, no? We need this in Gloucester!!! 🙂
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Sadly, it is only for Rockport residents (with a dump sticker). I agree: every community needs this sort of place!
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Bummer! I’ve been looking for a replacement for my retractable Batman Wings! Holy Bat wings Robin! Maybe next time.
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All of our dining room chairs (who cares if they don’t quite match) came from there as well as a few other sticks of furniture.
Best find: a couple of left handed golf clubs. It’s never to late to learn. I have given some stuff too. It’s great when people help you unload because it is going right into their car.
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Don’t let the word out on this local treasure or you will have foreigners like me sneaking over from Gloucester to pillage. When I was living in Rockport I happened on a set of 5 Sabatier knives that had been left. This was twenty years ago, and we still have them; recently saw the current prices and almost fainted.
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Hi Everyone – There’s a cyberspace extension of the Swap Shop called Cape Ann Yankee Swap.
Here’s a description: We are residents of the Cape Ann, Massachusetts cities of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester and Essex who want to give and receive items with one another in a barter system which does not involve any monetary payment. This group will enable us to recycle and help save the planet, help citizens of all social classes and save resources and energy for people who want to get rid of old things to make room for new ones.
CAYS is a Yahoo Group. You can sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/capeannyankeeswap/
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Thanks for the tip, Nancy. I’ll be sure to check it out.
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Jon Luke is one lucky boy with one really cool Aunt! I’m sure he’ll remember this for years.
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Thanks Alicia. It was a fun time together!
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I feel infinitely better knowing the Caped Crusader is keeping Rockport safe. And Green!
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I’m so glad Jon Luke found this before my husband did!
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Ha! I’d love to see Pete with those batman wings on. I think I’d pay money to see that, in fact. But not very much money, so don’t think I’m going to fund your next trip to Disney or anything…
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I just saw the cape tonight first hand-very cool. And Jon Luke is still beaming.
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