My unique holiday tradition: a ‘swag sale’

I have a unique holiday tradition: I hold a yearly Pioneer Press “swag sale” for charity.

“Swag” refers to the books, music, movies, tech gadgets and other products sent to the paper for review. This stuff piles up over the course of the year, and I’m in charge of organizing it, boxing it up and putting it in storage.

Then, just before or just after Thanksgiving, I haul it out, spread it onto long tables, and sell it off to fellow staffers and the occasional outsider.

Finally, I divvy up the proceeds among charitable causes I designate. This year, I am giving moolah to the United Way, the 360 Journalism program and a local adopt-a-family holiday initiative via Baby’s Space.

I have just over $400 to spread around.

There are always lots of swag-sale leftovers, but then phase two kicks in.

A former co-worker (shown below, right) swoops in to pack up the stuff and haul it over to Half-Price Books. The store buys the swag, and my former colleague sends the proceeds to her own designated charity in Guatemala.

She just sent me this note:

Hi, Julio,

Thanks so much for your help last night. It all went smoothly and pretty quickly, too. Half-Price Books was thrilled to receive an infusion of new products before the holidays.

We dealt with a new store manager who hadn’t had any experience with the swag sale leftovers before (although other store employees remembered us) and he enthusiastically invited us to come back every year at this time.

We received $662 for Pastor Avelino’s mission to feed poor children in Guatemala City. Yea!

Gratefully,

Katy

We have this whole thing down to a science.

There’s a tech angle, too: I take credit cards via a Square swiper plugged into an iPhone or iPad. Hardly anyone pays by check anymore, it’s either plastic via Square, or cash.

This is all a lot of work, but a lot of fun. See you again next year, swag-sale shoppers.