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Purple room with clothing rack and miscellaneous itemsEllen SilvermanPage 1 of 11

How to Host a Swap Party

By Yolanda Wikiel

Gather friends―and their excess stuff―for this thrifty get-together, and start trading.

Party Basics

Why do it: Beyond being economical, eco-friendly, and an excuse to clean out your closet, a swap party with friends is far more fun than a yard sale with strangers.

Whom to invite: Friends with similar taste. For a good variety of merchandise, eight people is a manageable number, though anywhere from 3 to 20 is doable.

Invitation or e-mail? Send Real Simple’s free customizable Evite (available at realsimple.com/evite). Give guests two weeks’ notice to start gathering their belongings.

Next: What to Serve
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Purple room with clothing rack and miscellaneous items
Children standing in front of a school bus
Swap party items on a white table
Denim jeans, t-shirts, gold purse
Wooden truck, jack in the box and pink stuffed animal
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Blender, blue colander and wood spoon
Wooden board game of Twister, blue watering can and a red ball
Blue bag with sunglasses, striped scarf and belt

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