Musings of a Trusted People-Centric Marketplace
ABOUT
CONTACT
CONTRIBUTORS
NEWSROOM
CAUSES
BLOG ARCHIVES
ART BASEL 2011 in Images
Esquire Theme by Matthew Buchanan
Social icons by Tim van Damme
24
Sep
Our mission, at Tradepal, is to power peer-to-peer commerce. Our goal is to contribute to building smarter communities. Our passion is to encourage the Forgotten R of the Environment: Reuse.
We empower users to bring ReUse back into the sustainability equation by providing a simple way to list, share and trade unused items.
(Source: tradepal.com)
20
Apr
Contributor: Tamar Burton
This Earth Day we unite in support of a healthy planet by inspiring change. As part of the 2012 theme Mobilize the Earth, and the upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSDA) in Rio de Janeiro, Rio +20 we encourage everyone to proactively engage in ways that will create a quantifiable outcome by organizing events, volunteering and promoting renewable energy initiatives, and finally pledging support to a Billion Acts of Green. Now with over 997 million acts pledged and counting, our actions today will help to develop a comprehensive plan for sustainable development while inspiring the change necessary to get our world leaders to take bold energy action.
In honor of Earth Day, we at Tradepal, suggest that you evaluate your carbon footprint and the many ways you can help the environment by reducing, recycling and reusing. To the many supporters of collaborative consumption, we encourage you to quantify the carbon savings your actions generate in changing users’ behaviors with services such as bike, car and ride sharing, swapping and trading.
Senator Gaylord Nelson, the originator of the Earth Day holiday in 1970:
“The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the other way around.”
Tradepal users save money and the environment when trading on our platform. They also have access to a dedicated calculator that quantifies their carbon savings derived from all their trading on the platform. It is surprising to discover the exact amount of carbon savings you have accumulated while trading and giving items away.
On Tradepal, users may quantify their carbon savings both individually and as a group:
Gamification Feature: The Carbon Savings Calculator
It might seem trivial initially, but watching your carbon savings increase with each trade is truly fulfilling. According to my Tradepal user profile, I have accumulated 354 kg of carbon savings over the past six months. While not sure what it exactly meant, I simply plugged my Tradepal Carbon Savings amount into the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
The following highlights some significant equivalents of my savings:
Additional Reading:
07
Mar
Patronage has always been central to the art world. In the same way, the concept of artists trading their work for various core needs continues to be relevant today. It is safe to say that artists, as a group, epitomize collaborative consumption.
It is recorded that Andy Warhol provided the Chelsea Hotel with art in exchange for rent. And since Burning Man’s early beginnings in 1986, the annual week long event has fostered the creation of art, community and extreme self-reliance, while prohibiting the use of currency in favor of barter. More recently, in 2005 graffiti artist David Choe traded murals commissioned for Facebook’s offices in Palo Alto in exchange for Facebook stock. Now standing to join the art elite, his stock is currently valued at $200 million.
These examples of collaborative consumption are nothing new to New York City artist, Brian Ermanski. As the focus of Paul Stone’s short film The Prince of Elizabeth Street, Ermanski reflects on his evolution as an artist. His art has allowed him to build his brand while holding up shop, painting on the corner of Prince and Elizabeth street. Following an assault by a bouncer in 2006, he was left with chronic pain and numbness for years. To support himself, Ermanski slowly sold off all his possessions outside his New York City building and kept only his paintings which he now sells for up to $10,000.
With a new perspective on life he continued his recovery and struggled to return to art. In late 2007, a friend offered him housing in exchange for paintings. This offer turned into two years of housing while additional offers rolled in, including exhibit spaces in exchange for art. He even scored an iPad by trading a painting a little over a year ago. “My art is my currency,” says Ermanski. The same form of currency has made it possible for him to get access to a 2,000-square-foot loft in Tribeca to work on his canvases and store his art collection.
In December, 2011 after dreaming for six long years of the opportunity to showcase his artwork during Art Basel Miami, it became a reality. “Friend and fashion designer, Duncan Quinn, offered me space in his boutique and sponsorships to exhibit my art,” says Ermanski. He was in good company, located in The Moore Building and adjacent to Christian Dior’s first-ever pop-up shop in the heart of Miami’s design district. “A very high-profile place to show and that is where my journey has led me,” adds Ermanski. “Duncan even traded me a handmade suit I designed, for a painting he wanted made.”
Ermanski credits various people and opportunities with furthering his growth and survival as an artist. A proponent of incorporating barter and trade, Ermanski’s latest initiative is his profile on Tradepal. Having embraced collaborative consumption early on, Tradepal allows artists to host their collections online and enables them to seamlessly sell and trade within the platform. “With Tradepal, I have a virtual gallery where I am not only connected to all my collectors but also their friends which allows me to build my own distribution channel,” says Ermanski.
With art patrons spanning well beyond Nolita, his admirers remain on notice as part of his personal network while engaging new friends who have also discovered him and his art. The power of collaborative consumption symbolizes artists like Brian Ermanski who have sustained themselves by trading skills in exchange for life’s necessities. Through Tradepal, users create a free profile and become members of a trusted community reaching beyond their circle to discover, share, buy, sell and trade.
“It is powerful to know that each time I list new pieces, my network on Tradepal will automatically be notified,” says Ermanski.
Source Huffington Post
Brian Ermanski’s Profile on Tradepal
24
Jan
The New Consumer is seeking to gain a sense of fulfillment by simplifying their lives and taking a holistic approach about their consumption habits. In 2010, Andrew Benett and Anne O’Reilly launched a study highlighting the permanent shift in peoples’ perceptions about themselves as consumers. According to Euro RSCG’s New Consumer global survey, consumers are embarking on a re-discovery of the basic ideals that were the building blocks of society. As a matter of fact, 70% of the respondents surveyed admire people who live simply, while 71% were actively trying to improve who they are as individuals.
It appears that the New Consumer is focused on limiting their environmental impact while reducing their spending. Indeed, 64% of respondents feel good when making environmentally friendly consumption choices and 70% feel great about saving money. The undeniable trend is that the new consumer is rejecting hyper-consumption in preference for more sustainable alternatives.
One encouraging statistic in this survey is 48% of respondents have stated that they will not revert back to their old consumption habits - even after the economy rebounds. This proves a permanent state of change has occurred in the mind of the New Consumer.
The New Consumer has made a conscious effort to shift priorities and revolves most decisions around their communities. They want to better themselves, their families and their future.
Will collaborative consumption become the economic model of the New Consumer as they transform the way they shop and spend? Will they adopt the latest trends in transportation (sharing and renting car and bikes), accommodation (peer-to-peer short term rentals), travel (car pooling), space (workspace, storage, and parking sharing), neighborhoods (tool rental, swaps, garage sales) and work (workspace sharing, part-time tasking)?
To review the survey, visit Euro RSCG’s New Consumer
TRADING ON TRADEPAL:
SENDING A TRADE OFFER ON TRADEPAL:
27
Dec
When preparing for a garage sale, place the emphasis on streamlining and organizing the process. Here are 7 things to consider:
1. Sort items
2. Displaying Merchandise
3. Determining the Price
4. Advertising (the hard part is driving the traffic)
5. Time management before, during and after the sale
Simply put, it takes a lot of work whenever you get involved in a garage sale. You need to separate each main task and allocate specific times in different days to avoid getting frazzled.
6. What to do with items that didn’t sell?
7. Build your year-long Garage Sale on Tradepal
tradepal: how it works from tradepal on Vimeo.
23
Dec
Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday and a Happy New Year!
22
Dec
Did you miss National Regifting Day last week?
Ah, yes it really does exist… While regifting has been growing trend as many Americans felt their wallets tighten due to the slowing of the economy or job changes, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The pressure to finalize holiday purchases is growing and each day we read about the challenges that plague Americans such as a recent article that mentioned, “50% of Americans not able to shop for the holidays this year as they could not afford it…” This is a startling number given that the average U.S. household harbors over $7,000 in unused items. This excess could be sold, traded for other items or even better, given away.
Many of us will be receiving a few new gadgets this year, maybe an Apple iPod Touch or iPad, or Let’s Rock! Elmo for the kids. Whether you receive the latest Kindle Reader, a camcorder, flat screen television or surround sound system, there is the old model that is destined for the Island of Misfit Toys now that it has been upgraded.
Were you wondering what to do with this outdated item …. or maybe items?
Here’s an idea! Since most of us are connected to our friends and family on our social networks already…. How about creating a Tradepal online garage sale and list these items for sale, trade or as a giveaway?
29
Nov
Undust your cupboards: You have stuff around you worth gold!
1- Dare to list: It’s fast, easy and free!
Automated listing system: image suggestions. original price suggestion, enter item title, write (or copy paste) item description, set friendly price and… Shazam!
2- We’re among friends: Price Reasonably!
Offer a Friendly Price that’s attractive enough. Other users can vote on your pricing. Adjust pricing accordingly!
3- Promote and Share your item
Share on facebook, twitter, Tradepal’s fanpage. It’s FREE!
4- Invite friends and followers
Share your garage sale with your friends via Facebook and Twitter.
5- Communicate with buyers
Via internal Tradepal chat, comments, or email.
09
Nov
Tradepal is an online marketplace where people buy, sell, and trade with friends. It leverages communities of friends with real identities. Tradepal is a great alternative to traditional auction and classifieds sites as it allows users to offer an item and/or cash for an item.
Visit Tradepal to learn how easy it is to create your marketplace.
