swap til you drop

by Gina Edwards

Thanks to young, driven pioneers such as Judy Berger, ‘Swapping’ has become the new shopping. Commonly known in the swapping world as “Swishing,” the concept of trading one's loved (but often unused) item for another has become a huge hit across the World Wide Web with vintage bargain hunters a plenty signing up for site such as www.whatsmineisyours.com – an online site founded by swishing guru Judy Berger.

Judy left her life as a stylist and a personal shopper at Selfridges to fill a gaping void in the consumer market. www.whatsmineisyours.com was set up in 1994 to help put an end to endless retail buying. Putting unused and vintage clothes on Judy’s website turned the consumer process on its head by re-circulating garments instead of manufacturing more. This concept of “Swishing” has become an exciting and fashionable trend with celebrities such as Elle Macpherson and Nicole Kidman – making it the new, stylish and eco friendly way to shop. It could be said that in the wonderful world of swapping, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure!

Fashion eBay?

Unlike eBay www.whatsmineisyours.com is predominantly a fashion based website. Thanks to her expertise in the field Judy is able to judge each piece listed with its own merit and value it accordingly, "Put a fantastic Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress for sale on traditional auction sites and not one single bid would grace your account” writes Judy on her website, “however, put a Versace logo t-shirt up for grabs and the bids would come flooding in at twice the original price"

Combining a true love of fashion and an understanding of its value (not to mention an eye for a vintage bargain) has put www.whatsmioneisyours.com way ahead of the game, with 11,000 users. With its expansion the site has opened up new retail swapping outlets including furniture and beauty and grooming. This Christmas however, Judy's unique talent was headhunted by London’s Covent Garden with the aim to take swapping to new festive heights.

Covent Garden

Covent Garden provides a premium Christmas experience for its shoppers. Unlike the consumer-crazed Oxford circus, dressed in tacky Disney lights, Covent Garden’s piazza has been dressed by Ridley Scotts favourite set designers, well known for films such as Love Actually and Gladiator. By stepping back and assessing the needs and wants of an ever evolving London, the area is offering a wide variety of entertainment throughout December including an exciting 12 days of Christmas farmers market, a bespoke gift wrapping serve and children’s storytelling weekend. In a bid to bring an ecological edge to the festivities Covent Garden approached Judy for her swapping expertise.

Decoration exchange

Wanting to offer something unique and exciting this Christmas, Judy was challenged to host the UK's first ever decoration exchange. This new concept involves shoppers bringing their old, unused or vintage decorations to Judy’s pop up shop for valuation and being given tokens in return for the value of their decorations. Shoppers are then able to use their tokens in exchange for other decorations on sale in the beautiful boutique. With a donation of the profits going to the Children’s charity Kids Company the decoration exchange is an eco friendly, hassle free, socially aware, vintage lover’s dream come true!

….And with donations to Covent gardens Decoration exchange from Elle Macpherson and Katie Melua who know what celebrity decorations may appear on your tree this year!

For more information please go to www.christmas-deluxe.com